Battersea Old Windsor – Part 2
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is a registered charity, and also receives a small amount of local government funding. However, it currently costs over £13 million a year to run their 3 sites (that’s over £35,000 per day!) so, without the help and support of their dedicated volunteers and fundraisers, this work would simply not be possible.
In addition to the 50 permanent staff at Old Windsor they also have over 100 volunteers, some of whom visit every day to take the dogs for walks and/or to spend time with both dogs and cats for playing and socialisation in the beautiful grounds. A few of these dedicated people kindly offered
to tell us more about what they do and why.
First up was Laura, one of Old Windsor’s full-time Animal Welfare Assistants:
What is the most interesting part of your job?
Working with dogs, learning about their behaviour and seeing them go to new homes.
What makes you get out of bed every day?
Knowing that I am helping to improve a dog’s stay in kennels, helping them cope and looking after them until they find a permanent home.
What is the most difficult part of your job?
Some dogs find kennel life stressful. This can be hard to watch and frustrating, as you want to tell the dog not to worry and that everything will be okay.
Why did you choose to work for Battersea?
To me, Battersea is the most famous animal welfare charity, and I care passionately about what they do to improve the lives of dogs and cats. This is my dream job.
Is there one special moment from your job that stands out in your mind?
There are lots, but the best bit is seeing dogs go to loving new homes, that’s what’s it’s all about. One that stands out to me is Pebbles who was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She was here for 4 months and I worked with her everyday and I spent every lunch break with her.
Next it was the turn of volunteer cat socialiser, Ann. This is what she had to say:
What is the most interesting part of what you do?
Watching the changes take place in the cats that we care for, from the day of admission through to the day that they move on to their new homes. On arrival they are nervous and fearful and display this by hiding, or perhaps by defensive behaviour towards the staff and volunteers. After a few days, they start to relax a little and when the cats start to become more curious about us and their surroundings, we know that they’re beginning to settle in.
What makes you get out of bed every day?
Apart from my own cat that likes an early breakfast and makes my alarm clock obsolete – it is the warm welcome I anticipate with the friendly cats who love our company and cuddles, and the satisfaction of perhaps making just a little progress with a fearful, stressed cat.
What is the hardest part of what you do?
The feeling of rejection we sometimes get from cats that are not used to human company and are taking time to get used to the environment and the people. But we know that with time and a consistent approach, this will change.
Why did you choose to volunteer for Battersea?
I decided to volunteer for Battersea after I adopted my own cat, Bo, from Old Windsor. I had the opportunity to see the work of the home first hand, and after a lifetime of living with cats, I felt that cat socialising was probably something that I could do. Battersea is a well known charity and the infrastructure to support volunteers is good. I felt that Battersea was a charity that cares for its volunteers and supports their ongoing development in the role.
Is there one special moment that stands out in your mind?
One special moment for me was when Tinky was rehomed after being with us for over a year. She was a lovely cat, but very independent, a little feisty and interacted always on her own terms. She was rehomed to a lady who had lots of understanding of rescue cats and was quite happy to accept Tinky just the way she was. We were all a little worried that after 14 months with us, Tinky might find the transition difficult. However, the following week, we had a letter from her new owner to say that she had settled in quite nicely, had a good roam around the house and even settled on the sofa to keep her new ‘mum’ company while she watched TV. It is always so good to hear how our cats are progressing when they go to a new home, especially when they have been with us for some time.
As well as the on-site staff and volunteers, Battersea Old Windsor also relies on a team of foster carers to look after dogs and cats who may be sick or just too stressed to cope with kennel /cattery life. Dog foster carer Ian offered us his thoughts:
Why did you become a foster carer?
Having worked as a dog walking volunteer for a couple of years it’s apparent that certain dogs do not present themselves well in kennels for a number of reasons: lack of social skills, stress in the kennel environment, poor track record, breed prejudice, etc. I have long wanted to develop my training and dog behavioural skills so that I can help these ‘problem’ dogs to improve their chances of being re-homed. When I retired from full time employment I felt that fostering would be an ideal way to satisfy these aims.
What is the best/worst thing about being a foster carer?
The best thing about being a foster carer is the moment when a dog for which you have been caring finds a forever home with a suitable owner. This is also the worst thing because it is so easy to form a loving attachment to the dogs in your care that it is hard to give them up into the unknown. Whilst you try hard not to allow the dog to get too attached to you, it is almost inevitable that they see you as their own(er).
Is there one special moment that stands out in your mind?
Every moment working with, playing with and caring for a foster dog is special. Each one is an opportunity to understand and better provide for their needs, to learn from them and help teach them how to behave in a way which helps them become canine good citizens in our complicated and confusing human world.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer?
Make sure that have a clear understanding of your reasons for fostering and that you see it as a win-win situation for both you and the dogs. Be prepared for some hard work and never blame the dog for its misbehaviour. Be consistent, patient and persistent – the rewards are high for both you and the dogs.
Finally, foster carer team Ana and Marco, a young couple originally from Portugal who have been fostering cats for Old Windsor since 2010, told us their story:
Why did you become foster carers?
We always had dogs and cats and we can’t imagine our lives without having pets by our side. However, when we moved to England from Portugal and being in the beginning of our professional careers, we felt we wouldn’t be able to offer a stable life to a potential pet. Joining Battersea’s foster scheme allowed us to enjoy the company of cats while helping animals who currently don’t have permanent homes. It’s really a win-win situation!
What is the best/worst thing about being a foster carer?
The best thing about being a foster carer is the never ending fun! There’s always a new cat that needs our care so our door is always open to them. A less positive aspect: there’s always a lot of cleaning to do!
Is there one special moment that stands out in your minds?
When Rudolph, a blind and deaf cat, chose our bed as his favourite spot and slept by our side almost every night. Or when Tasso, the wildest of a litter of semi-feral kittens, greeted us happily when we arrived home.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer?
Despite feeling sad when they leave, focus on the long-term benefits you provide by giving them love, care and attention when they need it the most. The socialisation provided in the early stages of their lives or the support during a period of sickness might make all the difference for their future.
Battersea Old Windsor are currently on the look out for more foster carers so, if this has made you think fostering is something you could do, why not have a look at the fostering details on their website:
http://www.battersea.org.uk/get_involved/fostering/index.html
Battersea Old Windsor is open to the public from 1pm – 4pm during the week and from 10.30am – 4pm at weekends. During those times it is possible to visit the public kennels and cattery and also to browse their lovely gift shop. So, even if you can’t adopt or foster a cat or dog yourself, visiting the residents, donating gifts and/or spending money in the gift shop are all great ways of helping out.
Lou and I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff and volunteers at Battersea Old Windsor for helping us with our articles and, more importantly, for everything they do every day caring for homeless dogs and cats.
Feral is the word used to describe a cat that was once domesticated, or whose ancestors were once domesticated, but which has reverted to living rough. Perhaps because cats were one of the last animals to be domesticated by man, and some say they have only ever been partly domesticated anyway, cats seem to adapt quite easily to living in the wild.
Both Enzo (left) and India are currently waiting to find their forever homes, and I can tell you now that whoever is lucky enough to adopt either of them is in for a lot of fun and a lot of 
