Abbotts View Farm Cattery

03/12/2024

Dude!! Meet Dobby! What a character 😂

03/12/2024

Pleased to announce that we passed our Cattery Licensing Inspection with flying colours today and have received a 5 ⭐ rating for another 3 years 🎉🥳😻

26/11/2024

Our new purple softshell jackets have arrived and they are lovely. Will help to keep us warm this winter (whilst trying to look professional covered in cat hair) 😂

19/11/2024

First snow of the year!

16/11/2024

I have created Mumma Jo Makes, a page to showcase all my crochet, needlefelted and jewellery together in one place, just in case anyone on here is interested 😬

A reminder that it will all be on display next Sunday 24th November from 3-5pm at Aston Abbotts Village Hall, Aston Abbotts, Bucks with complimentary mulled wine for every visitor

Alternatively if you see something you like, send me a message and I will be happy to reserve it for you and pop in the post.

Also on Insta as Mumma.jomakes

https://www.facebook.com/share/15BghBNsDF/

06/11/2024

Kittens!!! We don't have kittens come to stay very often but last week we had 2 from different families and they were such a joy! We had so much fun. It was challenging trying to get photos as they were hardly ever still 😂

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.