Wolds Retreat Cattery

26/07/2024

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16/07/2024

Beau, Rico, Clint and Jamie came to stay for nearly three weeks. This was their first visit to Wolds Retreat.

You’d think they were brothers, but Rico and Beau just had a lot in common! Not only did they look quite alike, but they also shared the same quirky personality traits. Both were extremely pokey and “in your face”. They made everything their business. They liked to “help” where ever and whenever they could! Both were always up for a cuddle, nudging and pushing us, and purring loudly. They quickly got used to their new cattery environment, and they happily made the very best of everything.

Jamie was described by his owners as “living a parallel life” to the three others. We were told that he would not like any fuss and that he would want to keep himself to himself. -And true to their description, Jamie immediately took up residence in the bed by the bedroom window, and only really moved from there to go to the litter tray and to feed. We, of course, respected that, and so kept physical touch to a minimum. However, it seemed such a shame that Jamie would just be “be there” with nothing going on for him for three whole weeks, so we did decide to try and establish some kind of relationship with him. Just trying to stroke Jamie was not possible; he quickly became grumpy and growled at us. Luckily, he was very fond of food, so we planned frequent visits to the pen with little treats or dishes with small amounts of wet food. Jamie always stayed in bed and was fed there. -And then we sneaked a couple of strokes or head rubs in as he was concentrating on eating, and that he tolerated. We always accompanied contact with Jamie with gentle chatting and lots and lots of compliments! Not difficult; he is such a handsome boy! Eventually, one day, Jamie actually came out to the front of the pen and sat himself by the front door, patiently looking out, as if saying “I’m ready for a bit of fuss!”. From that point in time, we saw Jamie in the front part of the pen every day. He studied the cattery garden, had a little chat with us, got a bit to eat, had (enjoyed?) a little stroke, and then eventually retired back to his bed.

Clint, dear, DEAR little (14 year) old man! A rescue cat, believed to have been mistreated in a previous chapter of his life, Clint arrived with his very own cardboard box to live in! For the first many days, he was fed in there, and we never saw him out. When we tried to give him a little stroke on his head, he hissed and tried to latch out and bite. We decided to just quietly “hang out” with him, sitting next to his box and occasionally passing a couple of Dreamies his way. We were so shocked and super pleased when, after 5 days, Clint suddenly appeared through the door, and there he sat quietly, just sat, for ages. We didn’t want to go into the pen for fear of frightening him back into his box, so we just continued our work in the cattery, moving from and to, and as we were passing him, we would have a little chat. From that day, Clint came out of his box regularly, and he often chose to rest up in the beds in the front pen. We noticed that Clint appeared a little stiff and achy, when he began to move around in the pen. Suspecting arthritis, we told Clint’s owners. He has now been to see the vet, and he is on long-term painkiller, as well as a complementary remedy product. Clint’s owners have written to us to let us know that they have already noticed an improvement in Clint’s movements.

This little unlikely gang will be returning to Wolds Retreat in September, and we already look forward to seeing them again.

15/07/2024

A charming trio of diversity!
Really, you could not get cats more different than Cleo, Gregory and Fidel! -But, somehow, the whole of these three cats was far greater than the sum of its parts. They strangely supplemented each other beautifully, and they were extremely good at “making room” and showing respect of each other and one another’s differences.
Cleo was quite a reserved little girl, but not lacking in confidence. Upon arrival, she quickly took up position on the top shelf of the bedroom where she could relax and quietly keep an overview. She very much appreciated being stroked and cuddled up there, and she even persuaded me that she should have her breakfast served in bed up there! Later in the day, when most of the other cats in the cattery had settled and we were having quiet time with relaxing music, Cleo sometimes came out to the front of the pen, where she in peace and quiet could hang out for a while. She often enjoyed a sneaky treat with me there, whilst the two boys were asleep. For her, the best thing ever was definitely resting up in the late afternoon/early evening sun.

