News & Events

News and Events Page

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With a heavy heart we must pass on the sad news that sweet elderly rescue cat Millie is no longer with us.

All we knew about Millie was that she was spayed and 17 years of age. We believe she had been living on the streets since her owner died 2 years ago.

For a cat in her autumn years and very underweight we all hoped she may just be suffering from a thyroid problem and in need of gentle TLC but sadly on Saturday we noticed she was in discomfort when her abdominal area was touched when cuddling her.

Further test’s were carried out which revealed her kidneys were damaged and along with what we had hoped to be other conditions that we could ease with medication it was not meant to be.

Despite only knowing Millie for a short time she melted our hearts.

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Izzy finally now in her forever home.

She has had so many foster homes, all of them loved her but couldn’t foster her for longer.

I’m so,so grateful to everyone that did foster Izzy until she was ready for her forever home.

Her new big sister is 3 year old Anna and I have a feeling they will be great friends. Thank you do those that donated to help us get Izzy to England and make all our dreams come true.

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We need help to catch, transport, neuter many cats and kittens. From as far at the zoo in the south to Parc Hollandes towards the north of Fuerteventura. Plus we need help to pay for all the neutering and parasitic treatment.

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A few more snaps from the Cats And Kittens that we’ve caught the past couple of days for treatment or neutering. At 5 AM this morning and right now it’s decided to rain, not much help when you’re trying to catch a release, and we hate releasing in the rain so let’s hope it doesn’t stay wet.

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Recent catching/neutering and releasing cats with the help of some wonderful volunteers, including Catherine & Suza,

We have very little money and are desperate for help to pay our vet bills. The sensible thing would have been to raise the money first for neutering but these cats are breeding all the time and there are so many young kittens being born.

Please share/donate whatever you can, we need all the help we can get.

Catherine taking a caught cat to her car ready to be taken to the vets

Cats in their cages either waiting to travel to or from vets, each cat is fed & watered whilst with us

The cats usually just sit and watch us during their stay, waiting and wondering whats going on

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Marmite and new brother Shadow (was Kizme),chilling out on the bed with dad Steve

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Update

This week with the the help of 2 great volunteer trapper‘s we are going to try and catch, neuter and release a number of cats that we’ve been asked to help. Funding and foster homes will be needed. If you can help with a donation it would make the world of difference, this can be done online via our website and Facebook page.

If you live in Fuerteventura and could offer a foster home to a sick or injured cat or kitten that would be wonderful. Twinkle would cover all expenses. Please whatsapp 659 598 719, or PM Jenny via Facebook for more info Please note we already have a very big list of cats that we need to help.

Recently I was asked to help with this sick little kitten, when I arrived it jumped up and promptly ran into a big drain pipe. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to go back, but a friend and volunteer is coming out from the UK soon and we will hopefully catch the mum and the two kittens and get them treated.

The kittens are on solid food so if possible we will sterilise the mum. If anyone in Fuerteventura is looking to adopt a cat or a kitten ( home-checks and adoption contracts apply) or maybe help with the fostering long term (expenses will be covered by Twinkle) please send me a private message. We currently cannot take in ANY new cats or kittens.

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update

Here is a little update video on Milly, Toffee, caramela and Willow (hiding), They are now very relaxed out and about in their new garden, and not a bit bothered about the rescue dog family, and have even taken over the dogs house.

What can we say but THANK YOU EVERYONE.

On Monday with the help of two very strong men we went and dismantled the shed, then transported it to where it needed to go and then not only put it back together but reinforced it and modified it so there is now a cat flap, a shelf inside and the glass windows were removed and fitted with mesh and galvanised metal to ensure its escape proof but well ventilated.

It took from 9am until 7.30pm from start to finish to complete the “mission” on Monday and the guys worked really hard and the results are fantastic .

The shed was very kindly donated by Julie Elliott and is pur-fect to house the lucky five cats as they adjust to their new surroundings.

In all it only cost twinkle €120 including materials, labour and petrol, so we have a bit left from your donations. This money will be put towards the vet bill at Bichos vet clinic.

On Tuesday we took Willow, Harry, Toffee, Milly & Caramela to their new home and their new mum is settling them in & now finally they can begin their new happy ever after.

Thank you all so very much for making this possible. Without Julie and the shed, their new mum, 2 strong men and our supporters it wouldn’t have happened. Very grateful & proud of what your kindness and teamwork can do

From This

To this

Looking forward to exploring

Enjoying the new view

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Is this really a house?, a home?, you might ask ! Yes it really is for 1 poor unwell man and his many cats.

We were asked to help some cats 2 months ago in a non tourist area. Directions were very vague but we went, unfortunately we couldn’t find the “house” or the cats we were told of. Unable to get any more information we had to give up.... but the story of 20 starving, unneutered cats kept playing on our mind. When friends/volunteers Catherine and Suza offered to help catch some cats for neutering last week, I gave them them what little details I had. With Catherine’s “never give up attitude” and Suza’s brilliant help & local knowledge, plus long phone calls in Spanish in the dark whilst bouncing down dirt tracks to nowhere, they saw an old ruin way off in the distance close to an unused beach, far from civilisation, electricity, water and any sign of life. By now it was almost dark as they reached the run down house. Still on the phone to the person that originally told us about the situation, they were told to call out to the occupant, out of the darkness a frail man appeared and after explaining we were asked to help his cats he let us inside.I say inside but there is no roof to speak of just torn and weathered tarpaulin and a front wall with a padlocked door. Inside were 9 live cats, 2 live kittens with inches of bird droppings covering the floor and everything else and rubbish everywhere, they found dead kittens and other decomposed matter that could not be identified. By now it was completely dark, stepping anywhere or moving things out of the way to search was lethal. But by 1.30am they had caught all but 2 of the cats, 1 being a mum with crying kittens in a difficult get to corner and a clever ginger that took off.

After a brief pause and stepping outside to catch their breath they went back in ( having to use their phones as touches) and managed to trap the mother and then went diving into goodness only knows what, to reach in and get the 2 live kittens. With the ginger cat nowhere to be seen, they promised the man they would return the next day during day light, to try and catch the last ginger cat.

Once Catherine and Suza had managed to navigate out of the middle of nowhere through the darkness they made it back to Twinkle's facility where we immediately set about assessing and feeding the cats and settling mum and her 2 new born kittens still with their umbilical cords attached into a foster cage. I’ve never seen such a more relived and happy mummy Cat, when we put her in her nice clean bed with her babies she snuggled up to them and instantly started purring and padding away at the soft donut shaped bed and set about giving her kitts a wash. Story continues below

Please Click Here To Read Catherine's Short Responce

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These are the photos of the cats and kittens we rescued from the ruined house. 8 adults are still with Twinkle until we can find new homes.

Although they all had to be trapped,all but one is very sweet and friendly, they just weren’t used to seeing anyone other than their poor dad. Unfortunately the white cat had a huge internal head tumour, she was so friendly but any bright light caused her pain so we made sure her last night was clean and cosy, she could only eat liquid food so we mixed up some pain medication into Mercadona liquid cat food with mashed up chicken, which she loved, I think she had the best nights sleep in a long time.

Two of the females had obviously had kittens recently but because the kittens had not survived they had developed mastitis we’ve got them on medication and already they are looking and feeling more comfortable and in less pain.

The friend of the sick owner that initially asked us for help is trying to convince the man to accept professional personal help from the church and local authorities so he can be moved to a special needs home where he can receive professional medical and mental health treatment.

He is a good man at heart, that just can’t care for the cats or his frail self.

Please Click Here To Read Catherine's Short Responce