jaws

Ok so its not a very nice name for a puss … but he got it because of his big head /face.   He’s been knocking around my garden for a good few months.  Until the last few weeks I only saw him very occasionally, but since the kittens befriended Jack and we started putting food out for him, Jaws has been a more regular visitor.

poorly face

Jaws has always seemed to have a big head in proportion to his body, but a couple of weeks ago I saw him and it seemed more big at one side than the other.   He’s wary of humans so I couldn’t get much of a look at him before he’d leg it off up the garden.   On Monday this week he showed up to finish the supper we’d put out for Jack and I was horrified to see that the right side of his face was  swollen, fur dropping off in clumps, and bloody as though he’d been scratching it.

TC loaned me a trap on Tuesday, and all week I’ve stressed about grabbing the time to be home, set the trap, get my cats in (so they don’t end up in the trap) and get him before the vets shut.   Finally we get to weekend.  Visions of two entire days dictated by hourly checks on cat  trap and my cats getting more and more angry about being shut in whilst the trap was set.

Saturday lunch time I wander into kitchen to make more coffee and there’s Jaws at the entrance to the trap.

In he goes …

munching the kibbles I’ve sprinkled just inside

so near but yet so far

but not far enough to trigger the trap

heart beating ten to the dozen

will he go further?

have I set the trap right?

don’t move

don’t breathe

Biff arrives and the spell is broken

regrets all round

but .. no

he’s still hanging around on the patio

heat up the fish in the microwave so it smells extra yummy and lob it in the trap

hold breath

at edge of trap

a little further

further

have we set it properly?

why isn’t it triggering?

hearts thundering

just a step further

please

no! … a step further IN not OUT

please …. I hate this but I think you’ll die if I don’t get you

….or  perhaps I’ll die of the stress of pursuing you

SLAP

SHUT

got you.

Off to Peak Vets.  Not a moment too soon I suspect.  Swelling burst, yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk 😦  Dripping.

waiting to see the vet. bless you

Peak say they’ll contact RSPCA re taking him in.  I’m hopeful after the lovely care they’ve given to Mac – the other stray I trapped a few months ago.

On the move

We’ve decided it’s time for a change and have moved over from Blogger to WordPress.  It’s brought the old posts with us but not the pictures 😦

But we have to start somewhere.

amara out for the first time

Obi and Amara have had their first adventure outside this afternoon.  First that is since they came into rescue.  They spent rather too much time outside before that.  They were both very brave at Sheffield Animal Centre yesterday when they had their micro-chips fitted.  Thanks RSPCA – excellent service.

Amara was first out the door, but went the wrong way round towards the front of the house, lost her confidence when a car came down the road and fled back inside.  Obi, standing confidently behind her, did rather better and had a brilliant time playing on the garden.  Poor Sooty ended up having to do some of the supervision as Jango was in bed (again!)

obi playing in the garden

sooty reluctantly supervising

mac revisited

I was delighted to be able to go to Sheffield Animal Centre today to see Mac – the stray my cats brough home with them just before Xmas.  The RSPCA have been brilliant with him.  His infection is cleared up, he’s out of isolation and looks so much better in himself.   His dermatitis is proving a bit more of a problem.  Having eczema myself I really empathise with the lad.  He’s having his sore bits of skin bathed every day and is about to start on a low dose of steroid so hopefully he’ll be lots better very soon. So glad we were able to get him away from living rough so he can get this sorted out.

I’d thought when he was in my garden that he seemed a bit of a sweetie.  I was wrong.  He’s utterly adorable!  Such a friendly soft boy.  He’s not ready for rehoming yet – but I recommend you go now and camp outside.  Be the head of the queue to adopt him.

merry christmas

It’s been a funny sort of week or so.  Two unexpected visitors:  

First there was Misty.  A colleague at my new surgery happened to mention a kitten she’d been feeding, a stray.  She was going away before Xmas and anxious that the kit was pregnant and might give birth in the cold whilst she was on holiday.  That was a strange day … I’d woken to totally unexpected snow to drive to work in, and half an hour before leaving work found I was leaving with a totally unexpected cat.  Thankfully it turned out Misty wasn’t pregnant (I think she’s just grown and got a little rounder with my colleague’s care) and she’s returned to my colleague.  Still needs to sort out her future and contraception plans but the emergency is off.

Then there was Mack:  he appeared in my garden on Sunday evening.  My lot came into the house and said there was someone out there in trouble.  So he was fed – ravenous and anxiously grabbing at the food.  We scoured all the internet lost and found ads but came up with nothing, so started trying to get hold of something to build a shelter for him with.  By Tuesday evening he was prepared to let me have a better look at him.  I was horrified to find patches of missing fur and blood on him.  I rushed him up to Peak vets (thank you Peak).  I was worried a fox had had him or worse.  But the vet said it was dermatitis, but also that he had cat flu.  I couldn’t take him home with me and risk the health of my others.  To my huge relief the following morning RSPCA agreed to take him in and treat him.

It’s been a long week.