Back in April, there was a small party to mark the 25th anniversary of Paws for Thought. The people invited were those who had worked as its background team to keep the cattery running. There was a cake that had to be seen to be believed, and everyone received an engraved glass trophy to mark the occasion.
I’m hoping to give each supplier a longer blog post at a later date, but for now I shall start by listing their names and giving you an idea of how they’ve helped the cattery become what it is today.
In purely random order;
Eastern Counties Pest Control
Terry and Charles have been keeping the cattery pest-free since we started. Ironic, really, that a cattery full of furry mouse-hunters needs human assistance, but we are situated in rural woodland and we do put down enough dry cat-food to provide midnight snacks for our guests – which could encourage rodents to come and feast. Grateful for Eastern Counties!
Polyspiral Websites & Hosting
This is the company who set up our current website. Whenever we need help, Polyspiral is on hand to offer clear, jargon-free advice or practical intervention.
Marks Tey Discount Petfoods
Not just for pet food; all of the litter, litter trays, snugs… you name it, everything we use in the cat pens comes from Marks Tey. They have been quick to respond to our orders and very helpful.
Anderson Electrics
In the early days we had a lot of refurbishment work – and later, the job of building a new block of pens – so we needed an experienced electrician to install the wiring. The Anderson team are cheerful and reliable, and we can highly recommend them.
Ardmore Veterinary Practice
Their practice at Great Yeldham is our first call if any cat staying with us seems to be unwell. We will try to contact you first to let you know, but if we can’t reach you and we are concerned – we will make sure Ardmore is consulted and your cat is treated promptly if necessary.
And… me.
Although this blog is written from Rob and Denise’s point of view, they don’t write it. I do. Hello. I’m Julie Bissell. After a busy career based on numbers (accountant and professional treasurer), I retired to pursue my hobby of writing. It’s been a lot more fun than sitting in a noisy office trying to find why the balance sheet doesn’t balance. In the last five years I’ve won a few minor contests with comedy sketches and short fiction and have a first novel at the final edit stage.
I live a mile from Paws for Thought – a godsend, especially as one of our cats was loudly and dramatically travel-sick every time he was transported more than five miles. I offered to write the blog posts for Rob and Denise in 2022 and I haven’t run out of things to say about cats yet. Anyone who has been reading these blogs as if the Blairs have written them – don’t feel cheated. I discuss with Rob and Denise which subject they’d like me to tackle, write it as they would have said it and check the wording with them before it goes live. That said, a lot of inspiration comes from my own furry ruffians – the antics of kittens, the grief and guilt that humans often feel after a cat’s death and the shock of discovering that the stray kitten we’d agreed to adopt probably had Norwegian Forest ancestors (stocky build, permanently hungry and very, very fluffy).
Well, that’s my story as content creator for the Paws for Thought Cattery. I’m hoping to persuade a few of the other suppliers to let me tell their story over the next few months, but in the meantime – it was great to meet everyone!
