Thursday 25 February 2010

JEFF VALDEZ: "Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow."

I've run out of titles so I'm copying cat quotes from the Internet. I've no idea who Jeff Valdez is.
1.
This is Penny. Earlier this week I got a call from a lady about a relative who had just died and had a cat which needed rehoming and the house had to be cleared by the end of the week. Carol was okay to take it so I said I'd get back to them. Tuesday morning I took two of Carol's cats to Roker Park Vets as their fur was matted beyong Carol's ability to control. We left them there for me to pick up later.

(Sidebar: Carol also brought along a kitten supposedly about 8 weeks old which was in a poor condition, suffering from diarrhea and an eye infection -her eyes being caked in green mucus. The night before, a neighbour of Carol's had bought her from a breeder just to save her life. The conditions were pretty poor and Carol has since reported the person to the RSPCA. Twenty-four hours later and the kitten is considerably improved.)

Being inherently lazy and never one to do two separate jobs when I can  combine them into one, I arranged to pick up Penny that afternoon and then collect the two cats from the vets on the same trip. The lady donated a large amount of food but also had a pile of other stuff to give us. Ian F had the van so I called him and he collected some including a large cat play centre. Off I went to Roker Park vets where I chatted to the receptionists and mentioned the cat in the car. On the way out with the two cats, I popped my head round the door to say goodbye and one of them, Sue, asked to see the cat as she might know someone who would like it. She duly did this and phoned the person. Within 24 hours this lovely little cat is now happily rehomed with another elderly lady. Let's just hope this one outlives her.

2.
Yesterday I took M (see earlier post) and Charlie the one-eyed cat back to the PDSA to check that his other eye was healing properly. A couple of days earlier, Susan and Andrea had confronted M about the filthy conditions his flat was in and some of our helpers in the shop were willing to come and clean it up. Needless to say, this pissed him off considerably. It was his home, he could do what he liked. Susan agreed but what she and Andrea were concerned about was the health of Charlie and Tess his dog. Charlie had got the infection because of the conditions he was living in. M had a face like thunder. Susan told me that she would come along and try to get the vet to say that it would best if the cat was moved to cleaner conditions whereupon I would take him to Carol's just up the road.

Unsurprisingly this was not something I was looking forward to as M can be very volatile. Thankfully, M turned up the next day to apologise and accept the offer of help. All went well and Charlie's stitches were removed.

3.
This photo has nothing to do with anything current. These three are always cuddled up together on top of a cage in Carol's shed and just love looking at them. We want them rehomed together. Call them Milly, Molly, and Mandy. Just don't ask me which is which.


4. 
On the way back from the PDSA, I rang Susan to ask her something. She told me that the lady cleaning out Penny's house had expected me back today to collect more stuff. News to me but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. After dropping M off, I called in at the shop and rang the woman and, following the conversation, I got back in the van and went round, picking up a vanful of bedding for Carol.

While sorting it at the shop someone rang asking for me specifically. Turned out to be a lady from Seaham (see earlier posts) a couple of miles down the road and I'd helped her out two years ago with some ferals which she fed. This time she'd noticed a long haired black and white cat which wasn't feral but was in a pretty dilapidated state and it had been coming round for a few weeks. She'd tried another local animal rescue but didn't seem to be getting very far with them. I rang Carol who'd take it, called the woman back and said I'd come round tonight. Finger crossed the cat would also appear. It did and was easily bundled into a cat carrier.

At the moment I have no idea about its condition, though I should shortly after Carol checks it out, and then I'll take it to the vets for a thorough examination. It almost certainly has fleas and worms. It could also be pregnant as a feral tom had been allowing it to share his food.

5.
And this is Gobbolino the Witch's Cat, adorable when she wants to be, which is most of the time, but hell on wheels when she doesn't. I love her.

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