The Power of T.N.R: Saving lives one cat at a time. Special Podcasthon episode.
🎧🌍 Join the movement! This year, I'm taking part in Podcasthon, the global charity podcast event! 💪 I’ll be dedicating an episode of my podcast to support Street Cats Rescue, a cause close to my heart. ❤️
In this conversation, Aline interviews Jackie, a dedicated cat rescuer in Spain, who shares her journey of establishing a charity focused on rescuing and caring for street cats. Jackie discusses the importance of the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, the challenges faced in cat rescue, and how the community can get involved. She emphasizes the need for education and support from local authorities, as well as the therapeutic benefits of working with animals. The conversation highlights the impact of natural disasters on rescue efforts and the ongoing need for volunteers and donations.
If you are feeling to volunteer and/or have room in your heart and home for a beautiful new furry member of the family; please contact Jackie and the dedicated team here:-
https://streetcats-rescue.org
To support and donate directly, please pledge here. All donations are hugely grateful
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZXH4WEBFTH7HJ
To follow and support on Social media, please fond Street Cats here.
https://www.instagram.com/streetcats.rescue.conil
https://www.facebook.com/streetcats.rescue.conil
With so much gratitude to Jackie and the wonderful Street Cats team.
Transcript
Hello, gorgeous.
Speaker A:And a warm welcome to Accepting.
Speaker A:I'm Aline, your host.
Speaker A:I'm a coach, a mentor, and a channel, and I love to see empaths, highly sensitive people, in all walks of life flourish.
Speaker A:And in this really special episode, with the beautiful incentive that is Podcast A Thon, I am speaking with the most wonderful person, Jackie Palmer, the founder of Street Cats Rescue you.
Speaker A:Podcast A Thon is an incentive where over a thousand podcast episodes are being launched together to raise awareness for really, really worthy causes.
Speaker A:And this is a cause really, really close to my heart.
Speaker A:So be inspired by the wonderful Jackie.
Speaker A:Grab yourself a cup of tea and let's dive in.
Speaker A:Welcome to Accepting, where I guide you to accept all aspects of your beautiful, embrace your truth, and live your life that way.
Speaker A:Hi, Jackie.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker A:I know you're very, very busy, so thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to be here.
Speaker B:Nice to.
Speaker B:Nice to meet you.
Speaker B:I'm happy to talk to you.
Speaker A:Oh, thank you.
Speaker A:I really wanted to speak to you and thank you for your time as well, because it's a cause that's really, really close to my heart.
Speaker A:It's the cats in Spain.
Speaker A:So what I'd really love to hear from you first is could you please tell a little bit about your story, how it all happened, why you decided to dedicate your life to cats, and how it all started.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, we moved to Spain 22 years ago.
Speaker B:I'd been a teacher for 24 years in the UK.
Speaker B:They wanted a change of lifestyle, really.
Speaker B: So we moved to Spain: Speaker B:We brought our cat with us, our old cat.
Speaker B:He was 18 at the time.
Speaker B:We've always been cat lovers.
Speaker B:We always had cats in the uk.
Speaker B:But when we came to Spain, I was quite horrified to see all the cats on the street and in the rubbish bins and soap.
Speaker B:I started feeding the cats by the beach initially.
Speaker B:Started off a couple of times a week just going down there, feeding them, and then it got to every day.
Speaker B:That's really where it all started.
Speaker B:That was about 16 years ago, really started.
Speaker B:We set up a fundraising group.
Speaker B:It was called Street Cats, Costa de LA Louise.
Speaker B:Okay, 16 years ago.
Speaker B:And together we started fundraising events, Markets and quiz nights, all sorts of events, music nights, barbecues, dinners to raise money, the castration.
Speaker B:So, yes, I was feeding the beach cats, and then someone got to know about me in Luxembourg, and they actually came over and helped me with raising money, and they gave me money to help with getting the cats sterilized and Setting up little enclosures here on land.
