HAPPY (SECULAR) CHRISTMAS

Hope you and your cats (and dogs, rabbits, etc) have a great Christmas.

Ian

AK'S CAT RE-HOMING CENTRE HAS JUST RE-HOMED ITS FIRST CAT AND IT'S-

-Tess, the lovely soft-furred black cat.

I got a call from a retired couple in Barmston and I met them at Ferry Farm. They'd been on my blog and had taken a liking to Leona, who arrived yesterday, and Tess from the first arrivals but when they met the cats there was no question as to which they'd choose.

From my point of view they were perfect, retired, around my age I guessed, experienced cat owners with a garden.

So, one down, lots more to go.

Post Script.

 

About fifteen minutes after I got home, received a call. Two year old female, neutered and vaccinated. That's Tess's pen taken up.

CATS AT THE CAT RE-HOMING CENTRE (REVISED, EXTENDED VERSION WITH EXTRA TRACKS)

This post is an updated photographic list of all the cats available for re-homing as of today, Thursday 13th December 2012. They are all, all of them, nice friendly cats. I've visited them today and can guarantee this. so I'm not going to use the word friendly in the following descriptions because you can take it for granted. All have been neutered, vaccinated, de-flead and wormed. All of these cats love people and just want a good and loving home.

Further, having seen them all this morning, I'm delighted to say that they've clearly settled in well to their new accommodation where they are being well looked after. On this level alone the new cat re-homing centre is a success. All we need now are people who can give a good home to a cat or two to turn up.

Leona, a small female about two years old, not great with other cats.

Jay, female, 8 years old, good with children but not other cats.

Ginger, two-ish, male, bossy with other cats, shy but likes people.

Harriet & Hector, about 14 months, brother & sister who must be re-homed together, and two of the friendliest cats you're likely to meet.

Aimee and Annabelle, mother & daughter, 10 and 18 months respectively, should be homed together.

Phoebe, 3 years old, has a lovely soft coat.

Tess, about two, a bit shy.

If anyone reading this would like any of these cats, contact me on 0191 5142204.

Lastly, two very young (8 months) neutered sisters who are living at Carole's. They have to be re-homed together and it goes without saying that they are friendly and basically adorable. Contact Carole on 07977769109.

 

A BUSY WEEK/ MORE CAT RE-HOMING CENTRE ACTIVITY

I'm having a quiet day today as I have to stay to await the delivery from Amazon of my new 42inch full HD LG TV which I will then transfer to my new house which will be legally mine sometime in the next few hours. The house (soon not to be known as Cat Rescue Central, though that's what it'll effectively be) needs some work doing to to it (though it's in excellent condition) so I probably won't be moving in until the New Year. I'll be doing some of the work myself -basically wallpaper removing because I can't really do anything else being completely useless at anything which requires practical skills- when I can fit it in between running around after cats and other cat-related activities, plus the need for around an hour or so's afternoon nap. So I'm going to make the most of today as it will be the last quiet one have for some time.

Tuesday was busyish but  not on cat-related activities.

Wednesday morning was fun. For starters the weather decided it was going to snow, intermittently but often heavy. The ground was also rock hard and icy. Great driving weather, though having a heavy van was better than a car for traction.

My first call was at a fosterer's to pick up five cats to take to King's Road Vets (where we take all our cats and can't praise the staff too highly) for their first vaccinations. The second is in three weeks and then they can go to the re-homing centre. 

Basically our fosterer had, with the best of intentions, taken in too many cats with the result that they began to show stress-induced behaviour -specifically not using the litter trays for the toilet. Two of them showed even more stress in the surgery by going berserk with the resultant spilling of blood, some of it from Louise, the vet who works part-time there, but most of it mine. One of the cats caught me so deep in the base of my right thumb that blood pulsed from it. I swear I must have lost nearly a pint before getting the bleeding under control. Or maybe it was several mls, I get easily confused when I'm bleeding to death.

So, back with the cats where I then picked up the one cat which had been vaccinated and which was a bugger to get in the carrier. After that, to pick up another cat for the re-homing centre. This turned out to be a sweet-natured stump-tailed female tabby about 8 years old. And here they are in their new temporary home. The ginger cat, now imaginatively named Ginger, was absolutely terrified but Jay the tabby was fine.

By this time it was around 11.45, snowing heavily and I was tired and heading for home and  driving down a major road when the phone rang. Carole. I couldn't talk at that moment but I pulled in as soon as I could. Turned out a mother cat and her four two-week old kittens desperately needed re-homing. Fortunately, the place was only about half a mile back the way I came and I found it easily. Cat and kittens secured and off to Carole's on the other side of the river. When I got there I learned I had to take them to a fosterer's at Hylton Castle a mile down the road. I didn't need to consult the A-Z for the address because it was only a few doors away from the (now-closed) library which I was in charge of for three years. A three minute drive took ten (both ways) because of road works, grumble, grumble.

Here's mother cat and, just for luck, another young ginger boy at Carole's who wants a new home.

Thursday (yesterday) was even busier.