Gregory and Fidel formed an unlikely pair! Gregory quite gregarious, playful, cheeky and always “on it” had formed quite a close friendship with Fidel, a distinguished older gentleman with some style and finesse. These two often hung out together, and they usually supported each other to tell me that they wanted room service whilst sitting by the front door, meowing. Both cats adored attention and purred loudly when cuddled. And they both had very healthy appetites, really appreciating the wet food we served up.
Fidel was not only an elegant chocolate Siamese, but he liked to add to his distinguished looks by licking the fur over the lower part of his back by the tail root in such a way that it appeared to have been neatly combed, creating a smart looking parting that a bank clerk would have been proud of.
Gregory was very photogenic and he instinctively seemed to strike different little poses when he heard the camera clicking. His most notable characteristic, however, was that he turned out to be the biggest escape artist we have yet come across. Several times, despite our best “leg tactics” upon entering or leaving the pen, were we “nutmegged” and he escape out into the safety corridor. He passed through like lightning, but once out there, stopped as if it was the actual escaping that had been his only mission. Then he happily let us pick him up and bring him back into his pen. We did eventually learn little tricks to avoid the escape: the most effective was definitely to bring food into the pen – food much more important than the thrill of an escape! -And whilst he was concentrating on eating, we had a few minutes to bring things in and out of the pen.

15/07/2024

Two by two they came.
Recently, we welcomed “newbies” Rebus & Shamalak, Harvey & Tupsy, Sheldon & Timothy , Claude & Mathilda, Lily & Daisy and Mowgli & Titan. Cats who arrive in pairs or a clowder often appear to have developed a friendship between them that serves to support the individual cat, whatever their temperament and personality.

Rebus & Shamalak
These two older gentlemen came to stay with us for just 4 days. Although very different in character, there was always a wonderful feeling of calm when we visited Rebus’ and Shamalak’s pen. Rebus, a little reserved but not unfriendly, mostly preferred to keep himself to himself. He enjoyed his space on the top shelf in the bedroom. He took his time to develop enough trust in us to enjoy physical contact, but we got there! In contrast, Shamalak was extremely sociable and always came out to greet us. He loved physical contact and responded very affectionately with lots and lots of purring. But, after a good cuddle with us, Shamalak always returned to the bedroom to join Rebus back on the top shelf. Rebus and Shamalak will be returning for a longer holiday this time next year, and then they will be bringing their sister, Lady.

Harvey and Tupsy
These two quiet and unassuming little cats had not been in a cattery since they joined their new family from a rescue centre. So, we knew that the most important part of this stay for these two guys would be to realise that we were not yet another rescue centre, that their mum and dad had not abandoned them; that they would be collected and brought home again. Quietly confident, Harvey and Tupsy settled in very quickly. It was clear that these two little cats were used to relating to strangers, but initially it somehow felt as if it was in quite a superficial manner. -A little as we can imagine happens in a busy rescue centre, where the basics of feeding and cleaning litter trays and maybe a brief cuddle could be the extent of their contact with people. They didn’t expect more from us. However, as we spent time with them, we saw both boys “warm up” and begin to “invest” in their relationship with us. We were eventually treated to lots of affection, head rubs, twirling around our legs and purring. Harvey and Tupsy had brought their own rug from home, as well as a rather luxurious doughnut shaped tunnel. They proved fantastic tools to help make the boys feel at home, comfortable and safe.

Sheldon & Timothy
These two little cats were some of the very first guests to be booked in with us, shortly after we had started trading in the summer of 2023. -And they were well worth waiting for! They were the perfect guests, settling in quickly and showering us with love and affection. They were just so pleased to see us when we came to their pen, rushing towards us for strokes and cuddles ….. and treats of course! Timothy had this quirky habit of stretching out his paw and trying to pull us in towards him for attention. The atmosphere of these two cats’ pen was always joyful and so extremely loving. Although quite agile, Sheldon preferred to sleep in the igloo on the floor in the front pen, whilst Timothy usually hung out on the top shelf in the bedroom.

