SOMETIMES IAN GETS IT RIGHT ... AND SOMETIMES HE DOESN'T

The best thing I've done recently is create an easily updated blog page which lists all the cats and kittens available for re-homing with a brief description and photo. Regular readers will have already seen it but you can access it on the Recommended Cat Rescue Sites on the sidebar. Because it's part of this blog, but also separate with its own URL, I can update it sometimes within an hour of the arrival of a new cat or one being re-homed. Perfect example is Hero who arrived on Friday morning and his details went up shortly after. I received a call asking about him and he was re-homed today -3 days from start to finish. He's now listed under the re-homed cats section. It's also had 390 hits since it went up on December 10th which is pretty good for a very specialised site.

We didn't re-home any cats in the run-up to Christmas, which was probably for the best, but from December 27th to today (Monday 6th Jan), I've re-homed six, including two I'd been fostering. I wasn't sure about Hero as with him being so new I hadn't had a chance to assess him properly. However, at the visit he was nice and friendly and when he rolled over so a little boy could rub his tummy, that was it! Sold!

Aoife, re-homed from my house yesterday, is very wary of two young children, though she will allow them to stroke her when their father is present. As she's just been used to mostly me for eight months I think it's just a matter of her getting used to them plus a little patience on her new owners part.

Tink, who came on Christmas Eve, went yesterday to a nice couple who had to put one of their three cats to sleep -on Christmas Eve. He's proved to be a friendly cat with people but wary of, though not aggressive towards, other cats.

Not mentioned in my last post was Hamish who became a starter cat for a young family. His two lovely friendly sisters are still available for re-homing together.

So, all things considered, not a bad couple of weeks work.

On the other hand...

Susan tells me I'm too trusting because I take people at face value and believe what I'm told. That's because such an honest and open person myself. Yes, you at the back, I am! 

Now all the cats at the re-homing centre are supposed to have been vaccinated against cat flu and I insist on seeing proof it's been arranged by their previous owner. I also always ask if they've been neutered or spayed and if the answer is yes then I don't check any further.

Not any more.

Just as I was about to put Hero in his cat carrier I gave him one final check and found a pair of those little round furry things which can cause so much trouble. His new owner will get him neutered and I've said we'll pay the bill as a matter of principle.

Roger, a stray black cat, also has his little furry whatnots but they are going on Wednesday.

When I arrived at Ferry Farm this morning to meet Hero's soon to be owner, Dawn had been trying to get in touch with me about Wendy a cat that arrived about three weeks ago. She'd miscarried during the night and, as it was early in her pregnancy, none of the kittens survived. I believed she'd been neutered but, in my defence, before I'd brought her to the re-homing centre she'd been checked out by her namesake vet Wendy. And if an excellent and experienced vet like Wendy didn't spot she was pregnant then I was hardly likely to do so. 

I took Wendy to the vets where she was seen by -wait for it- Louise. Yes, I know what you were thinking. Anyway, Louise determined that Wendy wasn't in any danger but her uterus was too enlarged to operate so we're waiting until a week Thursday when a hernia will also be fixed.

And the rest of the day went like this...

Late afternoon, phone call, can we take in 5 cats as their owner is suffering from Alzheimer's and can't cope. I offered to take in one if they got it vaccinated against cat flu but five is impossible. Recommended checking other rescues on Catchat.

Another call, a stray cat at Seaham, friendly. If the caller could get her vaccinated against cat flu, she would go on the list for Ferry Farm. We'd pay if she could take it to Wendy's. Pending.

Then a call from St.Anthony's Girl's School. Staff had been feeding a stray cat for a few weeks but it had just badly damaged its tail. I rang Wendy who said it would be okay to bring it in. So I went to the school, realised I'd forgotten the cat carrier and had to nip back home for it. The cat is a quiet but friendly black and white and its tail was definitely damaged. At the vets Louise checked it out and pronounced that the tail was broken and would have to be amputated but a stump would be left. She gave it a painkiller and kept it in. I also asked for a flu jab and in three weeks it'll be a candidate for re-homing with us. The staff of the school bring it food and it stays overnight in the watchman's room so it's safe in the short term.

It's 7.20pm, time for something to eat I think.