cat hotel

Christmas 2023

December 12, 2023
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by Jackie
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in News
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What a year this has been. The hotel has been so busy and we have met some amazing new guests. Two of our older favourites have gone onto rainbow bridge which was very sad to hear, I can still see them in my mind waiting for either fuss or treats. We also, very unexpectedly, lost two of our dogs within three weeks of each other. This was such a shock and is something we are still coming to terms with. Losing an animal is such a sad time as they are family members and so very much loved. We are fortunate to be able to bury ours here and always plant a rose or a tree for them and I still speak to them all when I walk past.

On a brighter note Arthur’s last tumour treatment has started to work, the huge growth has gone and he will start treatment again in the new year to try and get rid of the rest. The donkeys are all really well and love the new stable and it’s so lovely to see them waiting for their biscuits in there every morning.

We now have our new gates up and they are working! It’s been a big project this year, but has made life so much easier. It means that Tim no longer is gate monitor! Our camera lets us know you have arrived and we just press the button to let you in. On the way out the gates open automatically, technology is a wonderful thing!

We are getting all prepared for Christmas, we are always at home as we have our guests and our four legged family to look after, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Our own cats are all teenagers now so just have treats in their stockings as they don’t play with toys so much now. Little Sweep has made a full recovery since her dental surgery on her 14th Birthday and will be 15 in April. She is completely blind now but manages so well and is very demanding when she hears me near the food!

Our prices are rising in January, it’s the first time in two years, but unfortunately all our costs have risen dramatically this year.

We are fully booked for numerous dates already next year and have many bookings in the diary for 2025, so if you have any dates you would like booked please let us know as soon as possible.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Jackie xx

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Hello!

May 17, 2023
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by Jackie
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in News
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I’ve been told off by some of my regulars for not updating my blog – no excuses apart from being busy with the cats!

How is it May already?! I’m glad it is though as it’s my favourite month, full of the promise of summer, sunshine and long days. It’s been such a busy start to the year and we are almost fully booked until January. We still have a small amount of space left in the second half of October and for some of November, but I’ve never known the diary so full, there is a waiting list for most dates throughout the summer.

We are currently replacing the cat trees as we have found these lovely wooden ones, the cats love them and hopefully by the end of the year there will be at least two in each suite. Our solar panels are now up and running and are fab! In the first month alone we noticed a huge reduction in our electricity bill.

Poor Arthur, our much loved little miniature donkey is undergoing new chemotherapy treatment as his tumour has come back with a vengeance. He started it on Monday and has his second course in two weeks. We are keeping everything crossed that this will work as he’s such a beautiful soul. He also asked me to tell you all that he loves apples and carrots! We are trying to get him to understand that new people do not all have needles so if you have any thing in the fridge before your holiday that you need to clear Arthur’s your boy!

Sweep, our 14 year old cat had to have two teeth removed on her birthday last month, not much of a present, but at least she’s still with us. She has a large growth on her gum which was making her teeth infected. She is much happier now and eating well. all three of our cats are now teenagers and sleep most of the day – they are loving be able to bask in the sunshine again.

I’m off with the binoculars to walk around the farm to see if I can see our deer. The mum is huge at the moment so we know the babies are due anytime. It’s such a joy and a privilege to live here and to spend all day with animals, we both adore your cats and never take for granted how blessed we are.

Jackie xx

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Summer 2022

July 23, 2022
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by Jackie
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in News
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I can’t believe it’s been over six months since I’ve written, all I can say is that it’s been crazy busy with no time to sit down!

We have had and are continuing to have, a really busy year. We have been fully booked for months and have no space now until the end of October, we are fully booked for Christmas too. We have so many bookings in for next year and for 2024 already, please, if you have any dates you would like held please let us know as soon as possible.

We are so blessed to have the loveliest cats who stay with us and we adore them all. During the recent hot weather the cat hotel stayed really cool as it is so well insulated, we spent all day up there as it was the coolest place on the farm! We also have the loveliest cat parents, a couple have recently had to cancel with short notice due to illness and both have paid in full, even though it was not their fault. Such kindness means a lot and does us help keep all our rehomed animals fit and well as they always come first.

We have incredibly sad news that our darling donkey Holly died on the 12th May. She had Colic and by the time I found her in the morning at 7am it was too late and we had to make the awful decision to let her go. She was our first ever donkey that we rehomed in 2006. She was the kindest most beautiful soul and we miss her terribly. Her son Charlie is still a bit lost as they had never been apart, but we are spending a lot of time with him and may well look to rehome a friend for him at some point in the future as the other four donkeys are both pairs, even though they do get on well as a group. Holly is buried in the paddock outside the kitchen window where she liked to stand and watch us, I shall miss that little face forever.

Arthur, our little Mediterranean Miniature donkey is having treatment for a tumour which is just under his eye. He has to have injections into it, so far he has had four and he has four more to go. Hopefully this will work, he’s such a lovely little man and being so brave. We have wonderful donkey vets who spend a lot of time making sure he is comfortable both before and after the injection and do really care and we are so grateful to them. All the other donkeys, sheep and ponies are really well thank goodness!

We recently rehomed a few more chickens so the cats have plenty of entertainment outside their windows which they love. Our bird feeders which are outside the cats windows are being filled twice a day as we have so many birds and lots of babies.

Our hay has now been cut and we have had another delivery of straw so the barn is full of feed for the animals. Our resident deer has had two more babies and they are living in the field behind the donkey paddock. There is a fresh water spring which forms a small pond in the corner of this field, plus we planted a small woodland there so she has shelter, its always a treat to see her. We also have two young buzzards again this year, they have a nest in one of our oak trees and are always calling their parents for food! We adore living here and sharing our lives with so many different animals and nature.

Hope you and your beautiful animals are all staying cool and keeping well. I’m back up to sit with my beautiful guests, yes, I really am living my best life 🙂

Jackie xx

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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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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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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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March Madness at Hotel Cat

March 27, 2019
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by Jackie
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in News
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We have had another hectic month and loved every second of it. Our biggest bit of news is that we had our inspection from the local council. It has changed this year as Defra are now overseeing the licences so it is a lot more involved. They have implemented a star rating for all kennels, catteries and home boarders and we are very proud to announce that we are the ONLY 5 star rated cattery in the district. We are over the moon and can’t wait for our certificate to arrive.

This week has been full of cats on medication, it’s funny as some weeks it is full of a particular breed or colour and other weeks it’s a high medicine week. We have two guests on thyroid medicine twice daily, one cat with kidney failure who has medicine three times a day, one on atopica and another who is on a combination of herbal remedies to slow her chronic condition down. Added to that three lots of our guests are on feeds six times a day, it’s non -stop!

The donkeys are absolutely loving the warmer weather and are outside most of the day. They all had spring haircuts today and their feet were trimmed so they are all looking very smart. Percy is still loving his walks around the lanes, we are getting further each time and have met some lovely people on route who always want to give him a fuss.

My Marathon training has had a bit of a set back as I strained my hamstring. I  had to cut back on my mileage and have only just started to increase again. We did 16 last Sunday and are hoping for at least 20 this Sunday (Mothers Day!). I am under the strict instructions of a physio now who I see once a week, he is doing a great job of keeping me on my feet so fingers crossed I will get round in one piece.

Enjoy this wonderful weather,

Jackie xx

 

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