A Day In The Life Of A Cat Care Assistant.
Members of the public sometimes ask us "Why is the Adoption Centre only open between 11am & 3pm? What do you all do during the rest of the day?" The answer is - lots of hard work! Here's an insight into the behind the scenes work that helps keep the centre running smoothly.
8am - 11am The cattery staff arrive & it's straight to work, checking that all the "guests" have been fine overnight. One of the cat care assistants is allocated to take to the vets, any cats due in that day. Next job is feeding all those hungry mouths, then cleaning out every pen - with up to 200 cats & kittens in the centre, that's a lot of dirty litter trays & food bowls! As you can imagine, this keeps everyone busy for a few hours. The cat care assistants are also responsible for giving medication to the cats in their care - no matter how reluctant the patient!
11am - 1pm The centre is now open to the public & one of the cat care assistants’ most important roles is showing the public around the centre. Everyone who visits the centre is asked to fill in a short questionnaire before visiting the cats - this helps the cat care assistants guide prospective owners to the most suitable cat for them. The cat care assistants are a mine of information about cat care, so if you have any questions they'll be happy to help.
1pm - 3pm After a quick lunch it's time to set off on home visits. Once you've found your "purrfect" companion at the centre (& they like you too!), the next step is a home visit. This consists of an informal chat lasting about 20 minutes in your own home - a chance for everyone to double check that the right choice has been made, & a chance for any last minute questions. Demand is high & the centre's territory covers a wide area, one day can be the Cambridge area, the next up to Hunstanton. The cat care assistants do these visits Monday to Friday, trying to fit in as many as possible each afternoon. If the last visit of the day is near our veterinary surgeon, next stop is there to collect any cats that have been receiving treatment that day.
3pm - 5pm It's back to the adoption centre now, first job being to settle in cats returning from the vets & pass on treatment details to the other cat care assistants, who have remained at the centre to feed, groom & medicate the cats. Next is a visit to the office to update staff on the outcome of the afternoon’s visits. Then it's feeding time once again, & a last check to ensure everyone is comfortable for the night.