STAPELEY
News from our wildlife, cattery, vet, field, fundraising and education teams
NEWS
AUTUMN 2022
In this Autumn issue...
GRANGE
Photo by Freddy Jones
Inside this Summer issue...
PLUS - Miracle cygnet 4 / Some sad goodbyes 6 / Seal sightings 7 / Badger News 15 / Tweet Tweet 17 / Christmas Fair 20 / Community outreach 21 / Autumn Wildlife Garden 25
We continue to stand with Ukraine
It costs Stapeley Grange around £50,000 to feed the 6,000+ animals which are admitted every year. The food bill for seals alone can be £500 a week. Anyone who would like to support the vital work of Stapeley Grange can now donate online at
Our busy spring / summer months are now behind us, but we have been quieter than normal this year because of ongoing concerns around Avian Flu. In previous years, Avian Flu has lasted for several months over the winter period. This time around we are now in our 11th month, which has been really frustrating for the team, as we have been unable to help lots of birds in need. It has been equally frustrating for our officers and members of the public who we have not been able to help. Throughout 2022 we have had to be cautious, or even closed, to higher-risk species, such as waterfowl or seabirds. Avian flu appears more of an issue in species that congregate on water courses or on cliff edges for breeding purposes. We have at times taken calculated risks for some waterffowl orphans that we have felt were lower risk because of the limited time they would have been in the wild for. Like Covid 19 in humans, some birds can be asymptomatic, i.e. show no clinical signs, which has complicated the situation further. Strict bio-security measures have been in place throughout. A confirmed case in our centre could risk other birds, and even mammals, in our care so we have had to be over-cautious. Currently, we are taking in birds, but not higher-risk species, such as waterfowl and seabirds but the situation has and will continue to change pending what happens in the wild. We have and will continue to offer support to our officers in the field and members of the public whenever we can. It's been great to have our Barclays teams back on site. They have been busy over the last few months helping to maintain the site and help with small projects. They make such a difference to the running of the centre and by the end of this year, they would have saved us nearly £6000 worth of maintenance and project materials. THANK YOU. After the success of our Family One Fun Day back in June, we are hoping our Christmas Fair will be a fundraising success. It will be our first Christmas event in three years so the team are excited about welcoming Santa back!! It should be a fun and festive occasion, so please join us on Sunday 4 December. To enjoy our quarterly newsletters from our various teams, simply sign up by emailing stapeley@rspca.org.uk. It's free of charge and downloadable.
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Fundraising News
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WELCOME!
Cattery News Corner
Page 19
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Just one more thing...
Vet's Corner
Cover photo courtesy of Lisa Nicholls / Chalene Gibson
Field News
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Page 27
Wildlife News
Education News
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In cases such as this injured fox it can take many individuals to see an animal returned to the wild. Thanks to our Officers and regional drivers in the field, a vet practice, Rydale Rehabilitation Centre and of course our staff and volunteers at Stapeley this fox was returned after a month in care and a 320 mile round journey.
Supporting nestling swallows
Miracle cygnet finally rescued
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The wildlife office team receives 100's of calls each year from members of the public seeking wildlife advice. In some cases allowing nature to take its course is the best advice we can offer and to monitor but on occasions, nature can do with a helping hand. Every year we receive many calls about nestlings swallows (pictured left), swifts and house martins that have fallen out of their nest. As long as their parents are around, providing an artificial nest, close to the original nest, if they can not be returned to this nest, can be a great option. This will allow their parents to continue rearing their offspring naturally, rather than seeing them brought into care. Seeking advice in such situations is really important so please call your local wildlife rehabilitator or RSPCA national call centre on 0300 123 4999.
