Friday 28 March 2014

AN EX-HOUSEFUL OF KITTENS

No more kittens! No more kittens! No more kittens!

I re-homed all of them, except little black and white Emma (who doesn't count as I suspect she'll end up as resident here), this week, in fact on each of the last three days (including today).

None of them, curiously, have stayed in Sunderland. On Wednesday, Belle, the sweet little tortoiseshell, went to a nurse and (when she's home from uni) her student daughter who live in Tudhoe just outside Durham. When the kitten curled up in the girl's lap it was obviously a no-brainer. On Thursday a mother and post-grad daughter came to see Shadowcat who promptly hid behind the settee. However, it wasn't long before she came out and settled down on the daughter's lap purring constantly as she was stroked so off Shadowcat went to Seaham. Today an extremely nice woman from Whitley Bay (up the coast just past North Shields) who has a nine year old daughter and twelve old son who suffers from CP, came to see Gerald the Ginger Kitten as she just loves ginger cats. He was on good behaviour and they soon departed together. Just before they left I begged her to change his name. Actually, of the three I think that Belle is the only one who might keep hers.

Three horrible destructive kittens gone in three days. What a relief to be rid of them.

And if you believe I mean that then this is your first time visiting this blog.

Not that they were the only ones re-homed this week. Also gone from our re-homing centre are: Yuna, Edgar, Tiger, Poco, and, fostered out, Suzie (whose new owner has already sent a thank-you email; always nice to receive). Which makes a total of 8 re-homed this week. 

On Wednesday I called in at Ferry Farm to find an ambulance there as one of Phil's dog walkers had suffered an epileptic fit. Also in attendance were two young women dog walkers, one of whom was interested in adopting a cat. She hadn't had a cat before and it occurred to me, after showing her a couple of new arrivals, that I'd already described one cat on the list as an ideal starter cat, said cat being Edgar whom I'd recently transferred from being fostered with me. I introduced her to him, she fell for him, and off they went together.

Yesterday I picked up Tiger to take to Seaham to meet a temporarily housebound lady who, immediately on arrival, showed me a photo of her previous cat who could have been Tiger's brother. In the afternoon it was back to Ferry Farm to meet a couple who were interested in adopting a cat. I wasn't late but they'd got there even earlier and had already decided on tabby Poco who'd only been here for three days. If only they were all like that. And, of course, an hour later off went Shadowcat. Three re-homings in a day.

Although, not counting today which has several hours left to run, there are still two more days left in March, I think that's it for re-homing for this month as I don't have any more adoption visits scheduled; though the way things have been going I can't rule it out. So, just look at these figures.

Total Cat/Kitten Re-homing for March 2014: 20.
Total Cat/Kitten Re-homing Jan-March 2014: 37.
That's 37 in 13 weeks, or nearly 1 every three days which is three times last year's average.

I AM THE KING OF CAT RE-HOMING!
(Does little dance in the middle of the room, 
waving arms in the air,
and scaring the crap out of the cats who hurriedly run for cover.)
I AM THE (CAT) MAN!

I hope it continues like this or I'll feel like (another word for crap).

So, what can I do to end this post appropriately? Ah, I know.


Canine creatures courtesy of Dawn of Ferry Farm Kennels. (No, you can't have them, they're hers.)

But seriously, folks...

My deepest most sincere thanks to all our volunteers: our helpers in the shop, our fosterers, our cat cuddlers; to everyone at Ferry Farm; and to the many people who keep us afloat financially (the customers at our shop), and the businesses which support us. You do so much to keep us going. Please don't stop because, as this post demonstrates, it's worth all your effort and kindnesses. Thirty-seven cats happy in their new homes in only three months this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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