Speaker B:It was all very small to start with because people got to know that because the cats were being fed and looked after, so they started leaving their unwanted kittens there.
Speaker B:So then I started bringing them back to here.
Speaker B:And a lot of the kittens initially went to Luxembourg.
Speaker B:Some were home locally, but most of them would go to Luxembourg usually.
Speaker A:So how many cats or kittens would you receive in a week?
Speaker A:Say, once, Because I know how it works.
Speaker A:People find out about you and they think, oh, I know who'll help and leave them.
Speaker A:How many cats or kittens were you receiving every week?
Speaker B:Well, it's difficult to remember back that far, but I know there were lots, lots of kitten.
Speaker B:We'd find boxes of kittens left in the beach cats village.
Speaker B:And then I started feeding another colony of cats in the forest here, the forest cats, which is.
Speaker B:We're still, we're still looking after those cats.
Speaker B:I mean, I remember six years ago we had 60 kittens here during the summer.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker B:Last year we had 40.
Speaker B:But there's a limit to how many kittens we can actually take in.
Speaker B:Yeah, of course, it's a shame, but we do our best to take as many as possible.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I was looking at your website earlier and I know, I know you.
Speaker A:For those who don't know what TNR is, by the way, it's trap, neuter, return.
Speaker A:So what happens is it's really, really helping cats, isn't it?
Speaker A:It's, you know, I think it's the.
Speaker B:Most important thing we can be doing.
Speaker B:We do a big TNR program here.
Speaker B:Lots of people who help us because we're actually feeding and caring for lots of colonies now in this area.
Speaker A:How many colonies have you got now?
Speaker B:We have about six main colonies where they're than 50 cats, but we have a lot more, maybe 10, 15, 12 cats.
Speaker B:And we provide the food and all the medical attention for those cats.
Speaker B:We have lots of volunteers who feed them.
Speaker B:They're fed daily.
Speaker B:So we organize the food here.
Speaker B:People come here to my house to pick up the food and any cats which turn up which aren't sterilized, and we organize that straight away.
Speaker B:We have lots of traps.
Speaker B:We do our best so that all the cats in the colonies are all sterilized.
Speaker B:But still people leave kittens there.
Speaker B:This is mainly where we find the kittens because people know that they're cared for.
Speaker B:They know that we will take them away.
Speaker A:Sure, sure.
Speaker A:And I know, although it says on your website, please don't bring any cats and kittens People don't listen, do they?
Speaker B:Yeah, but the now is a big part of our work.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's the most important thing that we can be doing, really.
Speaker B:Because it's getting to the root.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:Is it true?
Speaker A:Is that every.
Speaker A:Is it every six weeks cats can get pregnant?
Speaker A:Is that right?
Speaker B:Every eight weeks.
Speaker A:Every eight weeks.
Speaker A:So every eight weeks cats can get pregnant?
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, I remember last year we found a mother with two.
Speaker B:Two kittens, and the kittens were only four weeks old.
Speaker B:A couple of weeks later, I took her to be sterilized and she was already pregnant.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:How many kittens?
Speaker B:Female, due to.
Speaker A:So, yeah, sorry, after you.
Speaker B:That's a really important part of.
Speaker B:And a big part of what we do here is a Tina as well as kitten rescue.
Speaker B:The kitten rescue is actually very time consuming.
Speaker B:Takes a lot of work because they all have to be vaccinated twice.
Speaker B:And then two rabies shots and the passports and the chips.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And you and your volunteers organize all of this as well.
Speaker A:So in terms of the trap, neuter, return, what this fundamentally does, and I know we're stating the bleeding obvious, is it stops an excess of cats and excess of kittens, because if you can imagine, every eight weeks and kittens can have.
Speaker A:What's the maximum that a mother can have, would you say, in a litter for cats?
Speaker B:Well, I've known a mother cat to have seven.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, generally they have four or five, but they can have to seven, even eight, I've heard.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:When we look at that, every eight weeks, every six to eight weeks, up to seven kittens.
Speaker A:It's crazy.
