Every year the Chestnut Cat Sanctuary has inspections by the Local Council licensing Authority and the RSPCA, to ensure our pens and buildings are properly maintained and that the cats & kittens, while in our premises, receive the highest care in both loving attention and, just as importantly, in a safe and healthy environment. They have to ensure we adhere to a code of practice that adequate temperatures are maintained, the risk of spreading disease is minimised, the premises are hygienic, and the list goes on.

On the 27th. March the RSPCA carried out their annual inspection and we hope that in due course we will be given a clean bill of health.

These visits are not seen as a nuisance visit because they do give us the latest good housekeeping advice, and after all, we are only interested in the welfare of the cat. It was found, for instance, one of the areas temperature gauges was malfunctioning, so it brought it to our attention and took 2 minutes to fix. They also took the opportunity to inspect our annual Council License issued by the local Welfare animal officer. They are there also to protect our managing local RSPCA branch , ensuring the cats and kitten adoptions are being homed in a reasonable time to protect the branch from spiralling costs and vet bills.

We await the report, which is sent to our branch (South West Essex RSPCA) who will then advise us accordingly or recommend improvements. Fingers crossed! It is always the aim of the Cat Sanctuary to outguess these official visits to make sure there is nothing to criticise. Looks like we got caught out on the temperature gauge. We see it every day and after a while don’t notice it. Still, no harm done and at least that was easy to fix.

A big thank you to everyone who is emailing pictures of former chestnut cat sanctuary rescue cats who have found loving new homes. It is great to hear how all our gorgeous rescued cats are getting on! FatEric (picture inset) was adopted with his sister Hattie and is doing fabulously well clearly with lots of TLC.
If you would like to take a look at all the RSPCA single cats and paired catswho are currently awaiting a fab new pad to rest their paws on, contact; alison@chestnutcatsanctuary or take a look at their purrfect photos! The sanctuary's cats are also available to view on the cat chat website, with a wealth of information caring for homeless cats and kittens.

A crackingly busy Easter weekend for cats arriving and leaving Chestnut Cat Sanctuary. I hope all you regular blog readers are keeping it up with it all; I know I am exhausted!
New homes were found this weekend for Dorothy and Toto, Elvis, Twinkle, Katie, Milly, Lilly, Koko, Nemo, Felix, Georgie, Scoobie, Tigger, and four pairs of kittens. It was great to see Millie, aka "Essex Girl", coming in for her Easter holidays along with many other cats who we have happily re-homed to loving new pads.
Lots of fab cats looking for their purrrfect pads have a look as Tonka is doing (picture inset) and keep up-to-date with all the news! Some of the star entries this week include gorgeous Jess such a pretty face! Marmalde a really round cat! Sooty a great companion, Mikey a timid ginger and white boy, Maxi and Minnie a really friendly twosome! Also just in "oriental" pair of gorgeous 3 year olds boys so silky and smooth!
A quick mention to Tigger, Bag Puss and Flex you are such fabulous boys so friendly now just shows you what TLC can achieve! Loves of cuddles to you all! x x

I know I have been harsh on you dedicated blog readers lately so I thought with Spring soon to come and sunshine hopefully on its way I would share some adorable photographs of a gorgeous pair of sweeties who were dumped at the sanctuary along with one other last week. How anyone could abandon any animal is beyond me. I hope you enjoy!
Paws and paws of love to Toeby who finally found his new home we love you gorgeous!
Lots of whisker licking good wishes to Floss, Hugo, Charity, Blackie, Shaft, Minnie, and Tootsie.
A special mention to dear Bag Puss you are a gorgeous dude who deserves the bestest home ever lots of cuddles coming your way!

(PS Lorna we think you look fab too!! x x )

What a surprise same old story! My owners thought if they left me behind when they moved I would be able to find food, water and shelter. Now I know that cats are extremely clever but...................come on human folk lets have a bit of a reality check! If they had really cared for me and were an ounce of a decent human being they wouldnt have left me all alone in the world to fend for myself.

I do hope my faith in humanity hasnt been completely destroyed, there must be some nice folk out there who understand that although I am a clever dude I can not produce my own food or build my own abode.

If you are interested in providing me with lots and lots of love and a home FOREVER AND EVER! please get in touch sharpish!!!

Sanctuary life is never dull! Lots of successfull new homes found for much deserving cats. Paws of luck and love to everyone in particular Jack and Sally, tabby twosome, Lucy, Alfie, Rosie, One Eye, Lucy the second, Boycie and Marmalade. It is so great to hear how cats are getting on in their news homes especially Essex Girl now called Millie, gorgeous Timmy and Buttons!, Carrots, Spud (aka Spike!) the grey girlies Mitsky and Misky hope your enjoying all your new pads. Hope you remember and enjoy the attached photographs of a very happy Owen, Looney and Mido now Gucci and Armani. x x (photos to be added asap!)

Just to prove to all of you that it this is not just a blog for the human folk, us cats like to have a read too! What a lucky cat I am? talk about fall on my feet I have fallen, landed softly and done a thousand sommersaults, I am truly purrrfectly happy, couldnt wish for a pawringly better home! I like to read what the sanctuary cats have been up to and who has been able to find a new home as I do care lots about my fellow feline friends. I hope my pictures show all the homeless cats that it is possible to find a great new forever home you just have to look as adorable as me!! Love and hugs for now Tonka x x

WOW!!! so much to update everyone on and so little time to fit in all in. I have lots of news for you regular sanctuary fans. Firstly to say Chestnut Cat Sanctuary has officially been declared the GREATEST sanctuary ever. Ok... so maybe not an official award but if there were such a thing we would win it no doubt. The care and dedication to animal welfare at the sanctuary is simply the best. For all of you fabulous people who volunteer your time to spend with the sanctuary's cats we think your truly great! From the spontaneous food donations, bedding, chicken treats and lots and lots of cuddles, the cats (and us!) would be lost without you! It is lovely to be amongest such a great team of animal loving people dedicated to making the lives of our homeless cats in the sanctuary very pleasurable (so much so it is tempting to set up camp and move in myself!! What could be more like heaven than being surrounded by so many fab felines!!)

Talking of fabulous felines it is very sad to have to say one of my gorgeous girlies, Ellie, passed away 2 weeks ago. She was the sweetest little angel and touched everyone's heart who cuddled her and prepared her scrambled egg for breakfast. Only 600g and almost 1 year old., treated like the princess she was and cuddled to the end. Ellie like all the thousands of other heartbreaking gems will never be forgotten.