Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary (Crazy Catz)

by Kevin Plummer
(Co Durham UK)

Allie and Karrot just two of the cats requiring rehoming (Dec 2009)

Allie and Karrot just two of the cats requiring rehoming (Dec 2009)

A day as a Kays Hill Sanctuary cat....Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary is at Stone House Chapel, Bildershaw, West Auckland, Co. Durham DL14 9PL, UNITED KINGDOM. We are open to the public 7 days a week, 1 - 4 pm and no appointment is necessary.

8am in the morning doors open
a whole new day begins
30 cats are crying were is our breakfast
at the sound of food tins
as they start to feed and water
our dishes going around
noise is getting louder
as a rhythm we have found
we all sit meowing by the gate
so impatiently we just can not wait
yet once our bellies are full
peace and quiet, contentment all found
a gentle purring is the only sound

its now down to staff
and all the daily grind
all those dirty smelly jobs
that they can always find
till our litter trays, toys
and dishes are gleaming
us cats still purring
those that are not dreaming

afternoon new visitors pending
us cats eagerly waiting
mystical thoughts we are sending
if only a person to give one of us a home
no more would we sit in our pen on our own
all we ask for is food and freedom to roam
we would sit on your lap purring contently I'm home

5pm evening draws in, cold and darkness all around
we snuggle up in our beds
to the warmth we have found
we pray that tomorrow
will be much better than today
somebody will call and take us away
to a warm cosy place
that we can call home
as part of a family
we would never be alone

Please visit us cats at Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary....

Kays Hill

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Kays Hill Animal Sanctuary (Crazy Catz)

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Jan 04, 2010 Happy New year from me too
by: Barbara

To every creature at Kays Hill including the human servants. Technically you could call us joiners as we do in fact join bits of wood together, but if you're partial to plumb lines or get dizzy at the site of uprights leaning at various angles then our brand of joinery is not for you. We're so looking forward to you having both the cattery finished and the feral unit, that will transform their lives, to have a bit of freedom and something to eat is all it takes to make them happy. Really hoping that this is a good year for Kays Hill

Barbara avatar


Jan 04, 2010 Happy New Year Kevin
by: Ruth

To you and everyone else at Kayshill, human, feline,canine,porcine,equine,and all the rest of the ines too.
Yes we can knock you a feral unit up in a couple of hours lol lol we'll dig a tunnel through the snow and bring our tools and some wood.We might need the kiss of life by we get there bearing in mind that Barbara's recovering from flu and her assistants are an OAP and a woman with steel plates in her spine lol lol
Hmmm I think it might be better to help you raise some funds instead !
Thanks to Michael's pages a donation is on its way from Hertfordshire,just a tenner to buy some cat food but every litle helps (said the woman as she weed in the sea)

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Jan 04, 2010 looking forward into 2010
by: kevin

just want to wish everyone a happy 2010, the past few weeks have been hectic and all this snow , anyway heres looking forward , we want to set a ferel unit up in the first part of the year, so if any one has any ideas, please feel free to air them , then theres lots of building work to be done but now we know ruth and barbara are joiners well we will be finished in no time we want to move kays hill forward yet can only do this with your support so please dont forget us in 2010


Dec 22, 2009 many thanks
by: kevin

thanks ruth and barbara for the pics and to micheal for posting them, these are but a few of our many animals we care for at kays hill, i could not do as much, if it was not for our many volunteers they help me so much,yet even with volunteers the days can be so very long,


Dec 22, 2009 many thanks
by: kevin

thanks ruth and barbara for the pics and to micheal for posting them, these are but a few of our many animals we care for at kays hill, i could not do as much, if it was not for our many volunteers they help me so much,yet even with volunteers the days can be so very long,


Dec 22, 2009 Good piccy
by: Edward

Thanks Michael,that's a really good picture.
I've looked on your web site too Kevin and man you aren't kidding how many animals you've got to 'feed and clothe'
Do you ever get to bed ?


Dec 21, 2009 Pics
by: Michael

kays Hill Animal Sanctuary

Sorry it took so long to get it on the page.


Dec 19, 2009 love and affection = contentment all around
by: kevin

Thanks Barbara, as we all know when an animal, any animal comes into care they all go through a 48 hour period of uncertainty, they don't trust us, we don't know them, they are in a strange place with others they have never met before and their food and routine is changed at this period.

We try and spend as much time as possible talking to them, touching them in the hope they bond with us, we have people we call our cat cuddlers they come along just to spend a few hours talking and giving love and affection to our animals. At Kays Hill we have found this a great help especially with any ferals we get in at other times we constantly talk to them.

We play music in the cattery so you may even hear us singing to them,we have a washing machine in the cattery and we clean out with a vacuum cleaner to help adjust them to different noises.

We try and get them well balanced before they leave us.


Dec 19, 2009 It's a happy place
by: Barbara

When we were up there for the open day I swear most of the animals had a smile on their faces!(apart from that darned rabbit)There's a lot of love given at Kays Hill.