Speaker A:It's incredible.
Speaker B:The number of kittens can come from one mother.
Speaker B:The mother has, say, six kittens, and those six kittens are left in the colony and they're not neutered.
Speaker B:Then all the females, the following year will.
Speaker B:They could all have four or six kittens each, but, you know, you have an explosion of cats.
Speaker B:I mean, that was the whole point of starting the charity, was to reduce the number of cats in the area.
Speaker B:Reduces suffering.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:And you've.
Speaker A:I mean, for 16 years.
Speaker A:So you arrived 22 years ago and for 16 years you've dedicated your life to helping the cats.
Speaker A:That is amazing.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:And so.
Speaker A:And it's all through volunteering and donations as well, isn't it?
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And I don't.
Speaker B:Twelve years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, so initially it didn't affect me too much, but the last few years, the physical side is becoming harder.
Speaker B:So I need residential I have to have resident helpers here at our house to help me with the cleaning and the feeding.
Speaker B:I do as much as I can.
Speaker B:Still, still, very often.
Speaker B:Still sending cats to Germany.
Speaker A:That was my next question.
Speaker A:I mean, firstly, you're an absolute inspiration.
Speaker A:Even through Parkinson's, you continue your gorgeous work.
Speaker A:I mean, that's.
Speaker A:That's dedication.
Speaker A:That's really beautiful.
Speaker A:So thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you very, very much.
Speaker A:And one of the questions I was going to ask you as well, because there may be people watching this who are feeling they'd really like to help.
Speaker A:And obviously there's donations and if people in the area volunteers more.
Speaker A:What I would like to cover is if people really feel they would like to take on some fur babies that have not had a great start in life and have very luckily come into your hands and your volunteers hands.
Speaker A:How.
Speaker A:How do they get in touch and.
Speaker A:And where.
Speaker A:Where can they be?
Speaker A:Where can they go to?
Speaker A:Where can they start their new lives?
Speaker A:I know Germany, and you mentioned Luxembourg.
Speaker A:Is Luxembourg still an option or at the moment.
Speaker B:No, we can't.
Speaker B:We don't send Luxembourg very often these days because the contact we had here was a guy who used to work for Luxaire.
Speaker B:He used to buy all the fights.
Speaker B:So we did for several years send cats to Luxembourg.
Speaker B:The organization, they were called Perez and Lucia, they still help us every year at the beginning of winter.
Speaker B:They send donations of food and money every year to help us, which is really great.
Speaker B:It's a big help.
Speaker B:But now, about 12 years ago, I met a lady called Joanna Porsche.
Speaker B:She was asking who was feeding the beach cats, and she's been a great help to us.
Speaker B:She actually has a license.
Speaker B:She lives.
Speaker B:She lives in Meissen in Germany and she has a license to home cats for us.
Speaker A:So wonderful.
Speaker B:Sometimes adopted directly to new families in Germany, but sometimes they go to Joanna's home and she fosters them.
Speaker B:And then people can come and see the cats.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:And that was 12 years ago.
Speaker A:So for 12 years, they've been going to beautiful homes in Germany.
Speaker B:Always checked beforehand.
Speaker B:It's quite a rigorous process.
Speaker B:And they have prospective doctors have to fill out questionnaires.
Speaker B:We have to make sure that they're really good, responsible people.
Speaker B:They go to very good homes and then they send us photographs and keep in touch.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:From a personal point of view, because that's how I also know Joanna a few years ago, because we do what we can where I am as well.
Speaker A:Obviously, we're not a registered charity.
Speaker A:We do what we can.
Speaker A:And I got in touch with you and you very kindly said.
Speaker A:Because we had kittens that got rehomed, including the mother in Germany and they're all doing brilliantly.
Speaker A:So just wonderful.
Speaker A:Absolutely wonderful.
Speaker A:So if anybody is feeling they would like to help or donate or if anybody's in Germany.
Speaker A:Do you need people to help you with flights?
Speaker A:Do you need people to help you on day to day if, say they're on holiday in the area?