Daisy & Lily
These two wonderful, and again very different, little cats had never been to a cattery before. Because of Covid lock-down, and a number of other circumstances, neither cat was particularly used to strangers. -And Daisy in particularly was naturally extremely anxious and timid. Their mum had wisely decided to allow them to stay with us as a kind of trial run, for 4 days, in order to allow the girls to become familiar with our cattery and with us, before a much longer stay planned for October. An important part of a first stay for most cats, is to learn that they will be collected and go home again.
Already the first evening, Lily decided to venture out and have a little look around the pen. She was a friendly and quirky little character and quickly allowed us to stroke her. She began to eat within a few hours. Daisy, however, would prove much more of a challenge and, frankly, a concern. Whilst she fairly quickly came to trust us, and developed enough confidence to come out of the bedroom at night, we struggled tremendously getting her to eat. She was offered a whole range of different types of wet -and dry food, but nothing had interest. Her hunger had simply shut down alongside her increased anxiety levels. We regularly liaised with the cats’ mum about food, and we must have tried in excess of 15 different types, none of them with any great success. We did well if Daisy had a few nibbles. But a few nibbles she did have, and that meant that her digestive system also stayed active. The amount Daisy ate over her four days with us did increase, as she began to relax. However, we were nevertheless mightily relieved when she went back home and her mum reported that she had enjoyed a good meal!
Since Daisy’s and Lily’s stay with us, similar experiences with other little guests have taught us that they do indeed eat much better on their second stay with us, so we feel optimistic about the girls’ pending October stay with us.

Claude & Matilda
Very young and coming across as quite inexperienced, Claude and Matilda found strength and support in one another when they were first introduced to Wolds Retreat. Both cats were very friendly but also very shy. It initially took quite a lot of time and effort to help them develop trust in us, and for us in turn to help them become confident with their new environment; all the unfamiliar sights and sounds, and the new routines of the cattery. Tilda was the bravest, the one who first came out of the safety of her igloo bed and always the one who took the lead. We saw little Claude reference a lot with Tilda; whatever she did, he knew was safe to do too, and again and again we saw him follow her paw steps. Throughout his stay with us, he preferred to sleep and rest “under cover”, either a blanket or a soft bed turned upside down. But he too came out to eat, study the cattery garden, have cuddles with us and even to play. Claude and Tilda represented cuteness in overload. Everything they did, and the way they did it, was super charming and would melt anybody’s heart.

Mowgli & Titan
The owners of Mowgli and Titan were quite concerned about how their two little cats’ stay with us would go. More specifically, they were concerned about Titan, a handsome rescue cat carrying a lot of complex “baggage”, which manifested in a range of behaviours many of which seemed to contradict one another. Titan would come across as moody, dismissive and potentially aggressive, but at the same time he craved human company, love and affection. On top of this, he too needed help to adjust to the cattery environment and routines, and learn to trust us. Meanwhile, little Mowgli, still just a big kitten, navigated beautifully around Titan and his unpredictable moods, and strangely provided him with much needed friendship.
Because we judged that Titan needed 100% consistency, we decided that, in his case, he would be best served to have only one carer, me. We put together a “programme” for him. Everything was focused on providing Titan with company and opportunities for affection, and in doing so showing respect of his boundaries and allowing it to be on his terms. The only counter rule we had was to not reward “undesirable” behaviour. So, when Titan hissed, or displayed aggressive behaviour, I would respond with a sharp “ah ah” and then withdraw from the situation, often leaving the pen. A short while later, I would return and we would try again. I saw Titan quite taken aback at this approach; it stopped his behaviour in the moment and appeared to give him time to have a little think. He was an intelligent cat, and I actually believe that he began to make the connection, as he gradually started to adjust his behaviour and appeared to really put an effort into “being friendly”. When displaying “desirable” behaviour, he was immediately rewarded with a “good boy” and little treats, which he super gently accepted from my hand. It was a delight to discover that Titan had a lot of love to give, and he really worked hard at getting it right.
Although somewhat living in Titan’s shadow, I made sure that little Mowgli was not left out. He loved cuddles and sometimes had sneaky treats when Titan was asleep in the bedroom. However, playing with Mowgli was difficult, as Titan wanted to join in and quickly became jealous of Mowgli and would see him off. So, I provided the boys with a good selection of toys which Mowgli could play with independently. Next time they visit, learning to play well together may become Lesson no. 2 for little Titan.

