On Sunday 6th of October Felines 1st volunteers were up bright and early to prepare for the first homing show for the charity, which was held at the Crawley Horticultural Hall. We had 14 cats available for viewing and were delighted when we had a number of prospective owners through the doors wanting to chat to the fosterers and volunteers about which of the cats would be a good match for them. Some families were looking for lively kittens to join their family while other people were better placed to offer a quiet home for a shy or older cat needing time to settle in.
More than just cats…
Of course you don’t need to be looking to adopt to come and say hello to the cats and volunteers at these shows. There was a delicious spread of homemade cakes and biscuits which could be enjoyed over a mug of tea or coffee. Volunteers were on hand to have a chat about what we do, and help with general advice on cats if needed. There was an interesting variety of cat items on sale, ranging from cat baskets, scratch posts and cat toys to treat your furry feline, to cat cards, mugs and key rings, and some exquisite jewellery – a perfect gift for friends and family!
After the show…
We had 12 people who expressed an interest adopting cats and we will be doing home checks for them over the next couple of weeks. Home checks usually involve a visit to your home to find the ideal cat for your circumstances. For example, people on a busy road would be best placed to offer a home to a cat that needs to be kept indoors, such as an elderly or FIV positive cat. The aim of home visits is to ensure that the right cats are matched to the right people and to help you think through what you need ahead of adopting a cat and give you tips and advice on how best introduce the cat to your home.
At the end of the day…
We received generous donations of cat food at the door and £210 in financial donations (of which an impressive £200 cheque came from one couple!). An additional £157.30 was raised from sales of items and food. Every penny of this money will go directly towards looking after the cats in our care. Thanks to everyone for their generosity with their time and money to donate and visit and make the show a success.
Don’t miss our Christmas homing show…
Our final homing show for the year will take place at the Hawth on the 24th of November 2019 from 11 am to 3 pm. Come along to say hello to the cats and volunteers and do some early Christmas present shopping…