Speaker A:How can people help you?
Speaker B:We're always needing help here at the shelter because we've got 35 adult cats just living freely on our land here.
Speaker B:They have to be fed twice a day.
Speaker B:And some of them are getting quite old.
Speaker B:I mean, some few that were the first kittens that I rescued and they're now 16.
Speaker B:So they're getting some.
Speaker B:They have some health problems apart from the kitten side of things where the kittens are.
Speaker B:All kittens and cats which are waiting for adoption are in cat houses when they're very small, in cages.
Speaker B:These other 35 that need.
Speaker B:They still need a lot of care.
Speaker B:There's vet visits.
Speaker B:They're always needing help here.
Speaker B:Also help with the.
Speaker B:And also, yes, we call them flu partners or like a flight sponsor.
Speaker B:If people are traveling to Germany, they can contact us via the website or via Facebook page.
Speaker B:Street Cats Rescue.
Speaker A:Brilliant.
Speaker B:Via my Jackie Palmer.
Speaker B:If they're on holiday.
Speaker B:We do get that quite a lot in the summer, people offering to take cats, which is great because it's much faster.
Speaker B:Quicker than to travel by air than traveling by.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:Our, our fur babies who are now in the homes went by.
Speaker A:Well, went by van.
Speaker A:Obviously a very wonderful couple who, who had it all set up.
Speaker A:I think for their stress levels though, it's much easier if they're just on an airplane with somebody and it's.
Speaker A:It's so much, much quicker.
Speaker A:Much quicker.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely possible.
Speaker B:So people can offer to take a cat for us, it's a big help.
Speaker B:You know, they can take a cat in the cabin or sometimes they go in the hold.
Speaker B:They're always fine.
Speaker B:They're always fine.
Speaker B:When they arrive, they go in a big box and it's three hours to Germany.
Speaker B:And then usually the new families are waiting.
Speaker B:My husband many, many times flights to Germany taking cats.
Speaker B:But since the flights have become very expensive.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Yeah, you don't go so often.
Speaker B:We did go last year to.
Speaker B:We flew to Germany and we took three or four cats between us, but because we were going there from holiday anyway, but just to fly, just to take the cats.
Speaker B:Financially, it's not viable.
Speaker B:No holiday.
Speaker B:We're Traveling back the end of the holiday and they can offer to take a cat for us.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Ideal.
Speaker A:So if anybody's visiting Spain and they're going to Germany, perfect.
Speaker A:They can just add their tickets.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I was going to ask you as well because obviously you've mentioned Covid, so we know flight prices are astronomical.
Speaker A:Now, how did the, the floods, Dana, how did, did that affect you?
Speaker B:Yes, we had a big problem here with the floods.
Speaker B:I think it was back in October time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I came out one morning and was actually wading in water.
Speaker B:The cat houses were flooded.
Speaker B:It was.
Speaker B:Fortunately we didn't lose any cats, but we had a lot of damage and equipment was damaged.
Speaker B:But we put out a plea and Instagram and Facebook and website people were very generous.
Speaker B:We had lots of donations.
Speaker B:We were able to replace everything that was damaged, which.
Speaker A:And I mean, with the wear and tear, you constantly need donations, don't you?
Speaker A:It's not.
Speaker B:Beds and blankets and needing new equipment.
Speaker B:Some of the people who've adopted cats for us in Germany keep in touch and from time to time they send a parcel with food or blankets or.
Speaker A:Oh, how beautiful.
Speaker A:There's some very beautiful people in the world.
Speaker A:So the other thing I just wanted to speak to about as well, because I've had the pleasure of visiting when I was in the area and I came and I was with the kittens and I helped sweep the area and all that kind of thing.
Speaker A:So if somebody's on holiday and they'd like to come and volunteer, what would be expected of anybody who's going to come and volunteer if they can do for a day or two, what would be expected of them, please.
Speaker B:And either we ask people to help with feeding the colonies, but that's more long term.
