Gobsmacked

Since I left on Friday at 3:30pm, Soxy, Silky, Amber, George and Lechusa have been adopted.

They have left in the order that they arrived.

I was going to clean the back windows . . .

I did a vet run with the tuxedo's in Incoming first thing. Tim told me to take Socks and Tip. Who is who? He said that Mo is the one who is hardest to catch and has the smallest moustache. But he did microchip Socks and Tip just in case I managed to catch Mo. (One of them is a girl, by the way)

I returned in the afternoon to clean windows but it got busy. A potential fosterer arrived and talked to/at Tim for at least an hour. He measured up for some more shelving. I put some cat carriers together. The first one took 20 minutes. The second one 7 minutes. The third one 4 minutes. And I had had enough and decided to share some chicken. A man brought in his daughter, when Katie was busy elsewhere, to check out Amber. I had just got to them with the chicken. They are not keen on chicken. They like hands touching them even less. The daughter is doing her HSC and has a 2 year old cat who is full of energy. The plan is to get a second cat to entertain the cat so that she can study/give her something to do while she studies from home. Amber really didn't cooperate. I introduced them to Silky who will take any amount of cuddles when there is chicken on offer. The daughter was interested even though Silky shrank away from her. And there are Santa Maria's brood who are very soft, friendly cats (except for George). They should be ready in a few days. They couldn't make up their minds so will bring Mum to help another day. I introduced them to Charlie on their way out because who can resist a Charlie. The one photo I took all afternoon was of Santa Maria standing up because this was the first time I had seen her on her feet.

(But I can share some of Joy's lovely photos from Wednesday.) Another man came in to look at Harry and Harley when Katie was busy elsewhere. He wants a pair of cats for his kids to grow up with. The kids are 4, 7 and 9. He had cats when he was a kid. I suspect that Harry and Harley would be better with older children. He agreed. I introduced Ginger and Lechusa who have just become available. He took videos of them (and Norma and Petite who will be ready really soon) and will be back after consultation with his wife. He loves cats and as soon as the kids go back to school and his shift changes at work he may come to volunteer with us.

Dolly liked her chicken but not as much as cuddles as Joy found out on Wednesday.

Thunder clouds

As I drove south from Avalon around noon, a huge bank of thunderclouds was moving north. The rain came down as I crossed Roseville Bridge. Somewhere must have got hail at least. The cats weren't concerned. They could smell the chicken that I brought with me. Doel was adopted just before I arrived to a family with two small daughters who asked a hundred questions. Katie forgot to give them his cardboard house. It won't be of use to anybody else after being "sterilized". She plans to get in touch with the new owners to coordinate a pass over of his safe house. Valentino has graduated to "out front". He likes this view better.

I took some photos of Chloe after softening her up with chicken. On the web page she looks like a tuxedo instead of the favoured grey and white. Let's hope a better photo gets her adopted.

Some cats have come out of Incoming: George and Lechusa are next to Harry and Harley. I hope the H's learn their manners rather than vice versa.

Norma and Petite are where Mini was. Norma has a very small black spot on her bottom lip (just like Marilyn Munroe's). Petite has black blotches around her mouth.

Tim moved their brother Ginger and Snowy in their box to the condo below Valentines while Katie carried Patches without any fuss. Of course, they are all in the box now.Their mum, Santa Maria is next to Luna. Katie picked her and her bed up. S.Maria clung to the bed and the transfer went smoothly.

Riley was desexed. And is/was wearing an Elizabethan collar. She is a girl! And we don't know if the kitten in Incoming, Billie, is a girl or a boy. How very modern.

Neat morning, messy afternoon

When I arrived at noon there was a family with two small children after a kitten. They chose Kimmy (and vice versa). Then the woman and her daughter who wanted Kimmy on Sunday came in after getting permission from her landlord to have a cat. While Irene was checking out Kimmy, they decided that Chilli really was the better choice for them. They are Spanish speakers and will change his name to something unpronouncable. She has had cats forever so knows what to do. While I checked out Chilli, Irene introduced a woman to all the quiet cats in residence. She had a problem choosing between Soxy and Marmalade. And finally chose . . . . . MARMALADE!

She paid her money and went away without him but promised to be back. She came back at 3:30 having set up her house with everything that he will need . . . . lots of hiding places initially. But we think that they will be a good match. They are both quiet, aloof, self contained folk just aching for somebody to love. And then Robyn came in and talked to Tim about Belle's condition and dietary needs. While she was doing this (and Irene was processing Marmalade) I introduced a woman and her two teenaged sons who really had wanted Kimmy, or a Kimmy-like semi-long haired kitten. I introduced her to the longish haired ones in Incoming. We think that Petite and Norma are the longer haired girls. And then to the delicately grey Lucy and the longer haired of her brothers in Mia and Bella's stand alone. I suspect that the boys will go for Lucy because she will be ready earlier. They are desexed. They just need a vet check and microchip whereas the ones in Incoming need to be there for another week and then go through the vet check, etc. Those boys need a kitten while they are in lockdown to replace the much beloved cat who died last year. They want a longish haired cat because their old cat was. But they don't want a matted cat. I tried to convince them that if they start brushing the kitten while it is young, the cat will enjoy being brushed all its life. I suppose this is true.

They certainly like to cuddle up together. Robyn and I processed Belle and she went home with Robyn. I thought it was warm at Safe Haven today but the cats didn't. Ginger and Lechusa shared a box.

Now that we have spare condos, we have assigned separate condos for Bobby and Doel. While they came as a bonded pair, they have been quarrelling all day. They have gingivitis so are on TD's. A better solution is daily brushing, of their teeth. What's the chance of that while they are cross with each other?

Phantoms and angels

When I arrived, early, the phantom streaker was singing in the shower. I can now report that he is a male to match his long footprints. The angels arrived throughout the morning to fill in and help out. Thankyou especially Catsie and Ros. Because of all of you, I was about to take it easy and leave on time with the cattery looking tidy as well as clean. Riley thought the ghost of Christmases to come had caught up with him when a decoration got caught around his neck. We cut it off and he relaxed.

When I arrived Harry and Harley had been in the play place overnight. Somebody else's turn. So I wheeled their stand alone cage into the play place, put their breakfast into it and waited until they were busy eating to close their door. During the day Bobby and Doel had a turn. Bobby loved it. Better yet when somebody sat with him so he could get more attention. Doel seems to resent the amount of attention he gets but was quite happy to be patted.

Harley the girl, had a lovely time and welcomed company of patters. But Bridie didn't like it although she did put up with cuddles to compensate.

There are new cats in incoming including five big kittens only one of which is on show. You can see another guarding the entrance to the communal box.These are the kittens of Santa Maria who is very shy and is in Incoming as well. She didn't eat at all today.

There is George (ginger) and Lechusa (tortie) where Bobby and Doel were. She stays mostly in one box or the other.

There is a family of four kittens who have moved to where Mia and Bella were:

Because Mia and Bella have been adopted. Their people returned the dog carrier they borrowed to take them home. It seems the cats have decided to hide under the buffet . . . . in a space smaller than a mouse. I gave them a feather toy to entice them out. If that doesn't work I gave them the left over chichen necks from today. If they had been in residence there wouln't have been any left overs. And Mimi was picked up this morning. She went into their carrier without any fuss. (Admititedly, I had not given her any crunchies at breakfast time but scattered some in their carrier. It might have helped). So it has been a fabulous weekend for adoptions with homes found for Anthony and Cleopatra, Cooper, Miyuki, Lillian (foster home), Lily, Mia, Bella and Mimi. Roll on the lockdown.