Timless Friday

 He had a day off today. Friday is a good day to choose. The training of a new batch of volunteers always adds an element of chaos to the morning. But all the washing up was done by 12:30 this morning. (And overflowed to the floor again).

It was a busy afternoon with visitors.
The first batch arrived to look at kittens because Santa had left all kinds of kitten gear while they were away on Christmas Day. Slight complication is that the daughter has displayed allergy to cats. But she says that it was just certain cats that make her sneeze which is why they had to come to test our kittens. I sat her down with a Cleo kitten and her younger brother with the other (which they kept swapping) for 10 minutes. She should have been sneezing if she was allergic. But she didn't with either of them. And Mum fell in love with the calico. Then I sprayed her hands with F10 and she sneezed. She didn't sneeze at Earl but did sneeze at Midnight and the F10 lotion. So they went away to talk to dad.

Then a mother and her son came to donate us cat stuff. I didn't ask the details but think that their cat had recently died because of what she gave us. They has a short look about.

Then a prize winner came to pick up her raffle loot. She volunteered with us when she was let go when Covid struck. She gave us up when she got another real job and then got her old job back. She was very pleased to meet the new cats and did recognise Stella who has been with us for way too long. I mentioned that we are always looking for foster homes for our long term residents.

All these visitors were a fine audience for Ginger George who strolled around and introduced himself to everybody (in the hopes of more treats). Later Phantom had a lovely roll in some cat nip. He is moving better and his movements are more solid now that he is on ZD.

Even Tabby is surer footed. Perhaps the antibiotics that she is on for her tummy wound is good for her balance?

Lucky was the Top Cat and hypnotized me into feeding her a tube of treats. We left her there overnight and opened Nada's door in the hope that they will not tear each other to pieces overnight. They may as well be friends as they are both on weight reduction crunchies and their condos have a connecting hatch. (Remember when Diego used to force open the flap and end up with Nada overnight?)

Nada + Lucky = ?

Daisy came back to board after her people took her home for the night on Wednesday.

Daisy

Our Daphne (their Tilly) is back in boarding and has settled down quickly.

Daphne/Tilly

Joy worked the morning shift in Incoming and was happy to get more photos of Jasmine's smallest kitten who is doing much better now. He eats everything and his tail is a curly as a piglet's.

Jasmine's piggy

There are ringwormy kittens in Incoming so vollies who work there cannot linger elsewhere after their shift. I don't know if these are they as Joy took the photo.

Adoption Tails: Phoebe, Sophia, Whitney and Scout

 Phoebe

1 day: Phoebe is very timid and has hidden under the bed. The owners have kept noise to a minimum but she is pretty committed to staying under the bed! They managed to lure her out for some pets and bring her closer to her bowls. They have set up a box with blankets (covering most of the box) in the bathroom for her to settle and have a drink as she has not used the litterbox. The family kids are older and the house is quiet so they're hopeful that Phoebe is not too freaked out. She seems to love human contact despite still "slinking" around. Their resident cat is insanely jealous and wants in to where Phoebe is staying.
1 week: Phoebe is a funny little cat. If the owner takes her out from under the bed that she refuses to come out from on her own, she is super affectionate. Otherwise, she would not budge from under the bed. The owner has been working from home as much as possible to make sure Phoebe has some company though she is a really quiet one! The resident cat has met Phoebe from a distance through a cracked open door. They had a sniff and all seems amicable.

Phoebe

1 month: Phoebe is settling in really nicely. She's a chirpy little cuddle bug. The resident cat is being a bit bossy though it seems to be settling down. 

Sophia

1 day: The owner adopted Maomao earlier and thought it would be good to give him a friend since she can get quite busy at times and won't be home for longer hours AND the more cats she can provide a permanent home to, the better! She is finding Sophia (now Sophie as the owner's mother find it easier to pronounce) even shyer than Maomao when he first came. She has eaten a little last night and used the litter box for a wee. Sophie did not seem to want to venture out of her little box this morning when she was offered breakfast but the owner is hopeful that once Sophie settles in over the course of the next few days, she will learn to trust her new family.
1 week: Sophie is a lot shyer than Maomao - still loves to hide in her box when the owner comes in but is definitely more active when nobody is watching as toys are in different positions every time. She is eating and using the litter box well though the owner is a little concerned that Sophie is not eating enough especially since Maomao devours his food even when he first came. Overall, Sophie is just taking her time to trust her new family and new space.

