News & Events

News and Events Page

Please click above to use CAF Donate, our preferred method of donation, where you can also add gift-aid

If you would like to donate directly via either of Twinkle's bank accounts then the details can be found at the bottom of this page, please let us know by sending us an email.

Only last week after the volunteers that were catching in Fuerte had a really bad day we received the Charity awards pack through the post.

With the amount of time and effort that Jenny puts into making sure Twinkle helps as many of the cats in need possible it would be great if she was nominated.

You can click on the link below, fill in the required details making sure you use Twinkles full title and nominate any one. this is completely free.

Petplan awards

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Further to the earlier post below,

Star and Titch (sister and brother).
What a difference a bit of loving care has made to these 2 babies that we found hiding in the corner next to the rubbish bins. Their eyes were sealed shut with muck but somehow they’d stumbled and waddled to where we found them. Only about 3 1/2 weeks old, but doing really well now they’ve been treated against parasites and had some antibiotics. Their foster mum has her hands full with a few of rescues right now. When they are on solid food and old enough we would really love to give these two cuties a home they should’ve always had. Please contact us if you can help with fostering or in time a loving home.

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Our 2019 calendars have been sent to print, we are looking forward to receiving them soon.

Once we do receive them we will let you all know.

They will be priced as last year at £10 or €10 inc P&P to the uk, to most other areas or Europe the price will be £13 0r €13.

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For those of you that contacted us here is the little family of mum and her 2 kittens from the golf course.

I’m sure they will all look and feel better in the coming days and weeks now they’ve all been seen by the vet. Because we can’t take in anymore cats or kittens we had to release them back to where they came from after treatment etc. But they do have a nice lady that will feed them and provide water

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After trying and failing to catch this poor cat on Tuesday, he was trapped and taken immediately to the vets yesterday, thanks to the help of volunteer Judy and the compassionate holiday makers who’s garden this poor cat was going in to. We could see he was clearly in a very bad way and had something hanging down from under his tail but we were shocked to see it was a prolapse which he’d clearly been suffering from for sometime as the end of it had turned black and was rotten. So weak, in pain and sick. The only kind thing we could do was to have him put to sleep.

So sorry little man, but your long suffering is now over

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Here is one of the little kittens that we rescued recently during the night of trapping. As you can see she is so tiny she fits into the pocket of our T-shirts. She is so sweet loves her cuddles

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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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We are currently 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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Last night (sunday 7th) while catching cats for neutering in a remote beach village we found 2 baby kittens huddled up in a corner at the bins where we were trapping. They are only about 5-6 weeks old. They were unable to see because their eyes were crusted over with gunk, they were crying and starving.

This video was of an emergency feed in the back of the car after a rapid eye wash.

Please can anyone help and foster them, all food, litter ( they are using the litter tray ) medication costs will be covered by Twinkle

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

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Miella had to say goodbye to her baby Marmite this week, so now we really need to find her a purr-fect home.

She is really sweet, loves cuddles and follows us everywhere. She can be homed alone or with other cats as long as they are not timid and will hiss at her if she tries it on or else she thinks she can boss them about but she is not a fighter, more of a chaser.

She has done a great job raising her little boy after giving birth to him in such an awful place, she really is a sweetheart and would make someone a wonderful companion and family addition.

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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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I am so pleased to let you all know my special little baby Marmite, that I had to bottle feed when his poor mum couldn’t produce any milk, is going to a great new home on Tuesday to join another of our rescues Kizme and his other new feline siblings.

I’m so pleased for Marmite he deserves a home, I know he will bring lots of fun and entertainment to his new mum and dad. He such a cute loving little boy, always wanting to play and interested in absolutely everything, he’s always chasing leaves blowing around the garden or running about to see who he can play with next. I’m going to miss Marmite but I know he will be so much happier curled up on a sofa and getting more cuddles than I can give him

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Recently we were asked to help a cat that had a severe case of gingivitis. So 2 weeks ago we had him treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory, so that he was better to deal with any dental work needed and the risk of infection from his bad mouth was minimised.“Tiny” as he is affectionately called by his feeder needed a lot of dental work including cleaning and two teeth removed. Of course we also treated him against fleas and worms. He’s eating well now and for sure feeling a lot better than before.

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Little Finley ( whilst with us he was named Angelo) is doing really well in his fantastic new home.

His new mum and dad are great, giving all the cuddles he could wish for and making sure he’s got toys to play with and of course his new siblings are starting to make friends with him too.

It’s his first day sleeping on the bed with Eddie & Nutmeg, he's becoming such a brave little boy.

This sweet little boy has come along way from the side of the road where we picked him up having had skin cancer of his ears. His dreams have literally come true

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Little update on Olivia who came to us with a tilted head.

We are very relieved and pleased that a very nice Spanish lady has offered to foster Olivia until we can find her a home.

Olivia is currently on medication for diarrhoea and still on antibiotics for her ear. Her diarrhoea has improved a lot since she has come to us but at the moment she’s still on special food and medication for this.

Her head tilt doesn’t seem to have improved but she is not letting it bother her.

This may be something she has to live with the rest of her life, but as long as we are sure it’s not being caused by any infection or parasite we know she will be okay.

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UPDATE

Sadly Izzy has returned to us, she is just to boisterous for the other cat to cope with, so we are looking for another home for her, if you could help please get in touch.

Great news, Izzy our sweet little girl that we took in from Villaverde went to a wonderful home yesterday. She has already started making friends with her new 4 pawed family and enjoying snugs and cuddles from her mum and dad.

