NANNA Newsletter
August 2010
Well what a summer we have had at NANNA’s this year and it is not over yet! We have been fund-raising all over the county and we are still fund-raising all over the county.
We will be at the Balloon Festival at Billing, Earls Barton Country Show, Lt Harrowden Weekend Fete, and Great Oakley Fete to mention just some.
Possibly the most important event this year was the move from the Alderman’s back garden to Higglety Pigglety Farm. The Alderman’s started NANNA in their garden about 7 years ago, and over this time it grew and took over the garden. Any of you who had been there knew that it was a brilliant hive of animals, but it was also getting crowded and, even though they had the 6 acres, there was not the support from other trustees to move the animals down there.
New Ferrets Pens
Some of the new rabbit runs
Even Petrina felt like it was the end of an era when the first set of animals were moved down to the farm - the most heartbreaking for her was when Oswina the pet goose was moved down with her new family of goslings to a large new area containing a pond.
Petrina said “Now that 80% of the move has happened - we just need the last of the cats moving down - it has been the best decision and I truly wish we had done it sooner, but without full trustee backing it could not happen” She went on to say “It was really funny in March taking down the new Trustees and sharing our dream with them, with mud up to our knees and chickens nicking the do-nuts we were eating, but they must have saw something other than mad Aldermans’ in wellies and waterproofs and for that I cannot thank them enough!”
Our first Open Weekend was on the 19th & 20th June 2010, we had a few of the animals
down there and it was really exciting but with so much ahead of us it was also very daunting. Two months on we have kennels being built, doubled our cat pens, new chicken houses and a half built cat house and so much more and a lot of this has been achieved thanks to a group of lads from BTCV, without their commitment each week we would still have so much to do.
So much has been achieved that we thought we would have our SECOND OPEN WEEKEND on the 14th & 15th August 2010, 11-4 both days, to share with you what
we have done and will be doing doing over the next few months. So why not come along and see for yourself just what can be achieved if you have a dream.
Without moving to Higglety Pigglety Farm, Honey would not have come into NANNA and could still be looking for her new start!
So far in the two months of being here we have assisted over 12 dogs and that is without our kennels being up and running fully!
We have over 100 rabbits all looking for new homes and over 60 cats also looking for a new start to come their way.
So what have we got planned for the rest of the year?
This is the new cat room, where we will be housing the older cats. Our older cats always went to one of our retired trustees but, since she has moved onto taking in young cats and kittens, and NANNA feels that old and young should not be mixed, due to cross contamination, we thought it would be nice for the older cats to have more of a home from home environment until new homes can be found for them.
Older cats having a chance means so much to NANNA and just because our old timers foster home is no longer ideal for them, we will not turn them away, but will continue to fight for and take in as many older cats as we can, but we need to find the right place for them. The idea is to turn this area into a room for them, with sofas, carpets, climbing frames and a huge outdoor run. With music being played too and a dedicated team just to be with them, this way if they don’t find new homes they will have a home for life and want for nothing.
What do we need? Tinned cat food, any brand but it needs to be tinned, we feed only Royal Canin Dry Cat food which helps all the cats in our care by giving them a good new start in their life. We get so much dog food but very little tinned cat food. Bedding is another important item we need, but please remember that we are all volunteers and we cannot always find the time to come to your to get it, we really need people to bring the stuff to us where at all possible.
The rabbits all have runs and hutches but some need newer hutches than what they have - you can only do so many repairs before it all falls apart! So if you have a two tier hutch sitting in your garden doing nothing then please bring it to us we can and will use it, NANNA has well over 100 rabbits to care for and a bag of carrots would be good too!
The dog kennels are being built and we have two or three more on the way, so watch this space and we will fill you in on the next news letter.
The pens pictured below have been ear marked to be cat pens for Mum’s and kittens, but at the moment they are being used for the dogs, until we have our others built.
The Car Park!
We have managed to clear a space for a car park and we are waiting for a delivery of hardcore so we can get it finished before winter. Winter is going to be hard this year but we are trying to get as much done as possible before the nights draw in.
Isolation area!
This is something we could not have had at Addington Road but we will have one at the farm, allowing every animal a pen for a week to make sure they are not carrying any illness before going up to the area they belong in.
Nursery!
We have to build the nursery for the kittens and this should be completed by next year’s kitten season, in the meantime we are still taking in kittens and pregnant cats and they are being housed in foster homes across the county.
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Rehoming:
NANNA has so many animals looking for new forever homes, cats, rabbits, ferrets and dogs to name just a few, but we also have Higglety Pigglety Farm rescue animals in our care too, but they are not up for rehoming, they are with us until the twelfth of never! So we need help to look after them and who are these animals and what species are they?
P
igs, goats, horses, geese and any animal who needs to come in because they were once someone’s pet but for one reason or another (usually due to illness) they cannot be kept any longer and the alternative is to be put down or going to market!
These animals need our care and they have been forced to share their home with the rest of us, but they love it! The piglets have been so naughty and keep breaking out and completely ignoring the electric fence in the process!
The other thing we have noticed this year is the 
new life being born down on the farm and the wonders of nature! The ducklings we have hand reared have been enjoying their summer in paddling pools and are waiting for their new pond to be dug, but they may have other ideas now as they are learning to stretch their wings!
Born wild they need to be able to return to the wild and down on the farm they can do just that!
Our geese have had so many goslings this year that we are a little worried they may be planning a take over, but they too seem to be enjoying the extra attention they are getting from the public!
Introducing Eddie and Stobart – they are two pygmy goats named after a journey to Cumbria where Petrina and Adam (one of our volunteers), counted over 130 Eddie Stobart lorries, so what better names for the goats!
They came down with Hopeless, who was given to us to keep Fudge company as she lost her partner Smudge in July. Smudge had been at the farm for 8 years and was a very loved member of the family.
Hopeless and Fudge
And finally………………………………
Introducing Pancake!
Pancake came into NANNA because he had been hand-reared and even though we tried to untame him, he became a danger to himself and others by running up to people and looking for food and showing no fear of humans at all.
So, he will be staying with us and he will be walked and treated as a dog, but we will always be aware that he is a wild animal who must never be trusted fully - especially around the ducks and rabbits!
Why did we pick the name Pancake?
It’s Keren’s favourite dessert and, because like the fox, it’s very sweet but very naughty!
We hope you have enjoyed this NANNA update and newsletter and please don’t forget our SECOND OPEN WEEKEND 14th & 15th August
2010 from 11am – 4pm at Higglety
Pigglety Farm A6 junction of Finedon Road, Irthlingborough Northants. 07719880998 is the number to call if you need any information or would like to help out at NANNA’s.
Look out for our new sign donated to us by Semco Signs
Head butts and leg-rubs from all the animals at NANNA’s
and the humans send their kindest regards too!
xxxxxxx >:< xxxxxxx