Sophia

 3.5 weeks: Sophie made her way out while the owner was in the room. The owner is ecstatic! "I can't express my happiness with words"
1 month: Sophie has actually walked out of her room pretty regularly now. She just had a wander around the apartment. The owner usually sits by the side and supervises her and Maomao. Whenever Sophie sees Maomao, she lies down on her side to show her tummy and occasionally, Maomao also does that to Sophie. The two cats are now fed on opposite sides of a door (opened by a crack). A very recent development is that Sophie will walk out of her room to eat out of Maomao's bowl (even though she has her own!) and Maomao is happy to continue eating from it afterward. One main concern is that Maomao really loves to chase Sophie around (body language seems to be playing -- no ears pointed flat and back, hissing nor claws out) and Sophie has never chased Maomao around. The two are showing good signs of getting along. Currently, Sophie is let out 20 minutes during mealtimes so that the two can mingle and so Maomao will stop chasing Sophie around. Sophie claws at the door every time she is put back inside and meows like she wants to be out again. It is definitely still a work in progress between the two but their relationship is looking quite good.

Cosmo (formerly Whitney)

1 day: When the owners first brought Whitney home, she tucked herself away for a couple of hours but then she came out at night time, wanted to play and explore everywhere. She is doing amazing settling in so far, having used her litter tray (which is wonderful). She has not been eating as much as expected though they suspect that she will eat some more once she is more comfortable. The owners have also decided to change her name to Cosmo which she has surprisingly responded to. She has since been super affectionate and has lots of yarn (knitted into squares and other craft projects) to play with!
1 week: Cosmo has definitely got her appetite back which is amazing. She is so affectionate, it has made the owners cry a couple of times. She has since explored the rest of her home at her own pace and now she is content to be their cuddle bug.

Whitney/Cosmo

1 month: Cosmo is completely settled in and everyone is still as obsessed with her as they have been since Cosmo first came home.

Scout

1 day: Scout is currently in the guest bedroom. She is eating and drinking but has not used the litter tray yet. She has explored the room a bit as Tania (the wife) noticed a key had been knocked off from the window sill. Garry (the husband) has just spent about 30 minutes sitting in the room with Scout for her to get used to him being there. She had a sniff of his hand and is definitely slowly getting used to the new environment. Tania likes the name so Scout will stay Scout.
1 week: Scout is doing well and wants company. The couple has let her out a few times to explore. Their resident cat Myf is not at all impressed with the new housemate; having seen Scout a couple of times at a distance and hisses and growls. Myf was outside Scout's door hissing the other day. Scout was lounging on the husband's lap earlier this morning.

Scout

1.5 weeks: There has been a backward step with Scout as she pooed in the dining room yesterday and the day before. She even pooed and weed today; all in the same spot. This is very likely a response to Myf. The previous morning, Myf headed downstairs when Scout was out (Myf normally stays upstairs on the owners' bed at least until they get out) and there was some hissing. There was also some hissing from Myf in the afternoon though the details are not so clear. Scout is appearing to be more hesitant with the husband and in general from Wednesday night. Scout will stay in her room for the time being until she is ready to go out again (without Myf present).
1 month: Scout is doing well. She now has free reign of the house though Myf is still getting used to the idea of sharing the house. Sometimes, Myf will ignore her but other times Myf will hiss. The introduction process is still ongoing but the relationship seems to be better than before.

Overflow

 There were heaps of vollies today when I arrived at midday. And even more washing up: what with boarders leaving and all the dishes needing to be washed. Everything was washed and taken to the card table to be dried. There was too much for the table. So I suggested that a towel be spread on the floor for the overflow. Silly me. I had to lean down to pick them up to distribute in buckets, etc for tomorrow. 

