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March, but where is Spring?!

March 11, 2020
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by Jackie
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in News
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We are so desperate for signs that summer is on it’s way, this has certainly been the longest wettest winter. The primroses and daffodils are all in flower around the entrance to Hotel Cat but we want some sun with warmth in it! The donkey’s paddock is still very muddy and they are not happy, fingers crossed the worst of the weather is past and next time I write we will be enjoying an early heat wave!

The Cat Hotel has not been quite as busy due to the uncertainty from coronavirus but we have plenty of bookings coming in for the summer so lets all hope for good news by then. We have been lucky to have only had two cancellations and they were both covered by insurance which covered their boarding fees. It’s been a really odd year so far with Brexit, floods and now coronavirus, lets hope it improves once the sun appears.

We have had new fencing and gates put up in the driveway, it looks so smart and it is now totally secure. Our electrician is coming out next week to fit a video doorbell and floodlights, it really does look so much smarter when you drive in and we love it. Once the trees are in leaf we will get a new video tour done so that the new cat rooms can be seen on the website, we have had great feedback from everyone and lots of new customers already which is great.

The donkeys have their feet being trimmed this weekend and are due their worming so they won’t be happy! Percy and Arthur are doing well with their training and we are now looking for a trailer to take them out in.

Our lovely deer family are all well and last years baby now has tiny antlers appearing, he is so sweet and is fascinated by us walking by!

I hope you all are well and keep that way,

Jackie xx

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February has arrived!

February 4, 2020
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by Jackie
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in News
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Well the longest month is now behind us and we can start to look forward and plan for Spring. We are busy tidying up the grounds around the cat hotel and I even managed to mow the lawns last week. I really hope that the rain is going to ease off now and fingers crossed we won’t get any snow.

Hotel Cat is starting to fill up nicely for the summer months and we are looking forward to seeing lots of old faces arrive and to meeting lots of new ones too. January is always our busiest month for showing people around and this year has been no exception!  I love showing off our lovely hotel and our guests are always intrigued to see ‘strangers’ in the building!

The donkeys are all really well and full of mischief! They, like us, do not like the rain at all and do not approve of their fields being muddy, but when it dries up they charge around and really get rid of a load of energy, even the old boy Cookie joins in!

Our little deer family are all well, we cannot believe how close they let us get to them – it really is amazing and we do feel very lucky. The stag has recently started to push the baby away a bit, I guess at 9 months he thinks he should go and find his own lady! I really hope that the mother deer decides to stay and have her babies here again this year, fingers crossed.

I have an adorable kitten staying, plus a very mischievous pair of Bengals so I had better go and help Tim in the hotel – it’s total bliss 🙂

Jackie xx

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Happy New Year!

January 3, 2020
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by Jackie
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in News
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Wishing all of our lovely guests and their families a very Happy and Healthy New Year. We had a wonderful Christmas spent with a full hotel of the loveliest guests, I know we are biased but all of the cats who stay here are the nicest cats you could ever wish to spend time with and we do feel very blessed to do what we do.

We had a hectic run up to the festive period as we have been undergoing a redecoration. Six of the rooms now have new wallpaper and five of the rooms now have tiled floors in the garden rooms and the ones which over look the donkey barn now have purpose built window seats. We have renamed the Moulin Rouge the Malibu suite as it suits it more now. I will update the website with new photos in the next few days.

The donkeys are all well and were thoroughly spoilt at Christmas with lots of lovely edible gifts which went down a treat! I can’t wait for the warmer weather and longer evenings so that we can start taking them for long walks again.

We would like to thank you all for trusting us to look after your lovely cats and for all the wonderful cards and gifts we received this year. Here’s to another fun year at Hotel Cat.

Jackie xx

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Merry Christmas from Hotel Cat

December 2, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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Well December has arrived and we are flat out here preparing the hotel for Christmas. We have had two rooms refurbished with new wallpaper and tiled floors in the garden rooms and the tiler is preparing the next two. It’s lovely to see the rooms looking so fresh and new again ready for the start of a new year. The hotel works so hard during the year and it definitely deserves some tlc, we will be getting a new video tour done in Spring as all the trees and shrubs that were planted have grown so much and the gardens leading to the hotel are looking lovely.

We had a sad middle of the month as one of the baby deer had to be put to sleep. We found him hung up in the stock fencing early one Saturday morning. His back foot had got caught and although we released him he was struggling to walk. We called out the RSPCA and the most lovely, compassionate man arrived, he assessed the deer but couldn’t decide if his hip was broken or dislocated so called out a local vet. On close examination it was discovered that his hip was actually fractured so the decision was made to put him to sleep. We are devastated to lose one and it’s so sad to just have the three left as I’m sure they can’t understand why he didn’t return to the herd. We are still very blessed that they choose to live on the farm and they make us smile every time we see them.

