This is Willow who, at the grand age of 15, has just spent her first Easter away from a home environment.

She lived all her life with one family, fitting in with their evolving lifestyle, seeing children grow up and become teenagers, and remaining a loyal and loving pet.

But her family’s changing circumstances resulted in them moving house and they couldn’t take her with them, and so she came to us.

She is a very placid and gentle cat, and spends most of her time curled up in a ball sleeping.

Although she has one of the socialisation rooms all to herself and, so she doesn’t have to interact with other cats (which can be incredibly stressful for many cats, especially ones who are used to being on their own), she really hasn’t adapted well to cattery life and she needs home of her own again.

Willow is in good health but we have been advised to keep her on a special diet to help her kidneys, which is something to be expected in an older cat.

Willow’s health needs also include maintaining her beautiful long hair in tip-top condition.

Fortunately she really enjoys being brushed and pampered and so her grooming regime is not an arduous one - in fact, it is actually a lovely way to form a bond.

Could you be her new hairdresser, and give her the retirement home she deserves?

Willow could adapt to being an indoor cat given her hunting days are over, which is good news for our bird of the month (as selected by Manx Birdlife) - the swallow.

Measuring at a maximum of 19cm in length, overcoming starvation, exhaustion and storms, this amazing little bird will return to our shores mid-April.

Swallows, with their long tail streamers, red throats and glossy blue-black backs spend most of their time on the wing. Although similar in appearance to the swift they are completely unrelated. Our swallows spend the winter in South Africa and make the amazing return journey travelling 200 miles a day!

At a cruising speed of around 22mph they fly during daylight hours, either crossing the Sahara or navigating their way along the coastline of Africa.

Once they’ve survived this they begin their journey over Spain, climb high over the Pyrenees and travel through western France before hitting British soil.

Swallows are found on every continent apart from Antarctica and around the world there are 83 different species.

Having an insectivorous diet, they take flying insects on the wing (avoiding all bees and wasps) and they also drink when on the wing by swooping low over still water to take a sip.

Known as the ’Bird of Freedom’ because they cannot endure captivity and will mate only in the wild, the males return to our shores first to look for a suitable nest site.

When this is found, he guards his territory and, by using song and flight displays, he attracts a female.

Tirelessly, both birds gather mud to create a cup-shaped nest which is usually built in outbuildings.

Although swallows are not classed as endangered, changes in climate and farming practices are reducing the number of nesting sites and the quality of flying insects, and this has had a negative impact on the population. For more information about how you can help these wonderful little visitors contact [email protected].

Because we know ’one swallow doesn’t make a summer’ we’re holding our next car boot sale under cover and so it will go ahead no matter what the weather.

It’s on Sunday, April 8, in Shaw’s Brow car park in Douglas, starting at 11am and finishing at 2pm. Please come along and show your support.