As well as going the extra mile for wildlife casualties that require long transfers to and from the original pick-up site, as with the injured fox (left), our field officers often require several visits to capture wildlife casualties. Lisa Nicholls and Chalene Gibson, members of the public, recently experienced one such rescue and here is their account of what happened. "Back in July, we were walking near Vale Royal locks and saw a lone cygnet. From its size and location, we realised he must belong to a family of swans who had been in the area a few days previously but who had been chased away by the resident cob. After that incident, they had tried to move back to where they’d come from but were chased back by another cob further along the river. They’d last been seen a few days previously in a smaller, safer area between the two territories and it was in this location that we found him. We walked further along in the hope of finding his family but there was no sign of them – it seemed that the cygnet had somehow become separated from them when they’d made a further attempt to return home and so had probably been by himself for a few days. Following advice from the Stapeley Grange team, we tried to build some trust with him, with food, in the hope that we’d be able to capture him. We enlisted the help of first a paddle boarder and then a fisherman to try to get him but on each occasion the little scamp managed to outwit us. He was very very skittish and although hungry and keen for the food, at the slightest sign of movement from us, he would retreat to where we couldn’t reach him. We called out the RSPCA who sent out an officer to try to capture him. On the first 2 visits, all attempts were unsuccessful as he again slipped off into the middle of the river. On the 3rd visit, a boat was called – he evaded that as well! Finally, thanks to the perseverance of RSPCA Inspector Pengilly and TWO boats, he was safely captured and taken to safety at Stapeley. At little more than 6 weeks old, little Scamp had survived by himself for at least a week – quite a miracle little cygnet." The cygnet is now with other young swans and will soon be released back to the wild.
The juvenile fox was rescued by Animal Rescue Officer Shane Lynn, after suffering spinal injuries when falling down an embankment at an industrial estate near Stockton-on-Tees in July. Shane reported that the fox was in dreadful pain and could only “scoot” his body along the ground as he did not have the use of his back legs. After a short stay with Jean Thorpe at Rydale Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, the fox was transferred across to Stapeley Grange. The staff here kept a close eye on him and supported him with pain medication and anti-inflammatories. The team were unsure as to how he would do but thankfully he slowly recovered and within weeks of arriving he was ready to be returned to the wild. Returning rehabilitated wild animals, particularly territorial adults, back to where they are rescued is common practice and important for the welfare of the animal, as it helps increase their chances of survival. It can be costly, time-consuming and logistically challenging but it is necessary. There is no point spending all our time and money on an animal in our care at Stapeley if we were not to optimise its successful return to the wild. A foreman at Augean works in Port Clarence was so impressed with the RSPCA response to the poor fix that he donated £80 towards the costs of caring for the fox.
320 mile journey for injured fox
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What would Stapeley do without our amazing volunteers? We currently have over 80 volunteers working in all areas of the Centre. Our volunteers work 'hands -on' with wildlife or cats, help transporting animals around the region, picking them up from vets to bring them in or taking them for release, maintaining the grounds or helping in the office. Each one of them contributes, directly or indirectly to the care of our animals. In 2022 we sadly lost two of our much-loved volunteers, Mary Aston and Ken Barron.
Common pipistrelle bat
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Brown long-eared bat
Some sad goodbyes..........
Mary and Ken, will now be remembered in our soon to be created memorial garden within the centre (pictured left). This was an area that Ken, and good friend Brian, AKA Hinge and Bracket, used to disappear too. It was their personal project!! The area falls adjacent to our rabbit/hog shed and our bat flight area, so a peaceful site for a our small memorial garden. Rest in Peace Mary and Ken, you will be sadly missed.
There are 18 species of bats here in the UK and over the last 10 years, we have admitted 9 of the 18 species. The most common bat admission has been the Common pipistrelle, making up 70% of admissions into the centre. Bats can be admitted for many reasons, the more common reasons being orphaned, simply grounded, trapped or attacked by cats. Generally grounded/trapped bats have a quick turnaround once they have had some fluids, something to eat and some warmth. Bats that have been attacked by cats require a course of pain relief and antibiotics as in addition to any wounds inflicted on the bat, cat saliva can carry lots of nasty bacteria which need treating. Longer stays are required if their wings have been torn. Our orphaned bat pups probably require the most care. They need to be slowly weaned from specialist milk onto a diet of insects. We feed bats in our care mealworms (with an added nutrobal supplement to provide calcium) to try and replicate their insectivorous diet. The biggest concern with bat pups is if they are weaned too quickly, they can get a condition called metabolic bone disease. Bone joints