Sharing ideals at Shard End library
20 February 2016
Branch volunteers ‘braved’ two family feline education-and-fun sessions in one day – ensuring dozens of children aged from 1 to 11 had a great day and picked up on the basics of cat care. And it all happened at Shard End library during the February half-term holiday.
Talk-trained volunteers Richard Brown and Sheila Pennell accepted the invitation from library manager Saleem Ayub to show the ‘CP caring for cats’ DVD and to answer cat-related questions put by youngsters from local schools and their parents – and found it ‘exhilarating but exhausting!’
Pictured from top left are Dawn, David and Charlotte, 5-year old Jayden and the microchip demo cat, Shard End parents Cliff and Pauline with Alicia, Madison & Charlotte, and the youngest member of the audience, 18-month old Alice. Five-year old David’s cat drawing so impressed Richard, he asked if he could take it home – and it now takes pride of place on his fridge door!
Jayden’s Mum Laura commented: “We both really enjoyed the event. Jayden is really into his animals and his art so it really was double the fun.”
Says Sheila: “We were welcomed and supported by library assistant Davina who is pretty knowledgeable as she has had several cats herself and regularly feeds strays too. So the new Birmingham-wide neutering scheme (£5 to neuter your cat) really hit home with her as a great idea and encouragement for pet-owners to do the right thing. And one grandma who came along with her extended family explained how her young female ‘legged it just once, and 9 weeks later presented her with 6 kittens!’ Now that a flyer on the scheme has been given, listing all the local vets participating, there’s a promise that the deed will be done!
“Generally, everyone old enough to understand took on board how carefully you have to think about what is involved before taking on a pet – that they need love and attention, toys, shelter, food and water, space around the house and garden, and to be neutered and vaccinated to keep them healthy and happy. And each child was given a ‘crack the kitten code’ quiz to solve and take home, where the answers reinforce the ‘what cats need’ message. They were also given lots of goodies – cat masks to colour, crayons, balloons and CP badges.”
Richard worked his magic on the faulty library projector, and really enjoyed demonstrating the microchip scanner, spreading the word and answering kiddy-questions. And in response to a suggestion that cats like milk, he firmly reminded ‘that cats shouldn’t have milk – it can make their tummies poorly – just their proper cat food and lots of fresh water’.
** Requests have come in from several Birmingham libraries to run a workshop or give a talk since a Cats Protection display was set up in Erdington - and volunteers hope to fit them all in. To request a talk for a school or social group, call the helpline and leave your details. A talk volunteer will get back to you.