Speaker A:Yeah, of course, yeah.
Speaker B:But if people come here, well, we start at harvest eight in the morning, feeding all the garden cats, as we call them, and they feed in various places.
Speaker B:They don't all feed in one place, you know, they've all their own territories.
Speaker B:And so from half past eight to normally about 12 o'clock, we're feeding, washing the dishes, feeding the kittens, cleaning litter trays, cleaning, sterilizing the cat houses.
Speaker B:So it's quite a lot of physical work, mopping, and sterilizing.
Speaker B:Hygiene is so important with the kittens.
Speaker B:It's really important.
Speaker B:So it's cleaning and feeding.
Speaker B:Normally it takes us about three hours in the morning and then an hour in the afternoon.
Speaker A:And do you have, do you have any volunteers who are able to stay anywhere on your premises?
Speaker A:Who can come and stay with you.
Speaker B:We have a little cabin in our garden that has its own kitchen and an adjacent bathroom, which takes two volunteers and usually volunteers, we find them through workaway.
Speaker B:Yeah, just been very good, very helpful.
Speaker B:So I need new people.
Speaker B:I mean, some people stay here several months, one month, because it takes a week to get to know where everything is and then to know the cats and the routine.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:So if anybody's listening and feeling inspired, then they can get in touch with you and if they wanted to be here for a month or more and help, then they can do that and they've got a place to stay and be on hand for everything.
Speaker A:Wonderful.
Speaker A:It's incredible what you've created.
Speaker A:Absolutely incredible.
Speaker A:And I'm trying to work this out so.
Speaker A:Well, there's no way we can do the mathematics.
Speaker A:So for 16 years with the trap news return and then all of the adoptions as well, that's probably in the thousands, if not in the millions, isn't it?
Speaker A:With all the.
Speaker A:All the cats.
Speaker B:People often ask, ask me, how many kittens do you think you've rescued?
Speaker B:I don't really know.
Speaker B:No, but in some years it's been lots and lots.
Speaker B:I mean, every year there's always lots of kittens to rescue.
Speaker B:It just depends how many we can take, how much help, what space we have.
Speaker B:Yeah, we often bring people on holiday, especially German.
Speaker B:German people, because it's very popular, this area with Germans.
Speaker B:We're In El Colorado, seven kilometers from Cornell.
Speaker B:Got a 5,000 square meters of land here, very close to El Colorado, where we have.
Speaker B:We have two.
Speaker B:A colony of cats in El Colorado, One in the forest, Roche, another one between Cornell and El Colorado, and the main one, the beach cats of Cornille, which has become quite famous with tourists.
Speaker A:Now, I was just about to say, for those of you who don't know, Cornille Conil is called Conil de la Frontera and it's in Andalucia in the south of Spain.
Speaker A:And it's very.
Speaker A:It's a really beautiful area.
Speaker A:It's protected, isn't it?
Speaker A:There's Gordon, it's called the Costa de la Luz and there's beautiful golden sand beaches.
Speaker A:So as well as volunteering, you've also got this beautiful beach around you as well.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:They love that.
Speaker B:In the summertime they provide bicycles and they go to work in the morning.
Speaker A:Fabulous.
Speaker B:It's quite a nice little working holiday.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's exactly what I was just about to say.
Speaker A:What gorgeous working holiday for people who love cats, obviously be with cats and Relax at the beach and then be with cats.
Speaker A:And then relax at the beach and be with cats and relax at the beach.
Speaker A:Gorgeous.
Speaker A:So is there anything you would say to anybody?
Speaker A:Just want to go to the trap new to return again?
Speaker A:Because it's not just in Spain, is it?
Speaker A:It's worldwide and the podcast is going out worldwide.
Speaker A:So would you have a message to people in terms of trap new to return?
Speaker B:Well, as I say, it's probably the most important thing that we can do to help reduce the number of unwanted kittens in the world.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And if anybody said, oh, well, where I live there's lots and lots of cats and I don't know where to start, I don't know how to get any help, what would you suggest that they do?