And there were heaps of kittens for the vollies to caternize (= fraternze with cats).

Team caternize

Cleo's four are in the stand alone just inside the door. They look different out of the Canin stand-alone in Incoming. (Jasmine and her lot are in there now. They too look different at face level rather than on the floor.) Cleo is above Ginger George and has is rated a 1. Perhaps she will settle down when she realises that she doesn't have kittens any more.

Midnight and Pumpkin are where Kitty was. They are a bonded pair.

Pumpkin and Midnight

 

Our Rhapsody (who came in with Mia and a bunch of kittens) is back as a boarder. Her name is Silky now. She has a house mate at home but they are in separate, single condos.

Rhapsody now Silky

Silky's housemate

 

We have new signage for the Play Place that indicates which boarders should have time there. One pair should have had two turns there and they are due to leave in two days, so I popped them into the play place. They immediately hid: one in the tunnel and the other in the stratchy pole box. I understand from the owners that they don't get on too well at home. After they had been in the play place for an hour and a half without moving from their hiding places, I decided it was time for the other boarders who had paid for play. The one in the tunnel was easy enough to get back into their condo: I picked her up in it. The other in the box was NOT going to come out. I imagine that she is still there unless Katie was able to entice her out with food. But she is pretty chubby and well wedged into the hidey hole.

Tabby Adoption Tails: Mia, Finn, Coffee, JJ

 Mia

1 day: Mia is doing quite okay. She settled in after a couple of hours pretty easily. She is doing fine and will be keeping her name. She was exploring her room in a matter of hours, sometimes meowing and requesting attention and pats.

Mia

1 week: The owners have brought into Mia's room a few soft items but she does not seem very interested. They were wondering if they should leave her a light on at night so it is not pitch black and if she gets bored/lonely at night. Mia has not done anything mischievous at night so they think she is probably ok. She has started to explore one other room right next to her safe room and likes to sleep on the couch. Sometimes Mia will run back while exploring outside her room. The owners have noticed that whenever she meows, Mia usually wants treats or to sit on somebody's lap.
1 month: Mia has been very sweet. She makes great company and is a huge lap cat.

Mia = lap cat

 

Finn

1 day: Finn is doing amazing, the owner has him in just one room for now. After a few days, she has started to slowly introduce her other cats to Finn and they are actually all doing quite well. Finn is so friendly and kind.

Finn

1 week: Finn is doing very well, currently sitting on the owner's friend's lap. The resident cats have adjusted to Finn's presence where Jiji (the oldest) is beginning to see Finn as a little brother. Jiji is fine with Finn, even playing together if Finn's initiation to play is accepted. Jiji does not hiss nor try to swat him. Anubis (other resident cat) only hisses occasionally now and is adjusting to Finn and being around each other without complaining. Finn is doing well and loves to steal food off the owner's plate so that he can play with it. "He is such a beautiful, loving and amazing cat."

Finn lap cat

 
1 month: no response

Coffee

1 day: Coffee is doing quite well at adapting to a new environment. He is eating and drinking well. Earlier in the morning, he was happy to cuddle with James (the son) and eager to step out of the room. He is quite curious about what goes on downstairs but will take more time before taking his first steps down. Currently, Coffee is only on short exploration visits to outside his room. The parents would prefer to keep Coffee's name while James may have his own idea.

Coffee curious

5 days: Coffee still has a bit of a stuffy nose these days and the owners can hear him snoring with some funny sounds. That aside, he eats well and plays well with the occasional sneeze. He runs around like a pony and always tries to climb up to their shoulders, the owners are adjusting to this new bonding fashion. He purrs a lot and sometimes has to be kicked out of the bedroom because it is so loud that they can't sleep.
1 week: Coffee has been to every corner of the house and has thoroughly inspected every inch he could get to. He has been sleeping on every bed but his favourite spot is on the sofa for a nap or sleeping through the whole night. His congestion has been mostly fine other than 2 times when he sneezed and a bit of brown nasal discharge came out. Overall, he is such a lovely boy and is always keen to follow and watch whatever the owners are doing. He is not even shy to strangers when they had visitors over, even with young naughty boys running and yelling! He even runs to the door bell when they have visitors, acting just like a dog!

