I don't normally do an overview of a year but this one is special. It's special because, well, my life is a lot different to what it was 12 months ago and probably about as many cats and kittens have lived with me during that period than in my entire life before that.
So, if you're new to this blog, then this is a very good place to start. If you're interested in finding out more, or simply want to look at photos of cats and kittens, just check out previous posts.
Thirteen months ago we opened our purpose-built cat re-homing centre at Ferry Farm Kennels at South Hylton, Sunderland, in partnership with its owners Mark and Dawn. Since then we've probably re-homed about 60 adult cats from there. Obviously more would have been better but I don't think it's a bad start at all. It's been a learning process all round. I think you can also add around another 20 cats and kittens re-homed from our fosterers which also includes me. I'm not counting those re-homed by Carole O'Brien who, while we still support her with food, litter, and contributions towards vets bills, is no longer under the Animal Krackers banner and we aren't responsible for any cats she re-homes.
In late February I moved out of the home I shared with AK's soul and inspiration Susan Hardy and into a new one on my own apart from two cats I brought with me. Sadly both died during the course of the year of heart and lung problems. But before that I'd begun fostering. It started with Fifi,a young friendly black and white around 2 who was shortly joined by Aelfric, a pedigree British short hair handed in at our Grangetown shop. Nine months later they're still here and aren't going anywhere. Then Aoife turned up with her tiny kittens that it turned out she was fostering and four weeks later they were joined by two of her own. And the cats and kittens kept on coming. I've re-homed several of the kittens and two cats went to the re-homing centre. Currently I have the three I've just named, three of Aoife's now young adult kittens, Tiger, a massive long-haired tabby who might have a touch of Norwegian Forest Cat about him, and Max a black ten year old thinnish short haired boy. Aoife and her kittens, plus Max are available for re-homing but the other three aren't going anywhere. They're all lovely cats in their own ways but they and the others that I've fostered have done severe damage to a house I spend around ten grand doing up. So I tell myself, no more kittens next year.
Yeah, sure.
Now I can't say this often enough, and don't, but none of the re-homing would be possible without the work of our volunteers at our two shops, the cat cuddlers, the staff of Ferry Farm Kennels, the committee, Wendy and her super staff at King's Road Vets, the people who donate so much to our shops, the customers who buy it, the management of Asda, Morrison's, and Sainsburys who allow us to have bins for donated pet food in their stores, the support of Pets At Home and the Sunderland Echo. Thank you all, so so much.
And please don't stop.
Here are some of my favourite photos that I've taken this year.
My Cat Of The Year.
I shouldn't have favourites because I love them all but I can't help it. He's beautiful, he's affectionate, he's good with the other cats and kittens, he has a lovely purr, he's playful, he's Aelfric.
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