This poor old soul was put to sleep last week when Carol took him to Roker Park Vets. I wasn't involved but I wasn't surprised.
So, Thursday and I woke up at 3.30am and didn't get back to sleep. At 8.00am I was outside waiting for Ian F to drop off the van. When he did, I went over to Carol's to pick up three young adult males for neutering at Williams & Cummings, the nearest vets to us and the only one authorised by Cats Protection to accept their vouchers. I got home at 9.00am just as Phil rang to ask me if I'd take one of the feral kittens we'd been keeping an eye on. I was annoyed as I thought it had been agreed to leave them where they were and catch them for neutering in about three months time when they were old enough.
9.30 and I was out again to Carol's to pick up her and two old skinny tabby males and take them to Roker Park Vets. One, Ted the noisiest cat in Sunderland except when's he's having a fuss made of him, has a long history of thyroid problems. It was decided to try him out on what would be, if they worked, a long-term treatment with pills. The other cat, Oliver, had a horrible abscess on his chest which was dripping with pink pus. He also had other problems and had been losing weight for some time. We decided to end his suffering.
I dropped off Carol and Ted and drove to Gateshead to the funeral home to pick up my mother's ashes. Then further down the road to Hawkesbury House to pick up her remaining effects -mostly photographs as I'd told the manager to keep what they could use and donate the rest, if suitable, to a local charity shop.
Home and filling in neutering vouchers which then had to be posted which meant a trip to the Post Office as I didn't have any stamps. When I got back the phone rang and it was a lady wanting her cat rehomed. A genuine and good reason this time. They were at Caterick Army base but her husband (and her) were being transferred to Germany and the cat didn't travel well at the best of times. Initially I said I'd have to check with Carol but when she described it I said we'd take it. I knew Carol had space as two cats have been put to sleep and two of the three being neutered today were being rehomed tomorrow. This one is four years old, had all its vaccinations, chipped, neutered, good with other cats and dogs and great with her 15month old son. Sold!
Finally I lay down on the bed for a nap and managed about half an hour before I got sick of the phone ringing and eventually answered it. Susan: Phil's feral kitten was in a cage at the shop and Lynn (see earlier posts) wanted to foster it. She was also thinking about keeping Bettie (see previous post). I was wanted to take the kitten round in the cage in the van. I was mad. I thought it was totally unsuitable. I f she didn't wear gloves, it would rip her hands to pieces. If it got out of the cage it would extremely difficult to get it back and it wasn't (obviously) house trained. Madness.
I went to pick up the three now ball-less young toms and took them back to Carol's. Then I went to see Andrea at the shop and reluctantly changed my mind. It was a small black kitten, obviously nervous, but it let me stroke it without attempting to remove flesh from my hands, without evening growling or spitting. It let me pick it up, not happy, but it didn't really react. Okay, okay, we'll go with it. I took it round and we set it up in Lynn's living room. I picked it up again just to check and again no clawing, biting, growling, spitting.
A promising start. I'll keep you informed. The other feral kitten (the one which shredded my left hand) which John took in is, he told me over the phone, doing quite well and responding to him but is still frightened of other people.
And that was Thursday. I woke at 3.30 this morning, cleaned up cat shit from the living room tray -the smell being quite strong- let cats out, went back to bed and actually did get back to sleep, and woke again, and slept.
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