Abbotts View Farm Cattery

31/10/2024

The farm track has been filled by James so is now passable easily. Thank you James!

16/10/2024

Please be aware that we are unable (and uninsured) to look after any cats who have tested positive for cat flu (Feline Herpes Virus FHV or Feline Calicivirus FCV). Once they have tested positive they can remain carriers for life and can shed, making them contagious to other cats in our care.

If any cats already booked have ever tested positive for cat flu, please get in touch and we will cancel your booking for you and refund any payments made.

Our aim is to offer a 5 star service at all times, and this includes keeping your cats as healthy as possible, as well as warm, safe, fed and entertained!

Thank you for your understanding.

14/10/2024

Rain and rain! Unfortunately all the wet weather means the access track to our farm is very potholey, particularly the beginning of it, so be warned and drive slowly! We don't own this track and we were hopeful after discussions with neighbours that it was going to be tarmaced this summer but unfortunately it hasn't happened. It's very frustrating! But is passable if you take it slowly.

03/10/2024

Just a heads up folks that we are booking up for Christmas 2025 🌟🎄☃️.

We've been full for Christmas 24 for sometime

Getting close to full for Summer 2025 and I don't want my regular customers to miss out so this is a hint to get yourselves organised 😉

24/09/2024

Well that's it... Abbotts View Alpacas is now closed but the cattery will remain open 🎉. Exciting news is that our daughter, Rosie, will be in charge of the cattery on Mondays and Thursdays to give us a couple of days off 😅. She'll also be covering some lunchtimes so she gets to know all the pusscats holidaying with us. So, if you're dropping off or collecting on Mondays or Thursdays it's Rosie's smiling face you'll see. Jo & James will always be on hand for support but as Rosie has grown up with cats and helped out in the cattery since she was 15, she has plenty of experience and knows many of our regulars already. Welcome on board Rosie Dell

13/09/2024

Our livery side of the farm are hiring, with the opportunity for some work in the cattery too! 🐱🐴

GROOM/FREELANCE JOB AVAILABLE

We have a rare opportunity for a groom to join our fabulous team of workers here at AVL.

Hours are ALTERNATE Sundays (every other Sunday) and holiday/sick cover in the week.

🐱Work in our cattery also available - see below

To start training as soon as possible.

REQUIREMENTS

🐴You need to be capable and experienced in horse care (at least 3 years experience)
🐴Able to spot lameness and colic and know when to call the vet for an emergency
🐴Be over 18 and have a full UK driving licence (for the quad bike!)
🐴Reliable and trustworthy
🐴Hard working and committed
🐴Able to work on your own and as part of a team
🐴Sole charge and holiday cover - Sundays you will be working on your own
🐴Ideally have a passion and/or interest in natural horse care/Horses living out with free choice 24/7 and not in stables

BENEFITS

🐴A friendly, supportive atmosphere where we work as a team.

Before I started my own livery I worked previously as a freelance/groom and was often not happy with how I, or the horses, were treated at numerous places. I vowed that if anybody ever worked for me they would be treated how I would want to be treated and valued as a key part of my team, and want to be here!

🐴Good rate of pay at £12 p/h and overtime always paid
🐴Flexible start times for am and pm rounds
🐴You are never expected to work Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years, but if you would like to work them, they are double pay
🐴Extra pay for overtime
🐴Extra shifts often available in the week
🐴Opportunity to learn more about barefoot and track systems and/ horse training

🌭Free snacks and fizzy drinks - tell me what you want and I'll make sure the staff snack pot is never empty!

RESPONSIBLITIES

🐴Sole charge of running the yard on your Sunday shifts. Team work on most weekday shifts alongside another groom, or me!
🐴All poo picking on the corrals and mucking out of the barns and lami pens
🐴Making up haynets and haying the tracks
🐴Making feeds and feeding horses
🐴Checking water and electric fencing
🐴Changing rugs
🐴Holding horses for the vet/farrier where applicable
🐴Basic medical care (applying clays/sprays/poultices)
🐴Exercising my and liveries horses on occasion if you are experienced enough
🐴Previous experience with a quad bike is ideal but not essential. Training will be given.

HOURS

🕓Around 5hours am and 2 hours pm on ALTERNATE Sundays (every other)

🐱 1 hours work in the cattery Abbotts View Farm Cattery available at lunchtimes (Fussing and checking cats and emptying litter trays)

🐴Flexible start times; between 6am and 9am for am rounds and anytime from 2.30 pm for pm rounds. Or if you are doing both am and pm, you can stay all day with an hours unpaid lunch break in between (or if you're interested in cattery work, you can do the cattery in-between).

Please pm me or email if you are interested and email your CV to [email protected]

Based in Aston Abbotts Buckinghamshire

12/09/2024

I think I could do with one of these for the cattery. I have a few shoulder sitters...... I wonder if they'd make it up to my head 😂😂

21/08/2024

The specialist veterinary team at Edinburgh University are warning vets about an outbreak of TB in raw fed cats.

Although so far only 11 cases have been confirmed, TB is not a condition many vets will think about because it is so unusual, the symptoms are vague and can mimic other conditions and the testing needed for a diagnosis is very specific.

It is also extremely serious, sadly 8 of the infected cats have already been euthanased and it can make humans very ill as well. Which is why it is important that the word is spread.

All the cats so far diagnosed were fed the same raw diet. They were mainly indoor cats and did not drink raw milk, so had no other risk factors that might have caused the disease.

The company impacted is aware but has not yet been named and the vets are at pains to point out that they appear to have followed all the regulatory requirements and that this is simply an inherent risk (albeit thankfully a low one) of raw feeding.

