The quiet before December

I hope we have a deluge of customers in December. Nobody got adopted over the weekend. But Taylor did die, unexpectedly. He has never looked a healthy cat but last week he happily played with his ping pong ball. 

There are more kittens in Incoming. Guess what colour. . . . black and white of course. The mum (Toni, I think) hides and hisses in a carrier in crate but the 4 kittens happily rush out to greet you. I bundled them into a carry cage (on top of Margot's crate) to clean their crate which is under Margot's crate. Margot, incidentally is just over 1 Kg. And Midnight is 0.95 Kg: not far behind although considerably younger. There will be kittens in Xmas stockings.

Midnight

Joy took some lovely photos:

Demi and Winnie are getting friendlier and more photogenic.

Demi and Winnie

Sydney is getting bold enough to come out in the morning to do his Diego imitation.

Sydney

Kate and Helena are getting to be grown up supermodels.

Helena and Kate

And Phantom is still everybody's bestie.

Phantom

Except for Pluto who has devoted slaves.

Pluto

Adoption Tails: Snuffles, Truffles and Leo

 Leo

1 day: He is a gorgeous boy. He’s a little bit shy and hasn’t eaten the food yet but he has eaten some treats from her son’s hand. For renaming, it’s up to her son, but they currently call him Leo.

 1 week: He has been exploring everywhere very curiously. “He is such a sweet and adorable boy. Everybody loves him now”. Her son has decided not to change his name.

1 month: “He is such a gorgeous loveable kitten! He is getting more comfortable day by day. Everybody is in love with him. And he is my favourite boy”

Truffles

1 day: She is doing really well and they are keeping her name. She has used the litter and is eating and drinking. “We are very happy to have her in our family.”

1 week: She is going very well and explores everywhere now. They got another kitten who’s 3 months old and they are getting along really well.

Truffles 1 week

1 month: She is doing really well, relaxed and happy to roam the house.

Snuffles

1 day: She has been renamed Zoe. She is going well and is still getting used to her new place. She is eating and drinking and has used the litter box.

1 week: Zoe is going really well. She is very confident now and walks around the house. She’s a lot more settled and has improved a lot from last week.

Snuffles, 1 week

 1 month: They got her a climbing tree which she loves to play on. She is very cuddly at night.
 

Adoption Tails: Sarah, Beauty, Princess and Precious

 Sarah

Sarah 1 week

1 day: Sarah is doing well. She hasn’t used the litter tray or been eating very much. She’s hidden in her boxed area that was set up yesterday and has today migrated to underneath the owner’s bed.

2 days: She’s made a massive amount of progress since yesterday. She has come out of hiding and is very affectionate towards her owner. She seems very comfortable and slept next to her owner in bed last night.

1 week: Sarah is going great. She has been venturing out all around the house, especially at night. She seems very comfortable.

1 month: No response

Beauty

Beauty

1 day: She’s settling in slowly. She’s moved out of the cat carrier into a large box with a bed and blanket covering it. She also has 3 other cushioned enclosures. She has used the litter tray but hasn’t eaten much. They won’t be renaming her as she is a beautiful cat and her name suits her.

1 week: She is eating much better and is drinking water. She is definitely playing but still hiding. Her owner walked in when she was out of the hiding place and she walked back to her spot instead of running. She has continued to make progress.

1 month: They are giving her treats once a week. She eats and drinks well. She plays a lot around the house at night with her toys. She’s getting more adventurous all the time and lets her owner get closer too. “I'm so happy that she is here”.

 

Princess and Precious

 1 day: They have been eating and using their litter tray. They’re still hiding during the day but have been actively exploring and playing at night. They’ve been able to pat Precious and have even gotten her purring. Princess isn’t yet ready for cuddles. Their names are under discussion and Precious might change to Coco.

1 week: They are definitely exploring. Last night they woke their owners up with a surprise attack on their feet!

1 month: Precious has been renamed Coco, and Princess’ name has not been changed. Coco is very affectionate but they still can’t touch Princess.

Another Ginger

 There is a new Ginger, Beans in Incoming who looks and acts just like Ginger (George) who had a fine time in the play place yesterday demanding attention and head rubs. I wonder if they will become buddies.

Beans

There is another mother, Joni with 4 kittens behind a thick towel. No photo yet. But the "do not open" sign has been removed from Olga + 1.

not happy Olga + 1

I noticed that Amelia's top hammock has been used for a scratchy pole and needs repair so replaced it with one that is a little higher so that she cannot so easily hide on her right shelf.

Lola in the next stand alone, gave me a "hand" when I tied the back strings.

And Dexter's hammock seems to have stretched. I didn't disturb him.

Dexter

It was nice to see Sydney out in the late afternoon when it got quiet.

Sydney

More sad and glad

Earl and co have moved from Incoming to the Palace and Midnight and his mum have moved to the condo above Honey. 

Pluto purrs on any lap and Penwing is back. He has gingivitis and is on meds so perhaps that is why he is back.

Penwing

One of our fosterers came in with more cats from the deceased estate that Opie came from. These are Lil Pete and Lil Sweetie. Neither is very little. Both are tuxedos. Lil Sweetie talked all the way in in the car but didn't say anything once she was out of that horrible carry cage. Coco and Chester came from the same house that had 16 cats, a dog, some rabbits and goodness knows what else.

Dora went back to fosterer Claire's and has settled in brilliantly. Her mum was adopted from there last week. And the other foster cat that Claire had, Amber, has moved to us.  Amber is 6-12 months (closer to 6, I'd say) and she had 7 kittens all of whom died. Way too young to get pregnant. She is where Sophia was.