09/07/2024

We have not posted anything on Facebook for a long time. If you have missed hearing from us, apologies for that! We have been so wonderfully busy! We have concentrated on spending our time with our little furry guests.
Here are some of our new little guests who we have recently welcomed to come stay with us:

Millie
This was Millie’s first stay in a cattery. She needed a little support to begin with. Luckily, she was quick to place her trust in us, and allowed us to help her get used to the cattery environment. Soon, little Millie felt confident enough to move freely around her pen, and – especially for such a tiny cat – she turned out to have a very good appetite.

Mickey
Mickey’s stay was sadly very short; just three days. So, we worked very hard to get to know him quickly. Of an older generation, Mickey enjoyed sleeping late in the mornings, and we soon discovered that he quite liked having breakfast in bed. Mickey turned out to be such a gentleman; calm, relaxed, affectionate and seemingly very grateful for everything we did for him.

Cilla
Little Cilla very quickly captured our hearts. We don’t think that we have ever had quite so affectionate and cuddly a little guest in the cattery before. She absolutely LOVED being picked up, and would snuggle right into you whilst purring loudly. We joked that we always came out of Cilla’s pen wearing a white beard from all the facial rubs we had been treated to.

Lana
Still a kitten, this was Lana’s first stay in a cattery. A little unsure when her family had just left, Lana needed reassurance and company. But she quickly gained in confidence and began to make the best of her stay. She very much enjoyed a game of chase, followed by dinner and then she would have a little snooze, only to repeat everything again a couple of hours later.


Simba
Simba was such a good boy. His mum called him her “Gingernut”. He was a quirky little fellow who simply adored company and cuddles. So we often sat on the floor with him in his pen, maybe bringing some paperwork in to complete, and he would just hang out with us, purring loudly.

Zima
Zima’s mum was a little concerned about how his stay with us would go. Confident, highly independent and a devout outdoor cat, how would he cope with living in a cattery? Much to our surprise, Zima unassumingly settled in and adjusted immediately to his new environment and the cattery routines. He did enjoy a little chasing game from time to time, but mostly, he enjoyed hanging out and watching the world go by, either through the bedroom window, or at the front of his pen looking out onto the cattery garden. When relaxed like that, he also appreciated a little head -and face massage, and maybe a treat or two.

Freya
Just like Zima, Freya’s family wondered how Freya would settle in with us. This handsome Norwegian Forest Cat, is an absolute outdoor cat who loves nature and often she brings in samples of nature’s smorgasbord for her family to “enjoy”. Again, Freya must have thought of us as a kind of “get away” holiday, where she could take a break away from her usual busy lifestyle; she quietly settled into her holiday with us and made the best of the spa experiences on offer: cuddles and head massages, brushing, “quiet time” with relaxing music, regular little treats and extra tasty food.

Rumpole
Rumpole was with us for a relatively short stay. It was his first visit to a cattery. He is a very much loved little fellow, and is extremely closely bonded with his family. So, the change of environment, unfamiliar sights and sounds, rhythms and routines as well as completely new carers was all a bit much for Rumpole. He preferred to spend most of the daytime hours on the top shelf in the bedroom, and only come out into the rest of his pen after dark; then we would see him “killing” a soft toy, or ping a small object across the floor and chase it.

Comet
Comet first came to stay with us in May, and then again four weeks later in June. He is a rescue cat with a lot of baggage. Not only is he an anxious and timid little guy; he also struggles tremendously to put his trust in people. His mum told us that it took Comet a year to come out from underneath the couch at home. -And, true to character, Comet found all the darkest corners of the floor of his pen. We spent a lot of time with this little man, just sitting quietly with him, talking gently and “stroking him with words”. Eventually, under the cover of darkness, Comet began to come out from his corner. He also began to eat better. On his second visit, whilst it was still light, we could sometimes find him sitting on the shelf by the front door of the pen. Other times, he had climbed up onto the top shelf in the bedroom. Over his last stay, Comet even started meowing for us and he chatted with us, when we visited his pen. He has the most sorrowful little meow you can imagine. Eventually, we were even able to give him little head strokes, which he accepted and returned with a small purr, whilst leaning in against our hand. It was definitely baby steps with Comet, but every one was so special and gratifying.

