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Dougal's Pet Corner
The place for your pet stories and pictures, let me have them |
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| Wilma, when only a few days old, was found
running on a road and brought to Hillside. After the usual veterinary checks and period of
quarantine, she is now settling down to life at the Sanctuary and, like Junior, is
developing her own character. She behaves very much like a puppy does; playing ball,
jumping around and squealing with delight and generally showing off whenever anyone
approaches! Wilma was just two months when this photograph was taken and although sows
generally do not grow as big as their male counterparts, she will nevertheless get to
quite a size. We look forward to seeing her become a mature adult and living, as all our
animals do, peacefully in the tranquil surroundings of Hillside. Hillside Animal
Sanctuary, Hill Top Farm, Hall Lane, Frettenham. |
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Tel: 0870 991 4530. Open every Sunday 1-5pm until the end
of October, all Bank Holiday Mondays and Mondays throughout July and August. |
| Summer Dangers for Hedgehogs |
| Dark, warm, damp summer nights are a Hedgehogs idea of heaven. Being
nocturnal creatures, this is when they mate, make nests, feed, have babies, perform
rituals and generally go about their business. Of course moving around in the dark has its
dangers, like falling into ponds or holes where the sides are so steep they cannot get
out, get caught in netting, blinded by farm sprays and stuck in tin cans scavenged from
our bin bags. Crossing a road at night can be a life-threatening, hazardous adventure as
well. One might be led to think that most Hedgehog lives are taken whilst he is out
strutting his stuff at night, this is not so. Daylight hours are far more dangerous for a
sleeping Hedgehog. Making his bed in the strangest of places causes the poor Hedgehog to
be forked in compost heaps, burnt in bonfires, sliced by strimmers and run over by lawn
mowers. These injuries, if not fatal, can cause great suffering and the poor Hedgehog can
walk around for days with terrible wounds. Living in our back gardens makes the poor
Hedgehog one of the most persecuted of all our wild animals; in fact over the past 10
years their numbers have dropped by 50%. |
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When a Hedgehog becomes sick, injured, orphaned or blind
it prevents him from returning to his nest during daylight hours. It then runs the
terrible fate of being bombarded by the bluebottle fly. The fly lays it’s eggs on the
poor Hedgehog, these eggs will turn into maggots and slowly eat the Hedgehog alive. |
| So if you see a Hedgehog out in full
daylight, rescue it immediately. Unless rescued it means a certain, lingering death.
You will need to find a high-sided cardboard box, scoop the Hedgehog up into an old
towel and place in the box with a nice, warm hot water bottle. If you haven’t got a
hot water bottle then an old, empty, plastic squash bottle filled with warm water will do.
Offer it some sloppy food, such as meaty cat food, mashed with a little water or
perhaps a scrambled egg (no milk) and a drink of water. Then ‘phone your nearest Vet,
Rescue or the Hedgehog Helpline which is 01379 644988. |
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All the cats at Cromer have now been neutered and the
ladies who look after them are relieved that there will be no more kittens to look after
and find homes for. With regular food the cats will have healthier and contented lives. |
Unfortunately, Cher, the young mother cat did
not enjoy close contact with people and has now settled back with the other cats. We
were pleased to see so many people at our Plant Sale and Spring Fayre, which raised £415.
We would like to thank everyone who supported us. Plans are now in progress for our
next event, an “Open Day” at Mill Cottage, Mill Road, Dilham on Saturday 12th
June from 11am. Stalls, plus refreshments will all be available, and you can also see the
cats and kittens at present in care at Dilham. We are also holding our third
“sponsored Walk” on Sunday 27th June starting at 10 am from Mill Cottage. The
walk is approximately 5 miles and a barbeque is available for the walkers on completion.
If you would like to take part or sponsor one of the walkers please call Jane Doylend on
01603 473260.
When we went to collect plants from a friend who lives near Fakenham, we also collected an
orphan from Edgefield. This 3-4-day-old kitten had survived on sugared water overnight and
quickly emptied a bottle of “Cimicat” when we arrived. Fortunately, we had a
young cat plus four 7-day-old kittens arriving that evening. On being shown the orphan,
mum (Lucy) immediately started to give him a wash and readily accepted him with her own
kittens. Although Lucy has had a few problems (mainly due to a bad worm infestation plus a
very high temperature) she and all five kittens are now thriving.
Spider, Tim and Tom have all been chosen and left to join their new families. We were
delighted that Tim and Tom have been able to stay together. Also waiting for new
homes are;
Maestro, a tabby boy aged 9 years. Maestro came into our care because his owner was
recently died in a car accident. This lovely boy is very friendly and would love to have a
lap to sit on.Murphy is white and black and about 6 years old. With his battered ears
and bald patches you could describe him as a typical “Tom”. After a visit
to the vets and lots of loving care, Murphy is already looking much more presentable and
deserves a good home with caring people.
If you are looking for a cat, call Stephanie on 01692 535858. Alternatively you can visit www.northwalshamcats.co.uk
for a description of the cats before giving her a call. |
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NORTH NORFOLK
CAMERA CLUB |
| The season has now ended, with the exception of three monthly outings
which are being arranged by John Humberstone. If you don't already have details please
register your interest with John. All members should by now have received a copy of
next seasons programme. The first meeting is on Wednesday September 15th, and all future
meetings will be on a Wednesday at Holt Community Centre where arrangements have been made
to use the Lounge Room. This offers much more comfortable facilities for the club.
The new programme offers several exciting events for camera enthusiasts. As well as
the usual competitions; lectures have been arranged by several authorative speakers such
as Tony Marr, Barry Beckham, and Rod Rawlings. If you are new to the local camera
club scene, or want to rekindle your interest in photography, send now for a copy of this
exciting programme. The new secretary to contact is Liz Kendall at Blakeney, by
telephone 01263 740493, or by e-mail to elizabeth@blakeney1991.fsworld.co.uk |
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