Dec 19, 2009 every little helps
by: kevin

thanks edward
we can see you are doing a lot to help heres hopeing people read this and try, all i ask is people in genral try and do a little, i know people wont change overnight but every little helps.
at kays hill visitors are always welcome to pop in and see what we are about,the animals love the attention, we encourage people to bring small treats for our residents cat treats ,dog biscuits or apples and carrots they love them , so we open between 1pm and 4 pm daily
appointments at other times just so we can get work done it would be good to meet you,when your next in our area


Dec 19, 2009 Yes I wish everyone would do their bit
by: Edward

Hiya Kevin, I support many animal charities and like my good old cousins R & B up near you, Im veggie and use or wear nothing tested on animals.You cant say you love animals but eat them or use them,can you. My twin sister Rose is very active in the animal welfare world down our way and shes bringing her kids up to love and respect all animals. I wish everybody did that.
Its lack of education the problem, Im not the brightest spark but we were taught to treat animals kindly from being tiny.


Dec 18, 2009 Stop , Think , make a difference
by: kevin

thanks for that edward, the work we do, may be difficult but we do it because we want to help , all you can help too, you dont have to run a sanctuary for this, there are many ways you can help those unfortunate souls,people can volunteer at your local shelter, collect food from friends and family or perhaps your work place to help feed the animals, or perhaps become a fundraiser in your own area,or just make a small donation there,s so many ways you can help, some of these may be small yet will make a huge difference to a sanctuary like ours, we always ask people to do things that they are comfortable with, we all have special talents lets share them for the good of others


Dec 18, 2009 Full of admiration
by: Edward

I do admire you man ! What a job you have on in this awful weather.It's great reading all about life at an animal sanctuary, loved your poem too.
Next time I'm up North I'll try to pop in.


Dec 18, 2009 the winds may blow snow may freeze us
by: kevin

what a night, the wind and snow, getting hay out to the horses,what a job we had,as our sanctuary is on a hill top we get the worst of winter and the best of summer, its either too cold or too hot lol, cats stayed in their warm beds but dogs still to go out as they will not settle till their walks are done then locked up for the night, then this morning the freezing snow biting your fingers as you unlock doors , cant feel your toes they so cold as you check on animals out in fields its the only time i love washing the food dishes and litter trays just to keep my hands warm in the soapy water, lets all pray this cold spell will not last long at this time of year i hope people remember to put water out for the wild birds as well as food they all need a little help in this weather


Dec 18, 2009 Snow makes the job even harder
by: Ruth

I was thinking about you Kevin, and everyone else working late,settling all your residents down for the night, when it was blowing a blizzard here yesterday evening.
This morning quite deep snow ! Well I remember walking 3 miles home through the snow after a long shift at the vets, when the roads were blocked to traffic.
And working Christmas Day too in my first job as we had boarding kennels and cattery too at that practice. Yes some people think we who care about animals are mad,but they are the ones missing out on seeing the animals blossom with love and attention.


Dec 17, 2009 if only pets were not thrown out like the trash
by: kevin

hello kathy thanks for the post we all pray for more places like ours a safe place were all can find shelter. but it is a great commitment, the work is 24/7 . then there is the great stress levels as the bills keep rolling in. this work is not for the faint hearted , as some of the sights we see brake your heart a thousand times. we must all try to change this disposible world we live in were pets are thrown out like the trash. we need to educate our children the future generation
as for the poams i think its a lite hearted way to get your point across and they stick in your mind i like to read them also


Dec 17, 2009 great place
by: kathy

I wish there were more places like yours in this world. I am really enjoying all the poems.


Dec 17, 2009 Brilliant Kevin
by: Barbara

I love your poem, and I think eccentric is good! It's certainly been good for all of those animals you've rescued. You have some wonderful characters there at Kayshill (I mean the animals but you and Leanne are wonderful too) we loved the cats of course and the goats and the pigs and the rheas.....but the biting bunny needs a muzzle! (My own fault for taking liberty's with his furry bod)
When we're sitting down to our Quorn roast on Christmas Day we'll raise a glass or three to you. Cheers Kevin, you're an earth angel.


Dec 17, 2009 a labour of love thou many think im mad
by: kevin

thanks for that ruth, you have been, and you have seen, the work we are achieving here at kays hill, yes we have around 300 animals on site so christmas day as you all sit down to lunch i will still be out there feeding and cleaning no rest for the wicked,people and family think im mad a little eccentric yet this is our way of life and i would not want it any other way we are here to help all that come to our door(if i cant help i probably know a man that can as we have a small net work of sanctuarys working together for the good of all in need )at kays hill we want to help the old, the frail and the damn right unruly we dont discriminate on looks or disability we give them a chance a fresh start for many


Dec 17, 2009 Love but hard work
by: Ruth aka Kattadorra

Great write up Kevin and the cattery is only a tiny fraction of all the animals you have in residence and all the work you, Leanne, and the others do every day,365 days a year.
I know you all do it out of love but it is hard work !
I only wish I was young and fit enough to help you .....


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