Casey
Little Casey had not been in a cattery before. She came for a 5 day “trial run” in June, to help her become familiar and comfortable with our cattery in preparation for a longer holiday in July. An important part of a first stay for a cat, that has never been to a cattery before, is the experience of being collected and going back home again with the family. Casey is a quietly confident and an incredible personable little girl, and it was easy to establish her trust in us. She is extremely affectionate and you can not help but love her. The only concern we had about Casey, was her reluctance to eat. Offered a range of dry food and lots of choices of wet, we did well if we could get her to nibble at some of it. Lick-e-Lix was the only thing we could tempt her with, so any wet meal was always supplemented by a teaspoon of that on the side. Even then, much to our concern and frustration, Casey ate minimally. This changed on her second visit: it was as if whatever stopped Casey from eating during her first visit, was no longer present: could it have been the uncertainty about whether she would be going home again?

08/06/2024

15/05/2024

Meet Django! -a beautiful Bengal kitten, who started his stay with us extremely cautiously.
We hope that the pictures we have selected will help to tell his story about his stay with us.
We had been told by Django’s mum that he always hides, when visitors come to the house, but that he is extremely affectionate and cuddly with the people he knows and trusts.
When a timid or anxious cat arrives in our cattery, we try to assess whether to initially start work on building a relationship with him or her, or whether to first work around the new guest to allow him or her to adjust to and get to know the new surroundings.
With Django, we judged that he was so timid that he would have been unlikely to explore or make much use of his new surroundings on his own. When he arrived, he refused to get out of his carrier, and we agreed with mum to leave him in there, on the floor in the bedroom, to give him time to come out when he was ready.
We spent a lot of time with Django, respectfully allowing him some space, but also trying to reassure him that we were okay and could be trusted. We assumed that, if he could develop some confidence in us, we could assist Django in getting to know his surroundings, not at least where his food and water was, but also his litter tray, and how to play with his toys. Already the same evening, we were pleased to see that Django made tentative moves to come out of his carrier. Within 24 hours, he had found his way up onto the top shelf in the bedroom, from where he initially conducted all his “business” (with the exception of litter tray visits); so he was fed there, we established secure physical contact with him there, and we moved toys up there for him to play with.

Django’s natural Bengal instinct/need to be physically very active, to explore and play eventually got the better of him; we literally were able to coax him around the pen in play.
What a privilege to experience the real Django:
confident, curious, funny, playful, quirky, loving and affectionate. Once Django felt safe and had some understanding of us and his new surroundings, there was NO stopping him!!! He LOVED all his toys, made excellent use of the floor space in the pen charging from one end to the other, and used all climbing spaces as well, -and he would regularly call for us to come and play with him. When I sat with Django, my body literally became his playground, his favourite thing sitting on my shoulders and throwing my braided hair up onto the top of my head and then flicking it from side to side (see picture). What a silly cat!

27/04/2024

Welcome to Wolds Retreat Cattery!
When we built our cattery, we wanted to achieve a facility where we would be happy and content to leave our own cats.
So, our cattery offers:
🐈‍⬛ Only six pens, meaning lots of time, love, care and attention to each individual feline guest. Whatever our little guests need, we aim to provide; play, fun and games, lots of cuddles, or just "sitting with" for human companionship.
🐈‍⬛ Extra large pens (large enough to accommodate 4 cats from the same household), light and spacious and all with views of either our cattery garden, the paddock at the back, or both. In our choice of décor, we have aimed for a homely feel and furnished every pen to meet each individual cat's needs, including places to climb, run, play, rest in high places and be safe in dens.
🐈‍⬛ Safety and security in every respect, from exceptional hygiene regimes, lit, alarmed and CCTV on-site security, to the high level of attention and care we offer every individual guest in our daily work.
🐈‍⬛ No unknown "friendly staff"; we are just two committed and passionate people caring for our guests, which means we get to know and understand our little guests extremely well.
🐈‍⬛ We pride ourselves in being able to offer even the most anxious or timid cat a comfortable stay, and we understand a cater for cats with special needs, whether it be a physical disability, medical issues or life stage related.
Put simply, we want you to be able to leave your cat in our care with no sense of concern or guilt, safe in the knowledge that your little one is in the best of hands and that he or she will feel safe, happy and content, whilst you are away.