Coffee comfy

1 month: Coffee has been such a playful, curious and affectionate kitten like always. He is lovely, loves being accompanied and has never been naughty. He is now 3.2kg and in good health despite the occasional sneeze with a bit of mucus.

JJ, now Cleo

1 day: Little JJ is fine, except that she has pooped everywhere. She is currently in a crate with big sheet covering it with just one side open and is eating and drinking just fine.
1 week: JJ is now called Cleo and she is doing really well! She has not pooped everywhere but the owners have found a couple outside the litterbox so they think Cleo must've flung them out on her way out of the litterbox. She is now spending more time wandering around the room than just in the crate she was initially set up with though she still sleeps in it overnight. The family will keep her inside the room for about another week or so before introducing her to the rest of the house as well as planning on how to introduce Cleo to their dog. The family loves her so much already!

JJ/Cleo cuddle

1 month: Cleo is just beautiful and the whole family ADORE her so much! She has made friends with Lexi (the dog) who will even show Cleo her tummy. Lexi was initially terrified and the family had to work on the two meeting and playing really slowly. Cleo was never bothered - she's brave! Now Lexi has got her head around Cleo's way of playing and their relationship is much better. Cleo often tries to snuggle up but Lexi can get unnerved and run away. Cleo is really happy and the family feel like their lives are whole again. They love cats and Cleo is perfect!

JJ/Cleo and friend

Such nice customers

 Christmas brings out the best in folk. . . and brings them in flocks to Safe Haven! 

There was a stream of folk bringing in their cats to board. Sixteen condos were occupied with boarders this afternoon. Some have more than one cat in them. Madeline is back. She was immediately relaxed. Her people were happy to leave her with us.

The afternoon was crowded with morning vollies lingering to cuddle cats. Ginger George took advantage of any pats that were passing. But don't accept his offer to stroke his tummy even though he does roll over to display its delicious gingerness. New vollies need to be told to confine their caresses to above the shoulders of the vast majority of cats.

We had adoptions. One woman came to do the paperwork for two kittens in foster. She kept writing reminders for herself on her phone. Vander and Hercules will be well organised cats.

Penwing went home with the family who adopted JJ whom they adore. They have changed her name to Cleo but might change it to Alley (after hearing their history) to go with Penwing whose name will be changed to (Christmas) Angel.

And four lots of folk came to look at the cats. They take as long as the adoptions, if not longer because they linger. One woman who was brought in by her friend (male: always has had German Shepherds). She kept flooding with tears. Amber was a spouting spot.

Amber

And Feli (Felicies . . . perhaps as in Felix Navidad?) loved her on sight. More sobs. They went away to think about it.

Feli

A mum and her daughter had chosen Freya from the website. She behaved beautifully. They went home to talk dad into a kitten to go with their older cat, dog and horse! Freya's brother Earl had lots of attention from another couple who didn't make a rash decision. If they think too long he may be gone.

Freya and Earl keen to go

At 4pm another family arrived looking for kittens. Luckily I was up to my ears in dinner and chicken so Tim dealt with them. I had help with the dinners from Joy and Vi who came back to the site of the dreaded denture demise to cuddle the odd kitten (and pay for the stuff that I couldn't get the Square to charge on Wednesday.) One of Jasmine's kittens keeps on changing what he wants to eat. He regularly rejects Baby Cat pate! an unusual kitten.

Vi with a full smile

Busy being Sandy

 Today I was supposed to be Sandy in the afternoon but Catsie needed a lift to Safe so we went together early. We arrived before the Garbos and schlepped out all the poo bags. Thanks, Catsie. There were lots of volunteers which was a good thing because there was lots of work.

Catsie was put to work decorating Better Row where Boarders will go. The Naughty Row cats have all been moved next door to Dr Kim's. They liked the change last year. It will be interesting to see if they like it this year. Some may remember the change of scenery/venue (eg Melody). Catsie thought that she would be on light duties until she had a good look at the condos. Many needed a proper scrub (eg Melody's). But they all look clean and stylish now . . . Better.

