busy doing nothing

‘Luckily’ my car had to go into the garage at short notice today so I had to take a days leave, and went off trapping with TC most of the day again.  It appears to involve a few minutes work is setting up the traps and then many hours of sitting pretty quietly doing very little other than speculate on how long it might be until the increasinly elusive felines will show up.   After several hours I was rewarded with a brief glimpse of a tail disappearing into a hedge ……… sigh ………..  We’ve got a pretty good deal here though – delightful garden to sit in, complete with bird feeders and an interesting collection of wildlife. 


The two who came to me last night are a little less scared than they were.  They’re mostly huddled at the back of their pen, but no longer hiding under the cushions.  They’ve eaten a little, and used their litter trays.  My other foster babies have been in to see them and that appears to have helped them settle a little more.  Seeing other kits playing and cuddling with me and purring loudly whilst doing it helps them to consider the possibility that being here might not to be too bad.

fur trapping

The gap left by Polly has started to be filled already.  A lovely caring family contacted us about a mummy cat who was living in their garden with 4 young kittens.  I’ve been up there this evening with TC – my first lesson in trapping.  I don’t think its going to be my forte.  I thought I was reasonably patient – but TC seems to have endless patience, determination and sheer bloody mindedness when it comes to catching cats.  We’ve got a couple of the kits who wandered into one of the traps in pursuit of food, but the other two are currenly AWOL.  Despite their mummy persistently calling them they were no where to be seen.  The mummy is a lovely girl – another young cat struggling with homelessness and bringing up a young family.  She’s a lucky girl in some ways though …. she chose the right garden for this …. people who have busy lives but care enough to have fed her and done their best to help her, and rung around every rescue and possibility they could think of to try find a solution for her.


My new little ones are currenly in a cat pen in the cat room.  Soon as we put them in there they dived under a cushion and haven’t emerged since.  The brief flash of them I saw they look about 6-8 weeks old and very pretty. 


We’ll be back in the garden tomorrow …………………. Watch this space.

pollygon

Little Polly went to be speyed earlier this week and has gone off to her new home this evening.  A lovely young couple have decided that she’s the one they want to share their home with. 


The cats that are left behind are a little non plussed.  Tink in particular seems to be looking for Pol.  She searched all over when Polly was away at the vets on Monday.  How things change.  There was so much hissing and scrowling when they first met, and in the early days play group had to be curtailed because the mummies were falling out.  However for a long while now the mums have sat together whilst the little ones have played all day, and have been so reluctant to be separated at night that they’ve all shared a bedroom for some time. 


They’ve been very different mums.  In the early days Tink was always curled up with her kits feeding them.  Polly didn’t seem to know quite what to do (we think it was her first litter) and was rarely with them … to the extent that I feared they weren’t getting fed at all.  However Polly, once she got the hang of it has continued to feed her kits ……….. and Tink’s kits …….. long after Tink has had enough and stopped.  She even came home from her op on Monday and called all the kits to her for a feed.  Tink on the other hand is very protective.  Whenever there’s a crash or a kitten wail its Tink that jumps up and is in there to check that all is well.  She’s bravely squared up to any intruders even if they’re twice her size (my jango) or ten times her size (molliedog).  They’ve each treated all the kittens as their own and its been lovely to watch.

A happy re-homing but a bit sad that this chapter of fostering is coming to an end.

moving on

Thomas has gone off to his new home this afternoon.  Polly all being well has found a home and will be going once she’s speyed.  Peppa the black kit has gone to a new home too.  Tink and Tim and Primrose are waiting for their new humans to have their holiday and then they’ll be off to their new home.

Poor little Pepper is still waiting for someone to fall in love with him (someone other than me that is .. I think he’s adorable).