* For more information, including our prices, and Terms & Conditions, please visit our website www.woldsretreatcattery.co.uk
* Follow us on Facebook, where you will find stories about some of our little guests, and get an idea of how we do things.

We welcome visits before any new booking - just get in touch!

24/04/2024

Ever heard of the Vomeronasal organ or the Flehmen Response in cats?
You may well have noticed your cat sometimes making a really strange grimace, eyes closed and her upper lips slightly curled up displaying her canines. She might stay like that for a couple of seconds, almost as if she is in a trance. What your cat is actually doing is analysing the scent from another cat. Cats use scent hormones called pheromones to communicate with one another. This can be found in urine, but also in different glands on the cat’s body, for example on the neck and those sitting on the side of the cat’s face.
Also known as Jacobson’s organ, the Vomeronasal organ sits at the top of the mouth, just behind the upper front teeth, and can maybe best be described as a tool for intensifying and analysing scent. It has two tiny ducts, one which leads to the nose and the other to the mouth, allowing the cat to experience the “information” in the scent much more clearly. When your cat reacts with the strange facial expression described above, she has drawn in the air with the pheromones and is running it over the Vomeronasal organ. The funny facial expression is referred to as Flehmen’s response. Both males and females use their Vomeronasal organ, and often to detect vital information about the opposite s*x.
In the photograph, one of our guests, Lady, is expertly modelling her Flehmen’s Response to having picked up the scent on my clothing from another cat in the cattery. Not very lady-like, Lady!!!
-A final piece of information 😊: The Vomeronasal organ was discovered in 1811 by the DANISH physician, Ludvig Levin Jacobson, hence it commonly also being referred to as Jacobson's organ.

23/04/2024

Otto & Ozzy -Probably the most chilled pair of cats in the world.
It is quite rare that new guests do not need a little time, even if just a couple of hours, to adjust to the new environment of the cattery. Not only is their care in a new pair of hands, but there are also a whole range of new sights and sounds to get used to.
Otto and Ozzy were as confident and as relaxed as a pair of cats could possibly be, right from the onset of their stay. Human mum and sister helped to settle the boys in and they came out of their carrier immediately and freely explored the whole pen. These two boys adopted a very pragmatic approach to the whole experience and just got on with it. They not only accepted us as their temporary carers straight away, but seemed to put their trust in us immediately and were both extremely personable and very affectionate.
Sadly, Otto and Ozzy’s stay was a relatively brief one (we made sure that we got as many cuddles in as possible), and we dearly hope to see them soon again.

23/04/2024

Alfie’s mum had told us that he was a very special little boy. -And she was right!
A typical Siamese, Alfie needed a lot of human contact, and it was such a pleasure to care for him. Siamese are sometimes referred to as “velcro cats” because of their tendency to follow their human around and engaging in everything you are doing. This was most certainly also the case with Alfie. True to his breed, he was quite a vocal little guy and would regularly call us for attention and comment on our work in the cattery, even through his window looking into the cattery kitchen.
Most of all, however, Alfie loved, loved, LOVED cuddling and snuggling with you. We were very charmed not only by his loving and affectionate nature, but also by his one exposed upper canine, resulting us in nicknaming him “White Fang”.
“White Fang” had a particular likeness for chewing synthetic/faux suede, so in order to protect our beds, we covered them up with towels, which he gracefully accepted. We did loose a toy mouse or two, though 😊.
Highly intelligent and therefore also needing a lot of stimulation, Alfie quickly became a whizz at getting treats out of the puzzles, and he soon realised that the tricky ones could simply be shaken out (see picture). Every evening, we set up “Dreamie Hunts” for him, hiding treats different places in his pen for him to seek and find. All treats were always gone by the next morning.
Mum was right: a very special boy indeed!