Better Row

I moved one huge carrier to on top of the play place and pushed another into the space behind so that there is space for the boarder's carriers above the condos. I also tidied up the food shelves, again.

Joy had a distraction when home rang to ask if she had taken out her Mum's rubbish to the garbos. Of course she had. Unfortunately, her mum had tossed out her bottom denture plate with the burned toast. Joy managed to get her a first appointment for a replacement tomorrow. But Vi will be eating pureed Christmas dinner as it takes 4 visits to get a new plate made. 

Margot with Joy

One of our vollie's gym coach arrived to adopt Margot. She is a strong looking woman. I also would have said "Of course, you can adopt her". But with Margot in her arms, she melted. She has a boy cat who roams all over her two storey house and two boy dogs who live downstairs. Margot will queen it over all of them.

Dexter was adopted over the weekend and Freya and Earl are in his stand alone. Beans has moved into Margot's condo next to Phantom who is getting to be a bossy boots. He cries until you let him run around.

Amber cries too. . . . for attention.

Amber

Juliette has been renamed Jane, just in case Romeo tracks her down when she gets posted again.

Jane

We do have a lot of dark cats who look good with bright toys.

Nada

Libby

Chi Chi

LATE BREAKING NEWS

The plate was in Vi's dressing gown pocket all the time! Joy had to cancel tomorrow's emergency appointment. Vi may still have to eat pureed turkey on Sunday.

No prize for guessing. . .

. . . .  which of the Abba kittens got adopted first! They were posted on Wednesday. I was surprised that they were all still there for a pair of Chinese women to choose one this afternoon. The women played with the kittens for ages while I organised the bucket full of food sachets that Catsie magic-ed out of Pet-O. I think the treats bin will have to be moved to the shelf in the main cat room. It has been pushed onto the dish shelf. Plus we are expecting another Purina delivery before Christmas. Where will that go?

Eventually, the grey kitten, Cosmo, was chosen. One of the women went home to Artarmon to pick up the carry cage. I did the adoption while Ginger George wandered around our feet being charming. (Don't know why she didn't change her mind.) But she took in a kitten from the street 20 years ago when she was first a student here in Sydney. It lived to be 17 years old with a 16 year old chihahuahua. They were both taken home to Hong Kong. She is now back in Sydney with a 6 year old daughter and has been watching our website for months until the Abba kittens popped up. The daughter will have such a happy Christmas.

Cosmo and siblings

I distributed bits of chicken and the very last condo was a surprise. It houses a British Shorthair who was surrendered because he was peeing in the wrong places and was trying to dominate the teenaged son of the family. . . . . . the Battle of the Smelly. (I will try to take a photo next week and note his name). He is grey.

Christmas thanks and mood

 Earlier in the week a 6 year old boy came with a donation. He asked his friends to give money to Safe rather than to buy him a present. He gave us $350. What an entrepreneur!

And the Eleanora Heights Vets had a donation drive for us over the weekend. I picked up their Safe money box and it held $202.85. 

And thanks to all the vollies who are pulling extra shifts over the holidays.

Joy brought in some deco/toys to get the cats in a festive mood for her photo shoot.

Phantom took it lying down.

Pumpkin and Midnight have heard that he is to go to the vet  tomorrow.

Margot was at the vet today. She is to go into Wanda's condo because somebody has taken Wanda home for foster care.

Kate and Helena were not impressed

Winnie/Demi was more interested in getting out of the condo for a little wander.

Tiger was not enthusiastic.

But he did like a little wander. While he sat on the chair that gave him access to his upper condo, Ying who lives below him, got up to see what was going on. He doesn't usually bother to unwrap himself until almost dinner time. I think he needs a buddy.

And Mariko bought one fluffy tail with a bell and a hook to attach to a stick for every cat. They are laced with catnip so there was frolicking.

Suki died on Saturday. She lived at least 27 lives . . . . at full volume. She will be much missed.

Suki