The colony has a big mixture of cat temperaments! Some are real cuddle bugs that enjoy human interaction and fuss but most are "in-betweeners", cats that are happy around humans but are still nervous of physical touch and the full trappings of domestic life.
None of these cats are feral so they couldn't simply be trapped, neutered and released. Semi domesticated, as the majority of them are, without the food source and shelter they had come to solely rely on for years they would have found it difficult to survive on their own.
So, the Douglas was established to step in and help them.
As a private sanctuary we are dedicated to the care of this huge colony which has cats of all ages, including kittens. We are committed to giving these wonderful cats safe refuge and the time they need to fully trust and accept human contact before re-homing.
There are cats in the colony that really don't want their own human or the trappings of domestic life - Tom cats (now neutered) that have spent many years roaming around outside. For these cats we provide lifetime safe refuge at the sanctuary.
Veterinary Care: All of the cats that come into the sanctuary are neutered, health checked, wormed, de-flea'd and tested for infectious disease.
Sadly, without the benefit of vaccinations some colony cats can contract life limiting disease. We do not support euthanasia solely on a cats confirmed disease status.
Well cared for, these cats can live a healthy and happy life for several years and such cats will remain with us at the Sanctuary. We will only make the decision to help those in our care over the Rainbow Bridge when it is the right decision for that INDIVIDUAL cat, its health and quality of life.
Why the Douglas? The sanctuary is named for my Grandfather. An ardent cat lover!
A final note. We are not a rescue centre. The Douglas is a private Sanctuary established to help this cat colony and we already have over 30 cats in our care!
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Favourite Quotes
Kind old ladies assure us that cats are often the best judges of character. A cat will always go to a good man, they say. (Virginia Woolf)
