It’s nearly Christmas, so this week let’s go on a sleigh ride round some of our local animal rehoming centres to see how they celebrate Christmas.
Our first stop is The Mayhew Animal Home in the backstreets of Kensal Green. Decorated beautifully, on Christmas Day animals will get a Christmas stocking and toys that have been donated.
Current Mayhew resident, Cosette, is hoping she will have been chosen for her own home by then. Like her namesake in Les Misérables, Cosette has had a tough start in life.
She’s only seven months old but, in October, was abandoned in a cardboard box next to the North Circular (the sleigh certainly doesn’t want to get stuck in a traffic jam there). She is shy, sweet and lovely.
Staff say she is nervous when you meet her but once she’s realised you’re not an ogre, she adores being stroked. So, if you’re not an ogre, and have a quiet home where this beautiful kitten can blossom, you can see her at Trenmar Gardens NW10 6BJ.
Back on the sleigh, let’s fly from there, anti-clockwise, to the National Animal Welfare Trust at Watford where the sleigh slides to a halt in the yard. On Christmas Day, animals here will be given presents from the Centre’s Shoebox Appeal whereby people are filling boxes with gifts for cats, dogs, rabbits or guinea pigs and taking them to the centre at Tylers Way, Watford-by-pass for sharing out.
Next stop is by the canal at the Southall RSPCA Cat Adoption Centre where over Christmas, cats have a special meal cooked for them. I’m sure they can’t wait.
Our final stop is Battersea Dogs and Cats Home where, like every other day of the year, they will be open. Last year, they took in three dogs on Christmas Day. Knitted mice will be handed out to the cats as well as presents for the dogs. Christmas carols will be played. Frankincense and nutmeg will be amongst the scents sprayed in the kennels for the dogs to sniff.
Our sleigh ride has ended and, not an ogre to be seen. Cosette can rest easy Happy Christmas to you all and thank you for your support for the animals throughout the year.