The donkeys are sunbathing today as it’s beautiful outside. Cookie now wears his rug to help keep him warm as he really suffers when it’s cold. They spend most of the day and night in the big barn, but still like to come out for a wander around if it’s nice weather. We are hoping to rehome some ex commercial chickens this month as there is a rehoming day coming up, both us and the cats love watching the chickens wandering around the gardens. Our oldest chickens are coming up seven and although they don’t lay eggs anymore they have a lovely happy life.

We want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over the last year, we love all our wonderful guests and adore looking after them for you. We won’t be sending Christmas cards again this year as we use the money to buy meals for the homeless, I know you will understand.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas,

Jackie xx

 

 

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Halloween at Hotel Cat

November 2, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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Well it looks like winter is well underway! I am sat here in the warm whilst the wind and rain do their best to rid the trees of all their leaves.

October is always one of our busiest months and this year was no exception. We have had a number of new guests this month which has been lovely, especially when they settle straight in. The majority of first timers have already reserved their suites for next year and I have never seen the diary so full this far in advance, we already have quite a few bookings for 2021 as well!

The donkeys are really fed up with the rain and are spending most of their time in either the barn or the stables, hopefully November will bring some crisp sunshine for them. We have decided to rehome some more chickens so if anyone knows of any elderly girls who need a home please get in touch. Our golden oldie at the moment is seven and going strong, she doesn’t lay eggs anymore but has a lovely retirement running around the donkey paddocks and keeping all the younger girls in check.

All of our own cats are staying indoors now and there is always at least one of them on our bed both day and night, I love knowing they are safe and warm, it’s always a worry when they go outside. All of our guests are lovely and warm in their suites, their heating is on 24 hours a day and very few of them go and sit in the outside rooms, they are usually all in the warm bedroom. It’s so relaxing so be with them and we love being up at Hotel Cat.

We have a quieter couple of weeks coming up so we are looking forward to doing some decorating in the suites that will be empty.

Enjoy your weekend,

Jackie xx

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Autumn has arrived at Hotel Cat

September 30, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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I can’t believe the change in the weather and miss the long hot summer days so much! The Cat Hotel is toasty warm already as all the heating is back on and when I go up first thing in the morning it’s lovely as the heating in our house isn’t switched on yet! We have had a really busy September as usual and have a really busy October to look forward to. September has been full of our favourites and I adore them all, we have quite a few elderly guests and they are all looking in really good health which is so lovely to see.

The donkeys have just had their feet trimmed and are looking really smart. they are spending more time in the barn now and make their presence known if they are feeling peckish! The cats find them absolutely fascinating and are often sat in the window seats watching them. Our new ducks are also a big hit with the cats as they are always around the Cat Hotel and are such funny characters.

We are taking bookings daily now for next year so if you have any dates that you need held the sooner we know then the more chance there is of you booking your required suite.

I’m off now to spend the evening with my lovely guests and enjoy the warmth!

Have a lovely month,

Jackie x

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Busy times at the Cat Hotel

September 1, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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What a hectic month August has been, we haven’t stopped playing and loving cats all month! We have had a really lovely lot of guests throughout August. Some have been many times, others it’s their first time  and we have enjoyed every second of them all. It’s still really sad when they leave but lovely to know that they will be back. September is another really busy month and we have a tiny kitten staying at the moment, he is totally adorable and a total timewaster! We have a number of regular guests who stay every September coming in and it will be lovely to see them again too.

The diary is already filling up quickly for next year so if you have any dates please let us know as soon as possible, some dates are already full up and we don’t like having to turn our lovely regulars away.

The donkeys are full of mischief at the moment and are loving the last of the hot days. They are also loving the bucket of apples they get each day which have fallen from our trees! I’ve never seen so many apples on the trees but between us, the donkeys and the birds they are not going to waste. The crows sit at the top of the trees knocking them down and then flying off with them, that’s if the chickens haven’t got there first!

Our lovely deer family are always here, it’s so lovely to have been able to see the twins growing up and to see them with their Mum and Dad playing in the field each night is so special. They are so used to us now that they just watch us and we can get quite close to them. We adore living here surrounded by animals, it really is our piece of paradise.

We have decided to give the cat hotel a makeover with new wallpaper, redecorating the paintwork and new cat trees, hopefully this will be completed by Christmas and I can’t wait.