can swell and bend which then inhibits their flight. If a bat can not fly, it can not hunt for food so it is really important that they are not weaned too quickly. The staff at Stapeley have been working closely with local bat groups including Cheshire and South Lancashire Bat Groups, as well as other bat carers associated with the Bat Conservation Trust. Young bat pups require regular feeds around the clock and so bat carers are incredibly helpful in assisting us with raising our pups whilst we are tied up caring for all of the other admissions at the hospital. In return, we assist with flight testing reared bat pups in our on-site flight, providing vet care and medication for injured bats and even releases if the bat was found near us originally. Networking with other bat groups is invaluable as we can share useful information regarding bat care. It is also important that we work together to help as many rescued bats as we can; to see as many of them rehabilitated and released back to the wild as possible. Kate Ballance and Tierney Chalmers (Wildlife Assistants)
"Mary always loved animals, especially cats. She always wanted a cat and then after we moved to Cheshire in 1989 next door's cat adopted us - it knew a good thing when it saw it (actually the neighbours moved and asked us if we'd like to adopt him - we didn't steal him!). Our last two cats came from the RSPCA and when Mary retired she wanted to volunteer. She loved her afternoons at the RSPCA and she would come home and tell me all about this cat or that cat and show me photos that she taken on her phone. I think she wanted to bring all of them home. We also used to have quite a lot of feral cats come to our house and Mary always took it on herself to feed them and try to find them homes, and in most cases she took them to the RSPCA who rehomed quite a few for her. Mary enjoy the camaraderie at the RSPCA and she was distraught when she was no longer able to manage to go because of her increasing disability. She finally had to give up in January 2020 when she was finding it very difficult to walk. She was in floods of tears. Mary cherished her time at the RSPCA and the friends that she made there." Terry Aston (Husband)
Bat Care at Stapeley
To support our wildlife hospital why not check out our Amazon Wish List - https://amzn.to/3HYhQgU
“Ken started volunteering at Stapeley Grange almost immediately after he'd retired. He had no idea what it would entail, or how long he would do it for, but it's safe to say that he got more joy from working with his extended RSPCA family in the last 9 years than I think he (or we, his family) had ever imagined was possible. Volunteering with Brian, James, Ian, Rob and Bill (and ALL the team) made an immeasurable difference to Ken's retirement, and he was proud to be part of the team.” Angela (wife), Amy and James (Daughter and Son) Barron
All rehabilitators have to ensure they are returning our wildlife admissions back into the wild, fit for purpose, i.e. able to survive back in the wild. There are many ways to monitor mammals and birds after we have returned them and one of the cheapest, easiest and most successful ways in regards to post-release sightings is the use of Dalton tags on our seals. There are many seal enthusiasts and organisations in the field monitoring seals and reporting back on our yellow tags that start at 3000. No other organisation in Europe use these yellow tabs, black writing and numbers starting at 3000 so everyone can know where these seals have originated from. The RSPCA would like to thank the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and their volunteers for all their hard work and dedication, who help to rescue orphaned seal pups alongside our own officers. They also provide feedback on our released pups which proves that how we rehabilitate works. Here are some recent sightings of our seals.
Orphaned seal pup, tag 3073, named Frogger by the team, was admitted in June 2021, via Anglesey Sea Zoo. He was transferred to Welsh Mountain Zoo on 14 December and later released on the North Wales coastline. Frogger was spotted just a couple of miles up the coast by The seal welfare organisation mid August which was fantastic news.
Donkey Kong, tag 3078 was a young pup brought to us by BDMLR on 12 November 2021. Donkey Kong was transferred over to Welsh Mountain Zoo on 3 May 2022 and released a few weeks later at Penrhn Bay, North Wales. It is heartwarming to see he is doing ok. He was recently spotted (8 on Curracloe Beach, Co. Wexford by Seal Rescue Ireland.
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Beans was an orphaned seal pup picked up from Cardigan Bay by a RSPCA Officer. after it had been monitored for 48 hours. We often mark seal pups with a spray so we can identify ones we are monitoring. It arrived at the hospital on 17 Nov 2020. After five months in care Beans, now tagged 3058 was transferred across to Welsh Mountain Zoo. Bean was later released the zoo staff on the Welsh north coast. In August 2022, Chris Cureton of the BDMLR, reported a sighting of a healthy looking grey seal...with a yellow tag labeled 3058. It was Beans and had been looking after herself for over 18 months, which was great news for all involved in her rehabilitation.
Seal pup, tag 3014, arrived 8th Jan 2022 from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, via BDMLR. He remained with us until 19th May and then released by our volunteers at guys Head, Spalding in Norfolk. He was recently spotted (8/08) at St Mary's lighthouse, Whitley Bay, by Gren
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More seal sightings.........
derbyshire
Inspectorate wildlife training
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Vet's corner
Indiscriminate fishing litter!!!