Speaker B:Well, you have to obviously contact your local vet and see if they will give you a reduced price because it is expensive and that's one of the things that prevents people in this area from having their cats sterilised.
Speaker B:I think it's partly a cultural thing, but it's also financial.
Speaker B:So we're very lucky that we have vets in the area who give us a greatly reduced price.
Speaker B:So that.
Speaker B:That helps a lot.
Speaker B:So, yeah, you contact your vet, say what you want to want to do.
Speaker B:You need to buy some cat boxes and a trap.
Speaker B:I mean, when I started, first of all, trapping here, traps weren't available.
Speaker B:I had to have one sent over from England.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:Because it's very expensive.
Speaker B:Then the traps are needed because not all the cats are sociable, so some of them quite difficult to trap.
Speaker B:So we use the cat traps and take them to the vets.
Speaker B:The females all stay overnight to recover.
Speaker B:I think that's really contacting the vet, buying a trap, buying a few cat boxes and asking people to help.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's the help, isn't it?
Speaker A:It's getting people involved.
Speaker A:Yeah, it is.
Speaker B:We're very fortunate now that we have got a good network of people here who help us throughout the year.
Speaker B:We are always needing extra paper.
Speaker A:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker A:Because as much.
Speaker A:No, no, no.
Speaker A:After you, please.
Speaker B:The other thing that we've just started doing now is going into the schools.
Speaker B:I don't personally do that, but we have a Spanish mobile vet who's very good.
Speaker B:She comes to the house and she gives a very good rate, good reduction.
Speaker B:And with Claudia, who.
Speaker B:Claudia works is my.
Speaker B:We work together with street cats.
Speaker B:She does a lot on the website and things that I'm not.
Speaker B:I prefer to be hands on here with the cats running the shelter.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker B:Claudia affiliated with the town hall does all the things that I'm not so good at, and she does a really good job there and she organizes the tnr.
Speaker B:So that's.
Speaker A:I was going to say, there's everything that you're good at in terms of.
Speaker B:Schools now with the vet to try to educate the children to respect animals, Because I think that's where we've got to start.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker B:The TNR is education, educating.
Speaker B:People say that it's okay to have your cats sterilized.
Speaker B:They can still have a very happy, fulfilled life.
Speaker B:So I think a lot of people don't understand that.
Speaker B:They think if they're sterilized that they don't have a happy life.
Speaker B:But we see it time and time again.
Speaker B:Once the cats have been sterilized, they become healthier.
Speaker B:They don't get diseases, they don't fight, they're settled.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:And how.
Speaker A:So that's wonderful.
Speaker A:By the way, I love that the super vet is going to the schools and that Claudia is arranging all.
Speaker A: s it when you applied for, in: Speaker A:Because you've mentioned already about the culture in Spain.
Speaker A:I mean, it's changing.
Speaker A:It's very much changing where I am now when I go to the vets and I'm taking some of the cats that need a bit of help.
Speaker A:Oftentimes there's people coming in and they're Spanish and they've got their own little associations looking after the cats as well.
Speaker A:So it really is changing.
Speaker B:Very much so.
Speaker B:Also, a big thing is that we now have the support of the local council and even from local government.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Whereas initially, 16 years ago, when I started this work, they were totally against us.
Speaker B:I used to go to the town hall begging for help.
Speaker B:There was nothing.
Speaker B:But now it's been a very long, slow process.
Speaker B:But now we have gradually, the support of the local town council.
Speaker B:Still not enough.
Speaker B:We still need more, but it's a start.
Speaker B:At least it's all legal now and the colonies are protected.
Speaker B:Whereas that was quite different when I first started.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:Well, that's what I was going to ask you about, because it's so interesting when you say, oh, yes, 16 years.
Speaker A:I mean, that's 16 years of really, really hard, dedicated work.
Speaker A:And as you said, you didn't have the support from the local council, the Ayuntamiento, to start with.
Speaker A:And look what you've achieved.
