Let me explain something I should have explained when I first started this blog. I may be stating the obvious but sometimes the obvious needs to be explained.
Cat rescuing is a catch-all term to describe a variety of activities. It doesn't just mean rescuing stray or abandoned cats but instead covers a multitude of activities which include cat welfare. There are two things I did this morning (and it's not 11.00am yet) which illustrate this.
For the last six days I've been visiting a house twice a day to feed five cats and deal with their soiled cat litter. The owner had to go into hospital for up to two weeks (hopefully no longer) and Social Services contacted me to see if Animal Krackers would do it which we (that is me) would. Now four of the cats are very frightened of strangers -indeed I've yet to even see one of them- but the fifth, a large long haired black and white moggy of indeterminate age, is friendly. He also has extremely densely matted fur on his belly and around his anus so I booked him in at the vets where he was due to be taken this morning. However, placid and friendly as he normally is, he vehemently objected to being put in a cat carrier which he literally ruined and (figuratively -there was some blood- shredded my right hand in the process). I will try again when I've got my hands on a large and secure carrier.
Prior to this I had to go and collect a cat for the day while its owner moved house. The owner, who is differently mentally abled but can live on her own in the community with only a minimum of support, got the cat from us a few years ago and looks after her well. The cat has a placid nature which helps. Anyway, I picked the cat up and set off to collect the cat from the previous paragraph and within less than a minute placid cat had soiled the carrier and herself. When I finally got her to my house I did a preliminary clean but Susan and I ended up putting her in the bath and thoroughly washing her fur. It wasn't easy and it wasn't fun. She's now locked in my bedroom and lying on a couple of towels on top of my bed. All being well I'll be taking her to her new home about mid-afternoon.
Much as I love being involved in cat rescuing and find it very personally rewarding and, to be honest, my life would be rather dull without it, there are times when it can be quite unpleasant and often bloodily painful as several healing scabs and the odd permanent scars on my hands, legs and stomach testify.
Cat rescuing aint a job for wimps.
Post Script
The cat spent a few hours on my bed, not even moving when I lay down next to her for a nap. However, a couple of minutes into the trip to her new home, she crapped once again in the carrier.
Some days you just can't win.
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