I spent the morning driving around on icy roads as I criss-crossed the city doing some of my own shopping, picking up four 30-litre sacks of litter (which involved me reversing backwards up an icy bank), and emptying the food-donation bins from Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons. The donated food I then had to take home, sorting the dog from the cat food. Susan also decided to take the opportunity for use to sort out and tidy the garage, which also involved a trip to the shop with stuff she was clearing out. Normally, that done, I'd go straight over to Carole's with the cat food. But not today.

Today, Nisha of BSkyB's news website was calling in the afternoon to do a video report on our shiny new cat re-homing centre. Nisha is the young lady who did an excellent piece on our kitten crisis earlier this year, a story which got picked up by The Mail Online.

I got to Carole's and unloaded the litter and food just before Nisha arrived. She did some filming at Carole's and then, on my suggestion, we called in at King's Road Vets where Nisha did a video interview with Wendy. I'd bigged up (is this still current slang?) Wendy and her veterinary practice to Nisha (also a genuine cat lover) who was delighted to find out I wasn't exaggerating and she liked Wendy a great deal (but then, who doesn't?). Here's a photo of the two of them.

And then, under grey skies, finally, to the cat re-homing centre. Dawn was on her way out and Mark was too busy to do anything other than switch the lights on. I showed Nisha around and introduced her to the various cats which had mostly settled down in their new (temporary) home. I did some pieces to camera, covering topics we'd discussed, and made a stumbling hesitant job of it, though Nisha said she was pleased. (She's a nice young woman who probably says that to everyone.)

Anyway, the piece will probably not appear until after Christmas and Nisha will let me know when. I'll post the link to it as soon as I find out.

And in between starting and finishing this post, I've learned that I am now the legal owner of my new house.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS -AT LAST

Yes, it's true. Only three and a half months late but Animal Krackers Cat Re-homing Centre is now finally open to re-home cats and it already has its first (hopefully temporary) residents. This morning I collected six cats from Kings Road Veterinary Practice where Wendy and her staff had been looking after them for over four months and to whom Animal Krackers owes a big thank you. They are all lovely people who are devoted to animals and who have been very supportive of our efforts. The practice is a model of good veterinary care.

So, on to the cats and the re-homing centre. We have a mother and daughter (Aimee and Annabelle) and brother and sister (Harriet and Hector) sharing cages (but not all together if you see what I mean), and Tess and Name Temporarily Forgotten in individual cages. All are young ranging from 10 months to 3 years, all neutered and vaccinated.

First off, a couple of pictures of NTF and Tess at the vets.

And, in descending order- Harriet and Hector on arrival, Harriet, Tess, Aimee and Annabelle (or vice versa), Annabelle (or Aimee), Aimee and Annabelle (yes, again), and two of NTF.

Tess is a bit traumatised by the move and didn't stir from her basket when I put her there. But she is a nice cat with the softest coat imaginable. All six cats are nice, friendly animals and will make some people lovely pets. The friendliest is Harriet who doesn't just want affection, she demands it and won't leave you alone until she gets some.

And here we are at the beginning of Animal Krackers and Ferryfarm Kennels new joint venture. There'll be teething problems and we won't get everything right straight away but we will get there in the end. The cats have gone from a metal cage to a much larger area full of space and light and things to play on and hide in. They can see outside to what will be a grassed over area (it's a muddy field at the moment) with bird tables. The sleeping unit has a flat heater attached to the wall close to their beds. So they have warmth, security, space and light.

I'll be back with more photos and new residents in a few days time.

ANIMAL KRACKERS' CHRISTMAS BAZAAR

Which is a lot better than that horrible word 'fayre'.

Held, as usual, in St.Aidan's church hall, Grangetown, it was a big success. So a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped get everything together, staffed the various stalls, provided refreshments, and did all the other things that needed to be done. Also a big thank you to everyone who came and spent money. Extra thanks to Steven, a  church volunteer who organises the hall.

Not as many photos as I'd like because some of them turned out crap; that is, grainy rather than sharp -I'll put one in as an example. First off, your humble blogger who sat next to the door for nearly two hours taking in the admission money. I'm quite happy sitting down and having people give money to me. An ideal job in fact. Except I didn't get to keep the cash.

 Ann Steabler, always busy behind the scenes of the shop.

The ladies of the refreshments

Lyn (right), one of our cat fosterers

Big Ian, Master of the Tombola

 Mark & Dawn of Ferryfarm Kennels who are hosting our cat re-homing centre

Last, but definitely not least, Sue Hardy who is the glue that holds Animal Krackers together and the engine that keeps us all going.

ANIMAL KRACKERS CAT RE-HOMING CENTRE IS NEARLY HERE

 Above are a few of the units which have been fitted with cat furniture. There is a separate sleeping compartment at the back which will, sometime, have some form of heating in it for the colder months.

We hope to start bringing in cats early next week and have ten ready to come to their new (and hopefully temporary) home.

More details (I hope) next week.

By the way, does anyone want a guinea pig or four? We have some in our shop. Personally I don't understand their appeal. All they do is scuttle around and squeak, especially when you try and touch them. And cuddling a rabbit is far more soothing.

Heavens, no cat photo. Okay, this is Sippy whose real, Greek, name is unpronounceable. He's currently living above the shop and could well be our first re-homing centre resident.