New cats

 I went around Better Row and met the new cats shortly after I got to SH at lunch time.

Mike looked depressed. When I went by at the end of my shift he was in exactly the same position.

Mike

But I gave Will (below him) a Woolies paper bag then that somebody had donated stuff in. Will had a lovely time fighting his way out of it after getting into it! Mike might need a nap now.

Next to Mike is an odd pair of kittens: Ollie 4-6months and Bassie 2-4 months. Poor little Bassie was exiled to the lower level when I arrived because he is too little to jump up to the bed box. So I added a stratchy pole and he figured it out and went to sleep.. . . . at last.

I got a call from the Cat Taxi. She was double parked downstairs in the loading zone so I went down to relieve her of her delivery. She had two folders for Zena and Duke. And two occupied cat carriers in the back of her taxi-mobile. When I put one carrier over my shoulder I stood erect. When I added the other carrier, I tipped over. That cat is seriously heavy!

From the paperwork supplied, Zenia is the tabby and Duke is the heafty ragdoll. The carriers have their names attached and are stored above their present condo. We must remember to give them away with the cats when they get adopted.

Zena and DUKE

The man who fell for Micka and Loki on Wednesday, did come back on Thursday to adopt them but in the meantime, Loki had developed a seriously flu-like cough/snuffle. So they have been taken off the available list. He came to visit today and will come back next week to check up on them. He didn't ask to meet any other cats. He just sat on the poof and talked to "his" cats.

Mieka and Loki

PS: I wrote a pattern for the Elizabethan collars I sew for female cats who get desexed. Happy to share it if you would like a copy.

A recurring pattern?

Today Marmalade and Duke went to be desexed. 

Duke and Marmalade

They are both ginger,  have been with us since they were tiny kittens and it was just assumed that they were both boys. They came back Marmalade and Duchess! They had a lovely trip to the vet on a sunny morning. They haven’t, perhaps, ever seen or felt sunshine. They pressed their bodies against the door of their carry cage to absorb the warmth.

And we are not quite sure if Saffron is a boy or a girl. His/her tummy has the typical, desexed female sag/spare handbag. We did manage to remove the remaining clumped bits of fur from his/her side this afternoon with the rechargeable trimmer.

The fluffy pair of the C kittens originally named Clementine, Claudius, Cornelius and Cordelia and all tortie, to a greater or lesser degree, went to be desexed and came back to their sisters all with Elizabethan collars this weekend. (The vast majority of torties are girls and if they are boys they are XXY and sterile which would save us money.) A group of young folk who are about to move into a flat where they have permission to have a cat came to look at some of our older cats. Then they saw the C kittens and fell for them. They will watch the website like demons and come in at the first listing to claim one.

There was lots of mixing of cats in the Top Cat in spread out mode. . . ie rather than just being the extension of one condo, you can stretch the Top Cat so that is creates a ”fenced” area in Welfare. Most cats don’t seem to realize that they can scale the mesh sides of the condos and climb up to the top where they can hide amongst the carriers (which is a great relief. Even though Opie often clambers up there to lord it over everybody else). So we mixed Tibby, Tabby, Alfredo, Helena and Kate who all got on well. After we put them away, we wheeled in Lola and let her out. She hissed at some cats but eventually agreed to play with a fluffy wand toy. She put herself back into her stand alone after 20 minuets so I wheeled her out and rewarded her with the chicken remnants. She licked the spoon clean.
Outside the Top Cat, Tiger, Ginger George and Maxwell all enjoyed separate, stretchy walks to entertain the confined cats in that area. Opie disported himself in Incoming.

Opie on (Katie's) his desk

Maxwell is a very handsome boy. His squinty right eye is because that eyelid has had surgery to correct  an inward roll which made his eyelashes scratch his retina. It doesn't stop him talking. . . as long as there is someone  to talk back to  him.

Maxwell

Ginger George conquers Vicky

 This afternoon when it was quiet, I let Ginger George out for a wander. Vicky said that she is wary of him. So I sat him on my lap and brushed him. Gave the brush to Vicky. Ginger wandered over to her to get more. Love at first brush stroke!

Vicky and Ginger George

Earlier she asked me about Salazar because she was writing up his profile. I told her how cuddly he is. Eventually a vollie was giving him a hug (or vice versa) and I told her to take him into Opey's room where Vicky was so that she could see for herself what a smoocher he is. He reminds me of Jimmy Durante . . . . short, kind of ugly but very lovable with a great voice. Here is a photo of him when he had been with us for less than a week.