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Fishing litter is a well known problem affecting wildlife. We usually associate it with waterfowl, but in reality it affects other species as well. This is one such case. A hedgehog came to us after members of public found it entangled in fishing line. They were able to free him and bring to him to us, but unfortunately, as we uncurled him, we realised that he had actually swallowed it. We needed to perform a more thorough exam of the mouth under general anaesthesia. The line was visible in the mouth going further into the body, so we went ahead and took x Rays to investigate further. They revealed he had actually swallowed a fishing hook, which was in the thoracic cavity and had perforated the oesophagus, thus causing internal damage. This was sadly not possible to remove surgically so we decided the best was to put him to sleep. This serves as a sad reminder of how vast are the repercussions of litter to wildlife and how devastating the consequences can be. Dr. Alda Goncalves
The vets and wildlife experts at Stapeley Grange are committed to doing everything they can to help not only the wildlife that comes into Stapeley, but injured and sick wild animals all over the country. We run lots of training, workshops and courses for vets, vet students and wildlife rehabilitators, but recently have been providing training much closer to home. Many of you will know of the RSPCA inspectors, who work on the frontline of animal welfare, investigating complaints, collecting sick, injured and stray animals and working with our prosecutions team. However you may not realise that many of our 408 front line rescuers, are animal rescue officers, or AROs; a relatively new role, which supports the inspectorate in their vital work. AROs play a proactive role not only in investigating reports of cruelty and neglect and rescuing sick and injured animals but also educating and working with members of the public to help improve animal welfare every day of the year. Many of the calls that AROs receive are for wildlife, and this is where Stapeley Grange comes in, providing specialist training to prepare the AROs for life on the front line. New Animal Rescue Officers undergo an intense course of training, and as part of this, they recently spent two days at Stapeley Grange for some hands on practical training with our vets, vet nurses and wildlife team. We covered a whole range of different skills, including how to uncurl a hedgehog to fully assess them in the field; how to handle, examine and identify different species of bird, what to look for when examining birds’ feathers and short term first aid measures which can prove life saving for our patients in the few hours before they get to a vets. A sad reality of our work with wildlife, both in the hospital and out in the field, is that many of our patients can not be saved, and may be suffering terribly when we first attend them. Whilst we do our best with every animal that comes into our care, in some cases, the kindest course of action is quick, humane euthanasia. We are very lucky to have skilled and compassionate operatives in the field who can perform this euthanasia when required, but it takes a lot of training and experience, and a good understanding of wildlife biology to be able to make these decisions. A large part of our training focused on this, and giving our trainee AROs the tools they need to start to develop this expertise. They will then undergo a period of supervision and ongoing training and support before they qualify as Animal Rescue Officers, and are working independently in the field. It was great for the team at Stapeley to meet our latest recruits, and be part of their journey towards becoming the next generation of animal rescuers. Dr. Bev Panto Dr
During the annual baby bird boom at this time of year, the RSPCA’s four wildlife centres care for over a thousand 'orphaned' fledglings each year, picked up by well-meaning people. But many of these birds are not actually orphans and would have been better off if they had been left in the wild. So the animal charity has produced a useful printable step-by-step guide explaining the types of situations where the babies of common garden birds might genuinely need helping, and when the young bird is purely exhibiting natural behaviour as part of its development, in which case it is usually better to leave them well alone. It’s wonderful that people want to do the best for wildlife, but sometimes it’s difficult to know when to intervene and when to hold back. The first step is to identify whether the young bird is a nestling or fledgling. Nestlings are baby birds that have no feathers, or very few. Because they will not survive long outside the protection of the nest, these very young birds should be taken to a vet, or a local wildlife rehabilitator. If neither are available, the RSPCA’s emergency line can be reached on 0300 1234 999. We also provide advice on how to safely catch, handle and care for the nestling until it can be taken to an expert. Fledglings on the other hand have all or most of their feathers and leave the nest just before they can fly. Unlike nestlings, they are able to perch, hop and walk. If one is seen away from the nest, it should be left alone and watched from a distance for up to two hours to ensure the parents are returning. It is likely the parents are nearby and will still be feeding the bird. We advise never to try to return a bird to the nest as this may disturb the other young birds and may be illegal. If a fledgling is in immediate danger, it should be placed in a sheltered spot a short distance away. The RSPCA advises that there are exceptions to these rules. For example, Tawny owlets can climb back up into the nest, so if one is found under a possible nest site, the little bird should be monitored from a distance to see if the parents are nearby. If their call is heard, the young bird should be left alone. If, after monitoring, the fledgling is genuinely orphaned, it should be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator. Other species, like gulls, ducks, swans, geese, swifts, swallows, house martins and birds of prey need to be dealt with on a case-by-case and we would advise anyone who has encountered young birds of these species in need of help, to call the RSPCA’s emergency line.