We’re so pleased for Izzy, all she wanted was a loving home and cuddles and her new mum and dad couldn’t be happier

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It is just over a month now till Ryan Christie competes inthe 1/2 marathon through the dunes of Corralejo, this is another punishing fundraising event for Ryan, which we at Twinkle all really appreciate.

To increase the amount raised Gill has organised another of her popular online raffles.

To take a look and to enter please follow the link below

Ryan's fundraising page

Some of the prizes are shown below, and please remember ALL proceeds go towards helping the cats

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Mum & Dad have now been neutered and once old enough we will get the kittens done as well.

Thank you to everyone that donated to make this happen

We would love to get this little family of mum, dad, daughter and son neutered.

They all live in a garden of a home which is currently occupied by some very nice people but sadly they leave at the end of this month. We’d love to get them all neutered before then, before they have to go off in search of food and shelter, but our funds are extremely low. If you can help with a donation, big or small please go to our donate buttons on our Facebook page or website.

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Some of our friends will recognise these two twinkle cats, Puzzles and Silver.

Sadly silver “the legend” had to be put to sleep recently because the tumour on his head progressed into a deep hole and was starting to spread internally through his nose. He was such a funny boy and used to try and attack anyone entering the gate, but he certainly had mellowed over the last couple of years.

Puzzels who had taken over from Honey in the role of mummy cat to our more nervous rescued cats rapidly went down hill after having a stroke. When we took Puzzels on many years ago we knew she had neurological problems, but she was always happy and gentle natured when anyone needed reassurance. This was lovely to see considering when she came to us with 4 baby kittens she was very wild, she grew into a very sweet lady.

We lost them both in the same week, this is always something we find very difficult, despite the fact we have so many cats, they all leave mark on your heart.

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Massive thanks to Alan one of our fantastic cat cafe volunteers for giving this Twinkle cafe a fresh coat of paint inside and out.

It looks great (but we think it’s about time we replaced the old chair inside though)

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We’re so happy for this little boy, we were kindly contacted by holidaymakers at one of the hotels where we have a Twinkle Cat cafe, the guests were letting us know this new arrivals needed neutering and flea & worm treatment. After we caught him, which was really easy as he’s so friendly and was busy playing with the other cats tails in the hotel garden, we had him booked into the vet to get him sorted and a friend of Twinkle found him a wonderful new home, so now he has a new big Bruv and a lovely new home. Happy days

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Meet Odin, he is looking for a forever home. He is a really great personality, very good with dogs,cats and pigs, yes pet pigs, He was diagnosed as positive for leukaemia but has not developed the disease and is completely healthy and nice and chubby. He doesn’t like human food so will be no trouble trying to eat off your plate, is very cuddly and a great character, he is about two years old now.

The only reason he hasn’t found a permanent home yet is because he is positive,and everyone we know already has cats. We are not expecting him to need veterinary treatment as he is one of the healthiest looking fellows you will meet he just needs a loving home-forever.

He is sterilised and microchipped . He’s had regular visits at the vets and they are astounded at how healthy he is.

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We were asked to help this poor chap in a village not far from us. Thanks to the help of a very kind lady, after several days and several attempts she finally managed to gain his trust enough to get a basket over him, he would not go near a trap. He was very weak but would not let us touch him, after he was caught and taken immediately to the vets he had to be sedated to be examined properly, it was then the vet realised his problem. He had a very large tumour in his mouth and throat. The tumour was so large it would’ve made eating and breathing very difficult. Apart from being told he looked sick, we had been told he was coughing a lot in the garden where we got him from. It’s just a shame we could not help him sooner. The only kind thing we could do was to put him to sleep while he was still sedated.

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November the 3rd Ryan Christie is competing in the 1/2 marathon held in the dunes of Corralejo, this is no mean feat for someone coming from Scotland where the temperature is different, but Ryan is so commited to help Twinkle raise money to help the cats of Fuerteventura he will push himself to new levels.

Please consider sponsoring Ryan, even for just a few pounds, it reall will make his efforts all the more worthwhile and of course help so many of thecats on the island.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/RyanChristie

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UPDATE

Bambie walking and doing much better. We arranged for Bambie to be taken to Bichos vets to review her X-rays and to be seen by Javier for a clinical examination. I’m doubly pleased to say that Bambie has improved a lot in the last week, and is also going to permanently live and be adopted by Lynne and her family. Lynne has done a great job looking after Bambie in the crucial days since finding Bambie. Undoubtedly Bambie would’ve died without help.

She will need further confined care, medication and checkups and must be spayed to prevent her getting pregnant which would be lethal but everything looks very positive. We wish Bambie a happy and healthy future.

Last Tuesday we were asked if we could help this tiny little girl found in the golf course in Caleta. Unable to use her back legs and all alone she needed urgent help. I was dealing with another cat situation further up the island so the kind lady that found her managed to put kitty in a box and get her to the local vet in Caleta.

Bambie as she’s been named by Lynne who found her, is looking after her until we can find out exactly what can be done. X-rays revealed her pubic bone is badly broken, the jagged edge of one of the breaks is dangerously close to her bladder, if it penetrates her bladder the concern is it could be instantly lethal.

So far she has been on lots of antibiotics and painkillers and confined to a bathroom for rest so she cannot cause any more damage. She is having trouble with her mobility. We have asked another vet with traumatic injury experience to take a look at her x-rays to see if her injuries are fixable or life-threatening.

For sure if she had been left and survived (which is unlikely) to maturity, giving birth would have been impossible. The next few days and prognosis will be very crucial for this little girl.

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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