Tink is healing quickly from her spey op and Polly is booked in for next week.  The mummies have both taken their jobs very seriously over the last couple of months and have shown no sign of interest in the toys their little ones have been playing with – despite being not much more than big kittens themselves.  Suddenly though this evening, and to my delight, they both decided they’d have a go at playing.  Tink started chasing after a little blue spongy football along with her kits, and Polly got interested in the feather on a stick toy.  It’s lovely to see them beginning to play and enjoy their lives.

latest news

We’ve had several new cats into rescue / foster care this weekend.  They’re not with me so I have limited information but I’m sure if you’re interested and contact Maggie at Rain Rescue she’ll be able to let you know more: info@rainrescuecats.org.uk

Peppa: Peppa is a lovely little black kitten about 10 to 11 weeks old (as of 12 June 2011). She”s a pretty kitty, playful and full of fun.

Needlz: Needlz – is a cute little black and white puss, about 9 to 10 weeks old (as of 12 June 2011). He”s a lovely little kit, full of fun and very playful.

Baby Girl: Baby Girl – is a lovely 9 month old black and white kitten. She”s been spayed, has already happily been exploring the outside world, and has got on well with the other cats in the neighbourhood. She also loves to be home and have some attention and a cuddle. She hasn”t lived with children but has been used to having children visiting. She”d love to find a forever home where she can be loved and settle.

Tippex, Tigger and Pixie, and now Parsley have all gone off to their new homes this weekend.  It’s always sad to see them go but lovely to see them go off with people who clearly love them and will care for them.

playgroup

When playgroup first started – about 10 days ago – it was very different to how it is now.  The kits all played in the same space though mainly with their litter mates, retreated to their own rooms to eat and slept in a heap with their own siblings.  The mums had pretty limited tolerance for each other and each others kits.

Then they started eating together, sharing toys, and playing rough and tumble with each other but still going back to sleep with brothers and sisters.  That made it easy to shut then all back in their own bedrooms at night.  Now there’s little indication that they’re two different litters.  That’s really good news for the four kits who are going to two homes – one kit from each litter.  It’s less good news for me trying to sort them out all and get them to bed at night.

The mummies are getting on with each other much better, and are more or less as intolerant of their own kits as they are of the others 🙂  Not that the kits are much deterred by their grumbling and growling.

Tim – the littlest kit of the younger litter has overcome his inferiority complex and been the first kit to the top of the scratch post.  Well done Tim!!

news update

We’ve had a lovely day centred mostly around cats – though with some wonderful canine diversion provided by the lovely lovely molliedog.  More nice people round to meet the kittens and decide who is going to be their best friend for years to come.  I’m glad its not me who’s having to do the choosing – they’re all so gorgeous.  Anyway – today was the turn of Parsley and Thomas to be offered forever homes.  So we now just need someone to fall in love with Pepper and Polly.


I feel really sad for Polly.  Everyone says she’s lovely but they all choose the kits instead.  She’s not much more than a kitten herself and obviously had a rough deal when she was at the age her kits are now.  She’s desperate for human company and to be made a fuss of.  Such a sweet little thing.  Ok so she has her grouchy moments – who wouldn’t if they were shut in with 8 crazy sharp toothed and fingernailed kits.  But I watched her today letting one of the kits from the other litter play with her fluffy tail.  What a love.

sponsorship worries

Sooty seems to have more of less got over his tummy bug and had been enjoying being the centre of attention with his sponsorship appeal.  He’s worked hard to not let the prospect of a personalised news letter and a raft of key rings featuring his gorgeous fur go to his head.  In fact he’s settled into the idea of sponsorship very happily ……. as Rain Rescue’s “SOS – Sponsor Our Sooty” campaign gets underway he’s relaxed into being a kept gentleman of leisure.  “Money for Paste” is his way of understanding it as he munches his way through jars of salmon, chicken & ham and beef paste with his thyroid tablets carefully wrapped inside.  It’s not taken long for him to learn that the reward for managing to pick the tablet out and drop it on the floor is an extra teaspoon of paste.

However his sister has now thrown a spanner in the works.  Hmmm … she said … one evening, leaning out of her basket with an evil smile on her face ………… don’t you have to like do something if you’re being sponsored ……. like cycle to John O’Groats or do a parachute jump? 

Poor Soot.  His brother has offered to train with him ……………. but so far its not looking hopeful.