Have a wonderful month,

Jackie xx

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Summer continues at Hotel Cat

July 28, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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What a beautiful summer, we are all loving the sunshine. Cats basking on their loungers and donkeys stood in the shade of the fruit trees, it’s just so peaceful and I hope it stays for August too.

The cat hotel has been really busy with lots of lovely guests and we are full for much of the year now. It’s so lovely to see all of our favourites coming back to see us and we love them all.

The donkeys are all well, although all a little fat! Percy was meant to be going to the New Forest Show this week but he is just too tubby. I have started to up his walks around the lanes in a bid to get his weight down, perhaps I’ll even get him to run with me once he’s fitter!

We had to have one of our lovely white ducks put to sleep this month. The vets tried to save her but she had peritonitis and they couldn’t keep her going. Her sister Elizabeth was very upset so we arranged to rehome two young runner ducks. Kate and Meghan have settled in really well and the three of them wander around together and sleep curled up with each other which is very sweet.

Right, back off to spend the last couple of hours with my guests before bed.

Jackie xx

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Summers arrived at the cat hotel

June 29, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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What fantastic weather, this is definitely what we have been waiting for! The farm is looking so lovely with all the trees in full leaf. We have just had our hay cut and it smells so sweet. Even better news is that we can now get to see this years baby deer. We thought that there was a baby as Mum was always around and were thrilled to finally see it.

The donkeys have shed their thick winter coats and are all looking really shiny and well. They adore the sun and are full of beans. They will be even more pleased when the hay is brought in to the barn next week!

Hotel Cat has been so busy lately that some days I don’t have time to have lunch until the evening! I wouldn’t change it though as we have had such lovely guests to stay. They are all kept highly entertained by the huge amount of birds that we have on the feeders outside their windows and the resident squirrels and rabbits which also share the food.

Enjoy the sunshine,

Jackie xx

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It’s May – Hooray!

May 23, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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I love May it’s my favourite month of the year as it heralds the arrival of Summer. The farm looks wonderful at the moment, all the trees have their new brightly coloured leaves and our hay fields are a delightful mixture of different varieties of grass. We cannot tell if our resident deer have had their baby yet as the grass is too long but we do see the adult deer most days.

Well, the Marathon is done – thank goodness! I definitely won’t do it again as it became to all consuming and the training took me away from the farm and Cat Hotel for too long. It was a bit of a drama as unbeknown to me my chip, which registers your time and lets people know where you are on the course, wasn’t working. My Mum, Brother, Tim, James, Lucy and the charity didn’t know where I was or even if I had started. Tim was panicking as I have a reputation for getting lost and getting on the wrong buses etc and thought all sorts! It was only down to a friend watching on iplayer for hours who suddenly saw me finish who saved the day. She immediately sent the photo around much to my family’s relief. It took me 5hrs and 38 mins. My hamstring injury started niggling at mile 12 and by mile 18 it was agony. I hobbled the last 8 miles and boy was I glad to finish. On a positive note I managed to raise over £2200 for the Celia Hammond Animal Trust, so I know that I have helped a few deserving cats to have a better life. This alone makes all the pain worthwhile.

The Cat Hotel is so busy at the moment. Most of our guests are regular and we adore them all. This morning I was watching a pair of young cats trying to entice the squirrel who was on their bird feeder which is right outside their window, to come in and play with them! I so love what I do and it makes my heart sing to know that my guests are happy and content. We had a lovely old boy come to stay on his first ever visit away from home in 15 years. Jack settled in so well right from the minute he arrived and was just the sweetest boy. Whilst I was making his food he would tap my hand with his paw to make sure I was hurrying! On a sad note we have heard that two of our lovely guests have gone over to Rainbow Bridge. Dylan only stayed with us once but stole our hearts completely. At twenty years old he was one of our oldest guests but was so fit and well for his age. I know he will be very sadly missed by all who knew him. Florence was a regular guest here since we opened and both she and her brother Ravello were always cats that we really looked forward to seeing. Sadly her Mum and Dad were given the awful news that she only had six weeks to live last Nov. She managed to defy that due to both her strong, stoic nature and the love from her family and passed away only a couple of weeks ago. Again she will be sadly missed but never forgotten.

The donkeys are all really well and still shedding their coats like crazy. I have entered Percy into a class at the New Forest Show in July, goodness knows what he will think, but I imagine he will love all the attention as he is such a show off! Tim and I were putting the cats to bed last night and were sat making a fuss of the cats whilst watching the donkeys sleeping in the barn, I don’t think anything can top that, it’s certainly better than tv!

Time I was back entertaining my lovely guests,

Jackie x

 

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