Salazar and Katie

Calvin is a contortionist cat. He still has a weepy eye but seems fine otherwise. And Vivienne is getting more loving by the minute.

Calvin

Joy took some photos of the Quarantine cats for us:

Genie, sister of Rajah

Rajah

Marmalade and Duke

 

 

And Maxwell who has recovered from his ringworm and was happy to have a clean condo at last.

Maxwell

Around 3:30pm a couple arrived laden with bags of "towels and sheets". I said "thank you for the towels but no thank you to the sheets". They gave us one bag of towels (4) and took away 5 bags of sheets. (Phew). They got the quick whip around to meet the cats as a reward for thinking of us as they downsize. They have a cat at home who they hope to pass on to a daughter-in-law. As it is a Burmese, I am sure that that will work.

Cleo adopted

 Cleo was adopted today by the nice grandmother who came with her granddaughter last week (or two?) She wanted to wait until after her weekend guests had visited to choose a cat so that she could spend quality time with the new cat. She certainly got all the tips and tricks that she could out of Lucy and Tim so I hope that she is prepared for Cleo's occasional lapses.

Cleo with the reasons that she is occasionally testy

Tofu was adopted yesterday so the little stand alone is empty again.  It seems to be the good luck cage at the moment (probably because it usually has a kitten in it.) Everybody is charmed by Puss who is just inside the front door including a family of 3 women and 3 kids who came late this afternoon, looking for a young cat suitable for kids. The older boy was very confident with all the cats . . . Ginger George let this boy stroke his flank after he flopped on this side at their collected feet. But the younger ones were a bit wary (wise kids) and there is a 3year old at home. They will look at the blog for the kittens who are in foster homes that we know are acclimated to children. Libby asked not to be shown to children.

Libby

Jolene's back legs are improving. She walks on them now. She will be ready to run with Tabby and Phantom soon.

Jolene

Marmalade and Duke are feeling much better.

Marmalade and Duke

Robyn spent some time in the play place with Ruby and company so that she could cool down after being in the kitchen. We need to set up a fan in there on hot days with lots of washing up.

Ruby the mother

We don't know who is whom and the fourth was

asleep in a hidey hole.

Ginger cats Adoption Tails: Duke and Lobster

 Duke

1 day: Duke is doing very well, having eaten almost as soon as he was inside his safe room in his new home. He has used the litter tray and LOVES his food.

Duke

1 week: Duke is going very well and is trying to make friends with Shadow (cat adopted from SAFE last year).

Duke and Shadow

1 month: Duke is doing really well and has integrated into the family very well. He and Shadow groom each other and watch the rest of the family eat dinner.

Duke love

Lobster

1 day: Lobster is well and has settled right in, having been eating and drinking. He is still called Lobster at this point.
1 week: Lobster is exploring everywhere and surprisingly gentle when playing. He hangs out with everybody in the family and is settling in very well.

Lobster

1 month: Lobster is in great form. Not only is he great with everybody in the family, he has become good friends with the chickens too. He has also taken to the academic side of life in sharing the burden of his owner's work.

Lobster helps

Humungous cat trees

 We were given (perhaps) three boxes containing "cat trees". The boxes are reasonably sized: about knee high, thigh long, forearm wide. But the constructed cat tree is tall. Thank goodness for Arch who   in put together his own cat's tree and knows how to read instructions even thought those instructions were very meager. Thank you Arch. 

Not completely erected cat tree

We decided to charge $175 for the erected one and $150 for the two still in their boxes.

 Soon after we started to put it together a customer arrived. A very nice young woman who hasn't had a cat before but her brother got one from us (renamed Remi) and she wanted her own, friendly, cuddly cat. Macy went onto the adopted list today. She was perfect for this woman. They will be very happy together.

And Geoff, who always forgets to clock on has devised the following icon for logging into Shelter Buddy. It is at the upper left corner of the main cat room computer screen.

As soon as I walked in this afternoon I was told that we had a new, adorable kitten in Incoming. Eventually I got around to her:

Not that much cuter than her next door neighbours in the stand alone: 

Cosmo, Duke, Freya, Olivia

Katie will know who is who. They lived with her for a while.

What happened to Linda's whiskers

 I put Linda and Yoko into the play place today. I wanted to give them a good brush. It worked last week when I brushed Bubbles (but not Cheena). They got adopted over the weekend. So I am hopeful that the brush will work its magic on L & K. Sammy and Cypher were adopted over the weekend too without any help from me. On one side of her face, Linda has a crop of short whiskers. The other side's whiskers are long and graceful. What happened?