Boris is an adorable, mature Tom Cat who was brought into Stapeley Grange by an RSPCA Inspector after he was found roaming around the Doncaster area with a painful eye condition called Entropion. This is where the eyelids - in Boris’s case, both his lower eyelids - were turning inwards and causing eyelashes and fur to rub on the surface of his eyes resulting in soreness and eye discharge. Luckily this was fixed with a simple surgical procedure called the “Holtz-Celsus Technique”. A small elliptically-shaped portion of eyelid skin was removed under general anaesthetic and the skin was then sutured back together causing the eyelids to revert back into normal alignment. The photos show Boris at the end of surgery and 3 weeks later with his eyes all clear and back to normal. Boris has since been put up for adoption and he has found a lovely new home. Dr. James Tilling The cattery is open by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please visit our website for details of available cats. Submit an online 'Perfect Match' application form or download a PDF copy from the website and email it to stapeleycattery@rspca.org.uk
Where time and resources allow we like to offer opportunities for vet students, with a passion for wildlife, to spend time with our team. Layla Ruggles had this to say about her short time with us. ‘I spent a fantastic couple of weeks at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in August! The vet and wildlife assistants were all incredibly knowledgeable about wildlife medicine and rehabilitation, and I was amazed at how like clockwork the hospital operated. The placement was a great opportunity to gain first-hand teaching about British wildlife medicine, a species -area that we get very limited teaching about during vet school. I feel far more equipped for my future career to triage and manage wildlife casualties at whatever practice I work at when I graduate. Thank you to the RSPCA Stapeley team for getting me so involved with the veterinary cases and for being so welcoming!’
Entroprion Surgery for Boris
Spring has Sprung at the hospital
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Volunteer vet student at Stapeley
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News from our field officers
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Swan with bite wound - Anderton Marina, Northwich - Animal Rescue officer Kathryn Kellegher collected an injured swan from Northwich in early September. The swan was taken to Stapeley where it is receiving treatment for a possible fox or dog bite wound. The swan is recovering and we are hoping to be able to release back where found. Stapeley Update: The swan is still being monitored closely by the team but he is doing really well outside with the other swans. We are hoping that he will be able to return home to his family soon.
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Swan rescue - Warrington - Inspector Pengilly attended Grey Mist Mere in Warrington following a call about a swan tangled in fishing line. Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service attended to assist and were able to row out to reach the swan. The swan was given treatment at Willows vets overnight then transferred to Stapeley the following day. Unfortunately and despite antibiotics, the wound caused by the wire had cut too deeply into the leg for the swan to be saved.
Gannet rescue & release - In September Inspector Cooper and Animal Rescue Officer Fay Bowers were called to Formby, Liverpool to check on a Gannet who had been in an elderly gentleman's front garden for two days. The bird seemed bright and uninjured so after some advice from Stapeley over the phone it was released onto water very close to the location he was found.
Heron rescue - Inspector Jo McDonald attended a location in Hale following a call about a heron suspended in the branches of a tree. The bird was too high to reach, but Cheshire Fire Service agreed to attend to assist. It turned out that the bird's legs had become trapped between two branches. Once freed, the heron was taken to Alder Veterinary hospital in Liverpool. The bird had some injuries but the legs were not broken and he was transferred to Stapeley for further assessment.
Fox cub rescue - Middlewich - In August, Inspector Joynes was called to serve up some help for a fox tangled in tennis netting at Middlewich leisure centre. Inspector Joynes was able to rescue and release the lovely cub back to the wild. Ace job Anthony!
‘Bird’ on a wire - In July, Inspector Lupson paid a call to rescue a ‘bird’ said to be caught up in telephone wires. Upon arrival, the Inspector quickly discovered that the bird was actually a dog poo bag!!
