Cat socialisation team (Gurus de gatos)

It is important to make sure that the cats have clean pens and sufficient food but, just as important, is to ensure that they have enough good quality time with human contact so that they are properly socialised and like being around people. In a cattery environment it is sometimes easy to overlook the cat that hides or sits quietly in the corner and doesn’t rush up to be petted and made a fuss of. Over time that cat can become more and more socially distanced until you suddenly find that you can’t touch the cat at all. Not only does this make it difficult to manage that cat and treat it when it needs care, but it also makes it almost impossible to find it an adoptive home.

That is why we have a separate team of volunteers who come in and spend time grooming, stroking, cuddling and evaluating the cats.

We also sometimes have kittens that come to us with little experience of human contact. It is often possible to tame these kittens while they are still young, but it needs a lot of patience and perseverance. The rewards are great when you can finally touch a kitten or young cat and know that they are enjoying the contact and now have a chance of being adopted into a home.

If you would like to do general cuddling and grooming or being a guru to a cat that needs extra help, we would love to hear from you.