Short ones with a few long ones

We tried Kiki in the Top Cat. She finally figured out how to get down, after I leaned the stratchy pole against her condo but wasn't very happy. She was much happier this morning playing soccer with a ping pong ball while lying in her carrier.

Long way down Kiki

Mia was happy as long as she was being cuddled. There are plenty of volunteers for that job. Mia is where Pluto was. Pluto has been adopted.

Mia with Sandy

Taylor also played soccer with his ping pong ball but he was bouncing about behind his igloo. I've never seen him so active in all the time he has been with us.

Taylor

Wanda has got over her horrors at being back in the institution and is the sweet mum cat who adopted two stray kittens along with her own and then had Midsummer added to the litter later.

Wanda

Lobster was adopted today to a family who missed out on Duke. They will probably change his name to Charles. He will come back as a boarder to delight his fans at Safe Haven.

Empty boarding row

 Look at that! Completely empty after Wal-E went home today. All ready and waiting for the deluge (20 bookings) for the coming holidays. What a good thing, for me, the folk didn't realise that tomorrow is a public holiday and extend their vacation by two days. (They probably were not able to change their bookings!)

 After I finished feeding the Incoming cats their breakfast I went out back to find Cyber on top of the play place crying to be helped down. I thought I had put the clip on their condo after I fed them but can't have done it right. Where was Sammy? Not down the corridor, thank goodness, not under the merchandise shelves, not on top of the condos. Eventually I found him under the dirty washing tub shelf. . . . close to the food, of course. As I had helped Cyber down into the play place, I enticed Sammy with some food, picked him up and put him in there too. Too much excitement before 9am!

Star and Truffles had a turn in the play place too. Geoff has fixed the giant scratchy pole which Star really appreciated.

Star

Truffles

 There were three sets of visitors this afternoon, all female. The first older woman came to look at a replacement for her British shorthair who died a year ago. She wants somebody who will not sit on her too much because she has a bad back. A very experienced owner, she rather liked Duke. . . . what's not to like! She will come back in a few days when she gets back from babysitting.

Prue helping the new vollie by holding Duke

Then a young woman came looking for a friend for her 12 month old boy cat. She did fancy Pearl who is a loving armful now that she has got over the indignity of being surrendered. She needs to talk to her partner.

Pearl

Then a mum came in with her 3 daughters including twins who want a cat each. It was nice to be able to show the pairs. They had a good cuddle with Linda but Yoko didn't play nice. They will be back. The younger daughter liked Pluto but she doesn't sound at all well. . . . she gasps when she purrs. And Truffles loved the girls.

Pluto

Cleo is getting that  exhausted new mum look and eats everything given to her.

Cleo plus 4

 

Ginger magic

 Gina was chosen yesterday and her excited person came in today to do the paperwork. I think they will be very happy together. Gina didn't quite make the website.

Gina

The woman who adopted Coco last week thought she would be able to pick her up today after her ankle surgery yesterday. Wishful thinking, I thought. She didn't come. Skittles is happy to have her mum with her as long as possible.

Coco and Skittles

The smelly boys below Hana have been desexed. Duke is out back until a single condo becomes available.

Duke

Bowie is still on naughty row because he had an undescended testicle and had to have exploration in his abdomen to find it. He is wearing a collar (of shame). And didn't pose for a photo.

We have an new big faced ginger boy in the main room with a name that starts with a Z. . . . impossible for either Joy (thanks for all the photos!) or I. He is very chilled. [Zatoichi is his name. He was with a foster carer who named him after a blind eyed Samurai because Zatoichi had Entropion surgery done at the beaches vet. The rescuer kept him until we had a spot at SAFE. . . . thank you Irene. As it is a Japanese name it will be pronounced Za - toe - itchy]

Zatoichi

Also new out front is Eric and Lucy. Don't know where they came from but one is friendly and the other hissy. Lucy and Eric are siblings, who were in separate foster homes for 6 weeks. Lucy was bitten by a dog and had part of her tail amputated. They were rescued from Condell Park way.

Eric and Lucy

And Leon and Teddy have moved into Suzie's double. Can't tell them apart either.

Teddy?

Leon?

More questions. . . . Kiki is supposed to be a black cat. But when I tried out a cunning brush* on her this afternoon, her face looked black but her back looked deep, delicious, chocolate brown.

Kiki

* Sandy and I sorted through the three containers of brushes, combs, nail clippers and other grooming aids. One was a glove with plastic knobs all over. To see if it worked  I tried it on Kiki. She loved it and I looked closely at her fur.

** The three containers are nicely separated and arranged now. Worn out or otherwise useless tools have been discarded.