A Day At the Shelter

The day starts with the arrival of the Wardens, Cat Care Staff and volunteers for opening, come rain or shine, wind or snow at 9 am.

The first job is to greet the hungry cats (60 to 100 at any one time) and to feed them: a sachet of cat food, a bowl of dry food, and clean water are exchanged for those left from the previous day. The cat litter trays and any soiled blankets are changed, and the pens are scrupulously washed out, vacuumed and mopped to avoid cross infection. Medication is given to any cats who need it, recent arrivals are treated for fleas and worms and, if time permits, the staff will socialise with the frightened cats, play with the lively ones, and brush the scruffy ones! The Care Staff also have the ‘fun’ job of washing and drying about 80 cat litter trays and about 300 food and water bowls – each and every day!

Meanwhile the Wardens on duty are busy in the office, answering phone enquiries about stray cats needing rehoming or cats seen on the website, or giving advice to kitten fosterers or recent adopters of cats, while dealing with visitors dropping off cats or picking them up.

Twice a week, any new arrivals or cats requiring check-ups are taken to the local Veterinary Surgery in Gorebridge, ICR Butt and Partners, who very kindly offer a discount for our large expensive volume of business! Some new arrivals go for a health check, some for neutering, and a few for other medication or surgery.

By 12 noon the clean pens are tranquil and many of the cats are snoozing.

In the afternoon the Shelter is open to the public from noon until 3.30pm daily. Along with rehoming, during the afternoon, our staff also deal with telephone enquiries and administration, they go out to pick up unwanted cats and trap strays and ferals all over the Lothians and beyond, and very importantly they ensure the evening feeding is done and medication is given, before the Shelter closes its doors at 5pm.

Thereafter Brewer’s Bush goes quiet, with our caretaker keeping an eye on our furry charges overnight, until the hungry miaows start again at 9am the next day!