Pigeon rescue in Liverpool - In August, Inspector Pengilly was called to rescue a pigeon that had become trapped in netting under a railway bridge in Liverpool 21. The pigeon was likely to have been struggling for a while as it appeared very weak. Inspector Pengilly was able to use her ladders to get up to the bird and free it to be checked over. For more information on netting: Humane Wildlife Deterrents & Population Control | RSPCA
Contacting the badger group......
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The Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group is a registered charity which is dedicated to the conservation and protection of the Badger (Meles meles), working in Wirral and Cheshire to raise awareness and provide information and education about badgers and the threats to them and their habitat. We are a voluntary organisation which is funded by donations and by our members. It was way back in 1980 that the Wirral & Cheshire Badger Group was formed and here we are some 42 years later, still doing our best to protect both badgers and their habitats here in Cheshire. Back in the day, illegal persecution was rife in the County with Wirral losing 80% of setts due to badger digging. Today, while the threat remains from badger digging, our time is mostly taken up with the staggering amount of development taking place in our green spaces - habitat loss is a real threat to all our wildlife, not just badgers. We rescue badgers from all kinds of situations and work closely with the RSPCA in returning adults, where possible, back where they were found and always look to return cubs back to their natal sett. As a registered charity, fundraising is essential, as is educating the public on how they can best protect badgers. With no paid Officers, we are a volunteer-run charity dependent on like-minded individuals who are keen to get involved in some small way. Wirral & Cheshire Badger Group, Info@wcbg.org.uk
I can’t ever remember a time when we have been unable to go out to rescue a badger in need but, that day came back in July when we were alerted to the plight of a badger that somehow had found himself behind the customer service desk in Tesco, Chester! On that day, for one reason or another, we just could not get him the help he needed. The RSPCA were at capacity and so his wait was much longer than any of us would have liked but, he fared well and he was transported to RSPCA Stapeley Grange where he received that all-important assessment before any tests, food and fluid before he was given a clean bill of health. He was ready for release but we had to go back to Chester and take a look around and retrieve any sett records we held for the area. So off we went back to Tesco and worked our way around the site until we came to a fantastic green corridor, bumping into a security guard from a nearby site who confirmed the presence of badgers on the site and that we were in the perfect location — bingo! So, we liaised with the team at Stapeley and went down to Nantwich to collect him and then over to Chester. His cage was placed in the green corridor until it went dark and then he was released. Off he trotted in the direction of the setts and our work was done. We might not have been there for the initial rescue but the time and effort that goes into the whole operation is extraordinary and this would just not be possible without the dedication of the staff at Stapeley and the volunteers from the badger group, it's a partnership that sees a great many of our badgers rescued, rehabilitated and released. ‘Every Little helps’ as Tesco would say! Jane Cullen, Wirral & Cheshire Badger Group
Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group
"We always look to return cubs back to their natal sett."
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Tesco's badger rescue
If you would like to get in touch with the Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group, you can: Email: info@wcbg.org.uk Snail Mail: W&CBG, PO Box 19, Warrington, WA2 8TG For emergencies, please contact: RSPCA National Control Centre: 0300 123 4999 Jane Cullen: 07860 771 037 Diana Wanless: 01925 265 782 Website - https://wcbg.org.uk/
Animal Welfare Officer Sonia Hulme
It's not only our bird patients who tweet - we do too! We now have almost 4100 followers on our two Twitter accounts and it is growing all the time. Here is a selection of our tweets. Don't forget to follow us @RSPCAStapeley or @StapeleyCats
@RSPCA _ OFFICIAL
@CARARSPCA
@RSPCA _ Frontline
The official RSPCA Twitter
@SONIA _ RSPCA
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TWEET tweet!