Speaker A:Do you ever sit back?
Speaker A:I suppose you don't have any time.
Speaker A:I would just like to acknowledge you and say thank you very much for all you've achieved, because from your arrival, you've inspired so many.
Speaker A:You've created this beautiful incentive.
Speaker A:And you say, you know, you only like to be at the, you know, at the moment, at the home and be hands on there.
Speaker A:Your voice is everywhere.
Speaker A:Your voice is going to the schools with the super vet.
Speaker A:Your voice is with Claudia as she's organizing the tnr.
Speaker A:And it's absolutely phenomenal what you've achieved.
Speaker A:So thank you very, very much.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:Satisfaction.
Speaker A:Must love cats.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's absolutely wonderful.
Speaker A:So are there any other words of wisdom that you would like to finish on?
Speaker A:Because I know you have a lot to do.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:I mean, I think the main thing to say to people if you care about cats, is get.
Speaker B:Have your cat, have your cat neutered.
Speaker B:That's the most important thing.
Speaker B:Don't ever abandon them.
Speaker B:Don't ever abandon.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And if.
Speaker A:And would you say if somebody finds an abandoned cat and they're not able to pick them up or help they contact the vet or they contact somebody to come in and help, Would you suggest that?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Don't just leave them, because cats are amazing.
Speaker A:I'm a complete crazy cat lady.
Speaker A:Anyway, cats are incredible.
Speaker A:They teach us so much.
Speaker A:We can learn so much from them as well, can't we?
Speaker B:I find it's a lot of the volunteers who come here, they say it's a kind of therapy, looking after the cats.
Speaker B:And I would totally agree with that.
Speaker B:I've worked hard, I've been first to admit that, but I also gained a lot.
Speaker B:It's been a labor of love and it's very therapeutic.
Speaker B:Sometimes you wake up in the morning and don't feel that great, but once you out in the fresh air and the cats are all there welcoming you, waiting to be fed, it kind of lifts your spirits.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:The unconditional love.
Speaker A:Gorgeous.
Speaker A:Because so many people say, oh, yes, dogs just have the unconditional love.
Speaker A:Nope.
Speaker A:When you treat a cat how a trap.
Speaker A:When you treat a cat how a cat deserves to be treated.
Speaker A:Well, you know, I mean, I only.
Speaker B:Got to walk out into the garden and sit down somewhere.
Speaker B:Within minutes, I have all the cats.
Speaker A:Yeah, we're all looking.
Speaker B:Love and affection.
Speaker A:Gorgeous.
Speaker A:I'm surprised my fur baby hasn't come on my lap.
Speaker A:Actually, she's 16, bless her.
Speaker A:And she normally will come and sit.
Speaker A:She was hovering around earlier.
Speaker A:She might have gone to sleep, though.
Speaker A:I can still feel her energy.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:That's lovely.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I've got one here of 16, one of the first ones I rescued from the beach cats and whenever I sit down, she's on my lap.
Speaker B:But we put the cats out of the Because I know they'd be all over.
Speaker B:They'd be all around here.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'd be very interested in what's going on.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So thank you so much, Jackie.
Speaker A:This is going out to many, many people and I really hope that people get in touch with you.
Speaker A:Volunteer, donate all of the information will be shared.
Speaker A:And thank you so much for sharing your story and your incredible inspiration.
Speaker A:You're amazing.
Speaker A:Absolutely amazing.
Speaker B:You're welcome.
Speaker B:Thank you very much, Elaine, for talking to me.
Speaker A:Oh my absolute pleasure.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of Accepting.
Speaker A:Please do stay tuned for future episodes and also subscribe wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker A:If there's anything at all that you'd like me to cover in future episodes, please get in touch and let me know.
Speaker A:You can also follow me on Instagram at the Acceptance Coach and on TikTok at SolutionUnion99.
Speaker A:And if you'd like to have any coaching at all or you would like to discuss this, do book an expansion call for now.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Aline and to your self acceptance, gorgeous with so much love, Sa.