Amber

Olga brought in another cat whom we have called Olga. She had her 3 kittens at the local primary school. This is the same school that kitten Mary came from, brought in by Olga. Only one of her kittens has survived.

The sad in the glad

 I was delighted yesterday to notice that 5 cats had disappeared from our website's "Available for Adoption" list: Dora and Deigo, Lisa, Sophia and Scout (of Gia and Scout: the grey. . . . of course).

Sophia went with the woman who adopted Scotch not long ago.

Sophia

You can see why he wanted a grey haired cat:

Scout's adopters

And don't these folk look perfect to love Lisa as she deserves:

Lisa ready to go home

Dora and Diego were also missing from the available for adoption list. But, Terry wrote:

Sadly those adoptions and the amount of merchandise we sold yesterday was soon forgotten when Diego had a seizure late yesterday afternoon.  He and Dora had been playing around the office as usual when he went back to his condo, layed down and started gasping for breath. I ran next door to see if Dr Kim was there. As I came back to our office Fiona rushed him next door. I think he died in her arms.
After quickly leaving messages for Katie and Tim I ran next door to be with him.

Dr Kim said there was nothing she or us could have done for him. He had a genetic heart problem that was going to cause his death at some point of time. Like a young athlete suddenly dropping dead she said.

It was extremely upsetting for Fiona and I. I had a really tough night as you could imagine.

Diego with Dora behind when they first came to us

 I have often said that Dora should have been called Delores to go with Diego. Now she will be Dolorous.

Is there an elephant in the room?

Leo ate some chicken. He didn't eat much and he had ignored his breakfast. But I think he has enough storage to keep body and soul together until he gets whisked off to either foster or be adopted.

Leo

And Pluto ate her breakfast when I diluted it with chicken juice. Evidently the person who unadopted her is having second thoughts because they miss her purrs so much. I think we should record her purr and use it as background noise to seduce folk into adopting the nearest cat.

A couple came this afternoon to look at Yuki. And at everybody else. They like the idea of taking a difficult cat. Perhaps they will become fosterers as they already have two cats at home. All the cats liked them. They live on the other side of town but will be back.

Cocoa the sole remaining boarder has had his/her card changed to an our cat. Not happy Jan.

Cocoa

And Gia #2 has moved into the stand alone that Robyn scrubbed on Wednesday. She liked it much better in a foster home.

Gia #2

On the bright side: Mia is looking much calmer. She took chicken from my fingers.. . almost.

Mia

And Taylor looks almost clean. . . . .almost.

Taylor

Margot is almost heavy enough to be desexed. And Midnight is already 700gm at 5 weeks!

Margot above, Midnight below with Pumpkin

Lucky or Lizzard

 This morning while putting on my sandals which I keep outside by the front door, I was hissed at by a fat tailed gecko who was sheltering under my walking boots! The lizard sounded just like Lucky.  It this an example of convergent evolution?

She was lucky to get a special treat today

We have another wobbly walker. His name is Phantom and he is a delightful fellow. He had a fine time exploring the play place and loved the tunnel. . . so much so that I carried him in it to get him back into his condo. (He had made a big mess there so it was easier to clean with him not in it.)

Phantom

Later in the day we let him wander around the main cat room. He was having a quiet time with Robyn when he saw a friend and staggered over to meet Yin.

Phantom + Yin

 Tibby seems a little steadier on her feet. She is probably getting more exercise with us.

Pluto is back. I don't know why. She seems a bit sad.

Pluto

And Leo is a new surrender. His owner had to go to Israel and reduced everybody to tears when he was delivered on Saturday. He came with an enormous elephant toy and has refused to eat anything since he arrived. He even refused my chicken which I brought in specially for him.

Leo

A woman came in to do the paperwork for Phoebe who is in foster care at Claire's. She checked out everybody else just to make sure that Phoebe is the one she wants. She is. She is also the mother of Diego and Dora and is a tiny cat with a normal tail. She is to live with a boy cat as big as a Maine Coon. Unfortunately the computer decided not to open Shelter Buddy when she was there. But I took her money and gave her forms the others will have to be generated and emailed tomorrow. 

Later on a mother and daughter came with a donation of Bravecto. Their cat died two months ago and they really need a cat. They looked at everybody and the daughter eventually convinced mum that JJ would be perfect and that they really needed to take her home today. Mum checked with her vets about the snuffles and sneezes. One vet said that they would have to don complete PPE before attending to her! Another vet was not so frightened of cat flu.  By the time they made their decision, the computer was almost working again. So JJ has gone to a loving, experienced home . . . . . wrenched away from the loving arms of all my volunteers!

We left Ginger in the Top Cat overnight. He just wants to chat. Robyn and I think his name should be changed to George. He is playboy regal.

Ginger George

Tibby and Tabby play ball

 Geoff sent these photos from yesterday.

Yuki is ready

 I hope the brush prep works for Yuki. She got brushed by a vollie and then I had a go.

Yuki and her hair

She was not going to let me brush her tummy which looks like a rat's nest.

I also brushed the black fur off Max's bed. As Max and his bed were in the play place that didn't endanger my life. He was perfectly happy to have me sit with him. He stroked my legs with his flanks. The rest of the afternoon he looked smug. (And may be there all weekend).

Max

Tibby is a firm favourite with everybody. She gets around very well out of the condo. She even chased a ping pong ball.

Tibby

After I fed everyone chicken we got a delivery of large litter trays. 24 were ordered. Each came in a separate box wrapped in bubble wrap. So we have Xmas present wrapping for everybody. Help yourself.