MARTIN CLUNES ON THE ISLE OF MAN

[Janeyk]

and the owner of the local sanctuary has upset a few people too

I appreciate sanctuarys are necessary but there is more to  rescue  than just keep taking in.

Definitely!

[Ela]

and the owner of the local sanctuary has upset a few people too

She certainly upset me when I saw the condition of some of the cats when I went there and could see by the TV programme that things do not appear to have changed.  I appreciate sanctuarys are necessary but there is more to  rescue  than just keep taking in.

[Yvonne]

Oh dear - Martin has taken quite a battering on our local forum

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/your-shout/Martin-Clunes.5233062.jp

Harsh words from many and the owner of the local sanctuary has upset a few people too

[Ela]

I believe that very few are rehomed which I think is rather odd because I am sure that some could be homed.

My cousin who lived on the Island adopted two young cats from there and to be honest not in the best of health, he spent a fortune at the vets and I think one had leukaemia.  I also know it can be  very difficult to adopt from there even if you can offer a purrfect home. Some cats are not allowed to be homed but I feel I know the reason, but can't put on here.

It is a known fact that some Manx cats  have 'botty problems'  but I feel  that it was made to sound much worse.

[Bazsmum]

I saw it too....I dont have knowledge of the Manx cat so I believed what was said as it did sound plausible! 

Glad to hear that its a load of tosh....but then again think of all the peeps who will now think they have something to do with spina bifida! (SP?)

[Yvonne]

Yes I saw it.

I do have a lot of admiration for the lady in question who runs the sanctuary as a one man band, there are a couple of volunteers at the weekend but most of the time she is by herself.  Not sure about the numbers being looked after but there are usually 100 plus.

I am not sure about the policy on homing of which there is no policy.  The cats are kept until the end of their days, I believe that very few are rehomed which I think is rather odd because I am sure that some could be homed.  There is a book available where a cat can be sponsored but I believe they are very rarely homed.

Not happy at all about her comments on the Manx, now I know that her view differs from mine here.   Martin Clunes was left with the idea that the Manx is more of a disease than a breed - how ridiculous.

[Ela]

Did anyone else see the programme last night where he was in the Isle of Man?  In one part he was stood on the ground and the camera was just showing just the ground (grey pebbled stuff) and no surrounding area.  I said to Stuart that is that Cat Sanctuary we went to. (in 2000). Then  Martin  said where he was and yes, that is exactly where he was. I thought to myself well I hope it is better than when I went. Cats in a terrible state all wondering around mixing, cat flu, terrible bums, (many Manx cats do have a problem in this area) and some cats with the most matted coats I have ever seen. When I was there I was told that Cats Protection invited them to all their meetings in the UK and they work hand in glove with CP also there were many CP leaflets available for visitors. I found out later this was not true. After my visit I wrote to them and said how horrified I was at the state of some of the cats, that most of cats were allowed to mix and also the fact that visitors were walking on some of the deposits left by the Manx cats, You could not miss it as it was all over, Outside were numerous cats and at that was at that time (don’t know if it is changed) all that separated the cats from a road that goes from Douglas the Islands capital to the Islands airport at Castleton that was once the Islands capital was a 5 bar gate. Well obviously nothing has changed. Although I only saw 3 or 4 cats (outside and in a small area that was shown) Martin was holding one sweet little one who look fine, I notice one that looked, Oh! I can’t put my finger on it bit not well cared for and another that was terribly  matted Now that is from a distance on a TV screen so how bad they are in real life is even a bigger worry to me. I appreciate we need rescues but I feel that when we tae little one in we must give them all the care and attention that is necessary and that includes a de-matt. It did at one time show loads of cats in an inside room, there was so many in there that I think I was too shocked to take note of their condition.

I appreciate we need rescues but I feel that when we take little one in we must give them all the care and attention that is necessary and that includes a de-matt and certainly not mix cats especially when they have health issues.