As yet, as far as I am aware, a recall hasn't been issued.

Infected cats have presented with weight loss, coughing (a real concern as this could increase the ability of the disease to spread, particularly to people), abdominal abnormalities and were often very poorly by the time a diagnosis is made. Their blood tests generally only show non-specific changes like a mild anaemia.

Although TB in cats can present with skin lesions, this strain (similar to the last time this happened) appears to mainly cause respiratory signs and abnormalities may well be seen on chest x-rays.

If a lung wash is performed the bacteria might be identified but any vets doing one on a suspicious case must take care to wear PPE to protect themselves.

If you are concerned you might have a case, the team at Edinburgh, which includes Danielle Gunn-Moore and Conor O'Halloran, are very happy to help and advise you.

They have this webpage which is great; https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/services/small-animals/vet-professional/specialist-services/feline/mycobacteria and advice on suspected cases from this outbreak will be given free of charge.

You can also contact Conor directly on [email protected]

And don't forget that TB is a notifiable disease, so the APHA must be contacted, and they are also a good source of support.

If you are a cat owner who raw feeds and you are worried, the best people to speak to for information and, hopefully, reassurance are your veterinary team and the company who produces the meals you feed.

It is also worth noting the difference between this problem, with a specific subset of infected animals, similar symptoms, a definitive diagnosis, a common diet and specialist vets at the forefront of raising the alert… and the the issues claimed with Purina pet food at the start of this year, which had none of these typical hallmarks of a genuine food related illness outbreak.

For more information about TB in cats, this article from the Edinburgh team, written in 2019, is very helpful; https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/services/small-animals/information-about-cat-tb **But do note the company mentioned in it is in relation to the outbreak at the time, not this one**

Link to this report; https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/tuberculosis-in-young-raw-fed-cats-in-the-uk

*Letter pictured published with the permission of the Vet Record and the authors.

18/08/2024

Cancellations mean we have one suite available for 31st August to 6th September and 15th - 25th September . Visit our website that book or WhatsApp me!
Edit: 19-23rd Sept taken

23/07/2024

We are now fully booked for Christmas 2024

20/07/2024

Due to cancellation I have one suite available from 1st to 14th September. The dates don't quite match anyone on my waiting list but might help someone else. Book online, as usual, or drop me a message.

16/07/2024

Just two suites left now for Christmas! 🌲🎁🤶🔔

This is Loki, our super friendly rescue cat who was the inspiration for the cattery, and now loiters around the cattery because it has better food than our house 🤣🤪

01/07/2024

Wow!! Just a heads up. I only have two suites left for Easter 2025 and am nearly full for the last week of July and first two weeks of August, over a year in advance! Thankyou all! I love my job!

29/06/2024

I send regular video updates to my cat mums and dads via WhatsApp whilst their furbabies are on holiday with us, so I don't take many actual photos! Here are a few I do have, of lovely pusscats who have stayed recently. 😻 . Is yours here?

03/06/2024

Due to cancellation I have one suite available from 18th to 29th June - suitable for up to 4 cats. Book via our website - first come first served!

16/05/2024

We WILL be open for Christmas 2024!! This will be for existing customers only with a minimum stay: we will be closed for drop off/collection from 24-28th December and Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day will be charged at double the standard rate. We feel this is a good balance for both our customers and their kitty cats and us🌲🤶🎄🎶 (photo of our handsome Loki or puss puss as he is most commonly known!)

10/04/2024

I'm still getting lots of calls for requests for bookings this year.

As of 10th April we ONLY have the following dates available for 2024:
24th April - 2nd May
19th May - 25th May
1st June - 6th June
20th - 29th June
5th July - 11th July
12th August - 16th August (NOW TAKEN)
10th September - 17th September (NOW TAKEN)

For bookings longer than a week we don't have anything before 25th September and are taking bookings for summer 2025

I wish I could fit them all in! Here's Uncle James enjoying a lovely cat cuddle

05/04/2024

We also run alpaca experiences at our farm. Due to the wet weather bookings have been slow coming in but tomorrow looks like it’ll be a nice day. So if you’d like to come and join us for an alpaca experience we still have spaces available.

18/03/2024

I have one suite available for Easter, due to a last minute cancellation. I have from Tuesday 26th March until Saturday 6th April for one suite (up to 4 cats from the same family) (Photo of the lovely Maurice with his gorgeous unmatching eyes! Easter eggs have been added to the photo)

03/03/2024

SUMMER AVAILABILITY! Due to cancellation I have 12th to 29th August available for one suite (up to 4 cats from the same family). Let me know if your puss cats need a holiday (or book online)

02/03/2024

I know quite a few of you are struggling to find dates so here is a list of the few gaps I have left this year:
19-25th May
1-8th June
5-11th July
21-29 August
24th September onwards

Still have space for October half term and just a reminder that we now close for Christmas from 21st December until 8th January

02/03/2024

💪

15/02/2024

Due to cancellation I now have space for next half term week. Let me know if that helps you!

05/11/2023

It's our village firework display tonight and I've been in the cattery with our residents. We've left the radios on quite loud and I'm pleased to report that we can't hear them from within the cattery and all cats are fussy and happy. I HATE fireworks for the potential impact they have on our furry friends, both domestic and wild. I look forward to the day when they are silent so we can all enjoy them.

02/11/2023

We had the absolute pleasure of looking after two kittens, Kristoff & Elsa, this week. So much fun and such a treat! It's great for kittens to come for a sleepover when they are young and inquisitive as it makes it so much easier for them to settle on future stays.