Inspector Anthony Joynes
More RSPCA twittering
RSPCA Frontline Officers
@HERCHYBOAL
Inspector Herchy Boal
@JOYNES85
Stapeley's video collection
Otter time - Santon and Storm at play and Orphaned otter cubs Fox cub feeding time: and Fox cub kiss chase Great crested grebe, Gulls galore and Some hungry jackdaws Some cheeky little polecats and Weasel orphan Common buzzards chicks and Cygnets in need of TLC Hoglet feeding time, Leveret release and not forgetting our Orphaned storm seals and Daffi, our orphaned otter cub
Animal Collection Officer Cara Gibbon
RSPCA inspectors, staff and centres across the country use Twitter too - here are some more accounts to follow
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Hector
Pickles in a pickle
CATTERY NEWS
Poor Pickle was only about 16 weeks old when he arrived at the cattery in February. He had been living as a stray and was extremely thin. Luckily he was found by a kind member of the public who brought him to us. We quickly discovered that he was suffering from a nasty stomach bug; he looked so sorry for himself and was obviously in some discomfort. Pickle has now recovered but his treatment took a couple of months and so he has spent far too much of his young life in the cattery and we really want to get him settled in a forever home. Pickle is still only a very young cat and is so daft and playful! He loves to play tug of war with his fishing rod toys and can often be seen chasing his own tail! He loves to give the volunteers the slip and run around the cattery corridor. He just full of beans! You wouldn't ever know that he had been so poorly. Pickle is always so keen for attention and will call out for you to come and play and to cuddle him. He can be a really affectionate cat and loves to be held or to sit on your lap and be fussed (once he is worn out from playtime!). He will even give you little kisses but he also gives cheeky little playful nibbles when he gets excited so he would not be suited to a home with very young children. Although Pickle is playful and loving he can be a little nervous. He has spent a lot of time in the cattery environment and can be a bit jumpy at new noises and people. He has never lived in a house environment so all the sounds and smells will be unfamiliar to him. It would be beneficial for him to have one room to start off in his new home. This will give him a safe space which he can retreat to if he finds it a bit overwhelming. Pickle will need an experienced cat owner with no other pets and his diet needs to be stable to prevent having an upset tummy again in the future. If you could offer Pickle a loving forever home please complete a perfect match form on the link: https://bit.ly/3jHkcab and we can take your application it from there. katie Edge (Animal Care Assistant)
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Twinkle
Robin
Nutmeg
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Looking for loving forever homes
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To support our cats why not check out our Amazon Wish List - https://amzn.to/3jnCpaj
Cat stories from the field .......
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Animal trapped in shutters - Bootle In July Inspector Showering was called to what was described as a skunk trapped in the shutters of an empty shop in Bootle. The officer attended and carefully made some observations inside the security shutters. The animal turned out to be a long-haired cat which promptly urinated on the officer before shooting up inside the metal box above the roller shutters. Unfortunately, the cat didn’t come back down, and a repeat visit was required the next day. Animal Rescue officer Littlewood re-attended and successfully caught the cat. The cat was firstly transferred to the nearest 24hr vet for assessment and then onward to a local RSPCA branch. Thankfully this little girl was chipped and the Branch was able to contact the owner and reunite her. If only all cats were micro-chipped!!
Student Dissertation
Multi-cat house - Inspector Bethel has been working with the owner of a multi-cat property, to improve the welfare of over 20 cats. The owner agreed to sign over a mother cat and four 2 week old kittens into our care. The Inspector took the cats to a vet for treatment, as they had a heavy flea burden and were covered in scabs. D ue to the current crisis, the Inspector was unable to find anywhere for the animals and fostered them at home until space became available. Stapeley treated the cats as they required repeat vet visits. Stapeley took in the mum cat once space opened up 5 weeks later. Esme, as she has now been named, is on steroids and doing well. All four kittens have since found new homes.
A fantastic family 'One Fun Day'?
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news
We can all support wildlife whether it be internationally, nationally, locally within your community or simply feeding birds or hedgehogs in your back garden. It all makes a difference and helps to keep us connected to nature.
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Summer Youth Programme
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EDUCATION
In June we hosted RSPCA One Fun Day at Stapeley Grange and welcomed close to 400 visitors on site in just 5 hours! There were well-attended tours of the outdoor wildlife hospital by our Centre Manager, Wildlife team and Education team, the cattery was open to groups and staff on hand to answer questions, and the education team ran fun activities in the classroom and garden. Crewe and Nantwich branch of the RSPCA joined us with a stand and Stapeley staff from all departments volunteered to help throughout the day, and importantly to provide refreshments with amazing cakes to choose from. From an education perspective, it was a fantastic opportunity to share information about the work of the RSPCA in our community and the importance of animal welfare. Plenty of fun was had too, with families and children enjoying play opportunities with a wildlife identification trail and making mud cakes in our new mud kitchen. Activities included making a bug hotel, designing a badge, vet role play with our willing wildlife cuddly toys, and making animal creations such as crafted snakes, jellyfish and wildlife masks. We look forward to being able to run One Fun Day 2023, and welcome everyone back for another great day with the team at Stapeley Grange.
Over the summer, we have been able to trial a new youth programme with children and young people (16+), keen to learn more about the work of the RSPCA. During the programme's six sessions, the children were able to gain entry-level AQA certificates based on the work of the RSPCA and animal welfare. They also used practical skills to build and decorate a bird box, learnt about mindfulness techniques, how our own wellbeing can be linked to nature and spent time in the cattery to learn about cat care and behaviour. Hannah Norris, Education Officer at Stapeley. who ran the six-week programme reported back: "The children really enjoyed themselves. They learnt many aspects of the important work of the RSPCA, including rescue, rehabilitation, release and rehoming of animals. They also gained valuable and practical conservation and animal handling skills through cat socialisation and dog training.” “Being able to educate on a 1:1 or small group basis improves the delivery of our sessions, as larger groups can overwhelm those who struggle with anxiety or communication with others. These children can bond with an RSPCA Education Officer such as myself on a more personal level.” “Some of the children see Stapeley Grange as a second home, a safe place to relax, unwind and learn at the same time. In offering these programmes, we hope to support the next generation of animal welfare ambassadors and encourage them to love and care for animals, whether that's pets or wildlife.” Over the next 12 months, we will be working to integrate this programme into other areas of our work, by offering it as an extension to our fantastic Virtual School programme (partnered with Cheshire East Council), as well as our community and youth groups. If you would like to know more, please contact the education team via evie.astbury-field1@rspca.org.uk
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A big thank you for Medivet's donation of a Vetscan that will enable us to sample bloods in-house, which will save us both time and money. Head Vet Nurse at Bell Green Medivet told us: 'We were entitled to an upgrade on our current vetscan machine so I asked Abaxis what would happen with the old as I had seen a post by on of Stapeley's vets (Yannick) about the need for a machine. The old machines are taken back and utilised for parts but Abaxis were more than happy for us to donate the old machine so I thought why not put it to good use in the current climate. It is so important to support each other, more so than ever.
FUNDRAISING
https://www.medivet.co.uk/
Pets at Home VIP Lifelines donations make such a difference to our rehoming centre and wildlife hospital. We now receive a regular allowance each year to spend in their Crewe store. we use the vouchers to order essentials such as cat food, litter and Kaytee Exact. The savings we make on these basic essentials mean that our funds stretch further to cover more veterinary treatments and specialist care for our cats and wild birds. Having access to ordering from the variety of products available at Pets at Home has also meant we can cater better for each cat's individual needs and some of our orphaned wild birds. Thank you Pets at Home and all your customers! https://vip.petsathome.com/
https://vip.petsathome.com/ Choose Crewe Store to find us but shop at any Store We will benefit with any instore or online sales, spend at the Groom Rooms and Vets4Pets/Companion Care surgeries.
Emily, age 7, held a bake sale and raised £130 which she donated to the RSPCA. She thoroughly enjoyed a tour around the RSPCA Stapeley, and is pictured above with a cute hedgehog, which she helped make its bed. An amazing contribution from Emily, whose donation will help feed many hedgehogs over the winter period. THANK YOU
It's been a tough couple of years for everyone, including charities. Public donations are critical to the running of the RSPCA, including Stapeley Grange. Although we do receive some Government funding it amounts to less than 0.1% of our annual expenditure, therefore fundraising has always and will continue to be critical to the running of Stapeley Grange For anyone interested in fundraising for the Centre, you can now set up a Justgiving page on either our cattery https://bit.ly/3xKN9Xt or wildlife hospital https://bit.ly/3yHgLao site. We are obviously happy to support any fundraising ideas you may have so please email us at stapeley@rspca.org.uk to discuss further. We are looking to secure running and triathlon events based in the North West and Wales for anyone that fancies a new challenge in 2023. For more information on events, required sponsorship targets and how to apply please contact us at stapeley@rspca.org.uk. You may also have events closer to home that you may want to sign up for to help raise money for our animals. Every £ raised will go towards the care of our animals.
A big THANK YOU to the Thursday morning coffee group from St Andrew's Church in Crewe. The group meet for coffee, biscuits and a chat after their mid-week service of Holy Communion. Everybody makes a donation for their coffee and these are collected until £50 is reached at which point a local charity is chosen by the group to donate the money to. The group chose the hospitlal and re-homing cattery at Stapeley to receive the latest donation.
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