Too busy

Safe Haven was a scene of controlled chaos when I arrived at noon. Star had her babies overnight. They are all black, just like her so are difficult to count.

A foster carer came to take her home but took Zelda instead because she hadn't had her kittens yet. . . . not a good idea to transplant newborns. Then a couple arrived, cats in arms, in tears because they have lost their jobs and their home and need to go back to Germany pronto so can't keep their furbabies. They don't get on very well so are in adjacent condos.

They are Lillie (the name of the month) and Toby (the grey tabby)

Then a "family" of three young adults came to adopt Lucia. They have not had a cat before so needed all kinds of advice and inctructions and support. Tim gently lifted her in her Rose box out of the wheely cage and she stepped out of it into their carry cage. He then gave them the box with instructions to not clean out her hairs. I set up an wheely for Diamond and Hera. Tim transferred them: Diamond to the bottom door and Hera to the top door. Diamond stayed where she was but Hera had to be helped to find a way down to her.

Follow the leader

I picked up litter at Arundel Park again today. They allowed us 20 bags of 15Kg and 20 bags of 500gm which are trial packs for adopters. My little car drove like a stately matron all the way back to SH. And skipped home after all that weight was removed. The bags are now along the wall where they used to be. The three legged cage is now where Lucia's was. Lucia has been moved to the corner of the main room and the huge stratchy pole that was there now sits by the quarrantine chair. I set up the three legged cage for Octavia. But did not participate in moving her. . . . my skin is too tearable. Leo, Loki and Lil have been desexed. They watched all this movement with fascination from the bottom of their wheely cage. I couldn't decide whether they were not feeling so well (Leo has a post operative cough) or that they were waiting for dinner. They missed a meal yesterday which is of great significance to a kitten. I stopped to pat Petal and got a handful of hair. Thursday's warm weather has prompted the shedding of winter coats. So I got a brush and gave her the treatment which she loved. I even brushed Venus who didn't get off her perch on top of the carry cage but tolerated it. As I smelled of their sisters, I decided to move to Steph's boys and give them a turn. They, in true boy cat manner, were even more desperate for attention. Baghera literally crawled into my arms and licked my face while I brushed Ares. What wonderful cats they are. . . . a real tribute to Steph. While I was there I checked on Dolly. One of her kittens was upstairs with her. So I installed a climbing slope. I stuffed a foam plastic place mat that arrived on the laundry shelves about a month ago and I almost tossed out because. . . plastic! place mat! But it stuffed firmly through the hole and the kittens can easily get their claws into the foam. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts. One kitten got the idea immediately.

Others soon followed because I had scattered some baby cat crunchies to distract Dolly.

Soon they were all up there,

except this guy who couldn't work it out. There is one in every family. Maybe his/her name should be Dafty.

Overstaffed Boss Cocky

Today I had two regular vollies plus Sue who was training two more vollies. I enjoyed swanning around looking decorative. (Not). And as I did a final check of waters and doors I noticed that Lil/Loki/Leo had no water. I filled their bowl and immediately all three heads tried to fit into that bowl. So I gave them another. . . . . which they will probably overturn overnight. Lucia has been desexed and still wears a collar. When I gave her breakfast she got out of her box (Yellowglen Rose. . . very good taste for a Liverpool cat) and I took her collar off because her right front leg was sticking out of it as well as her head. She retired to her box and stayed there all day. I sat on the floor beside her and tried to entice her out of it by pats and loving words but it didn't work. She purred and appreciated the attention but wasn't falling for the trick. But as I was about to leave, she emerged and allowed me to put it back on her. And purred again. The sister of the woman who surrendered Abbie called to ask after her. I took the phone with me and Abbie talked to her, purred and drooled. Even the attention of a mobile phone is good to Abbie. Later I came back with a brush and gave her lots of time. She loved it. I had to wipe her drool from the floor. . . together with the hair. Like Katie she never stops moving for a photograph.

Another cat that loves attention is Tammy 6. Tammy 1 doesn't like attention. She is the wild one that introduced the dread disease but recovered. Tammy 6 is the fluffy ginger with freckles on her nose.

We have a rash of black cats including Star who now rooms with Rita (except at mealtimes).

Windsor is black.

As are Buddy and Petey whose distinguishing features are one white whisker and only one front leg.

Tabbies Rule: Joy reports

Three new tabbies dominate the stand alone in the back area and are all friendly, inquisitive & energetic as tabbies are ..... you really would have a difficult time distinguishing the difference between Lil, Loxi and Leo!

Opposite Lucia is enjoying her new abode in another stand alone and whilst she was hiding in her red wine box early morning by lunchtime had found the hammock far more comfortable ..... she really is such a little delicate pretty cat .....

New Mum Dolly (in boarding) with her kittens hissed and carried on when I went to clean the condo, so much that whilst you’d presume she was protecting her 5 kittens, she herself disappeared into the car carrier and left them all running around quite happily. Too funny.

Nom has taken Centre stage now occupying Big Ginge’s empty suite - he looks like the cat who’s found the cream. Perhaps now he’ll let us all in without trying to take our arm off! Little Angelique seems happy playing on her own and Mum, Ashleigh did make an appearance & sit on top of her condo (& the other little shy kitten Amber too) but it’s really all about Angelique, she’s such a cutie .... do hope they all get to have a stand alone soon so they will all have the opportunity to communicate with us.

Two new cats appeared with no names - photo attached of one (fluffy tortie) & the other (large grey) briefly came out of the carrier to eat a treat & when Tim came in he told us she was heavily pregnant!

Look forward to the full details.

Not happy

When I arrived at about 10 to 10, Cass was already in action out front and Tim had taken some cats to the vet. He had fed the mums and bubs before he left but everybody else was STARVING. It was making Cass's job hard because even the nicest cats were cranky. So I fed them all and peace reigned. Then he came back to report that Lilly and her L's have the ringworm. Willow's worm corner has been reinstated with the kittens two by two in the little condos and Lilly in a wheely cage facing them. Don't think she likes to be so far away from the source of the food.

The good news is that Lucia's kittens have been passed as ringworm free. So they were moved to the other wheely cages as all are now available. Lucia was overwhelmed even though I picked the prettiest sheet for her cage cover. Even the boys were imobilized by the change. That won't last long. Neither will they. One has already been bagsed.

Steph delivered her four cats back into our tender loving care. The girls immediately rearranged their bedding to make a hidey hole. Venus is under the covers while Petal waits her turn.

I cleaned out Lilly & Lucia's condos. That took some time and lots of wiggling, on my part. Malley was entertained.

He will move as soon as he has been vet checked into Edward's condo who moved to Waffle's condo because she got adopted! Tara was out being desexed. I checked on the mamma cat and she was attending her kittens and was not happy to see me either!

Still staffless

Good thing they didn't come. They would have been disappointed. Chanel 7 rang up early to ask if they could do a follow up on the Big Ginge. It was OK with Julie who is going to adopt him. It was OK with me but I said they should talk to Tim first. They didn't come with their cameras and microphones. Which is a big pity because The Big Ginge will soon be known as The Big Mouth Ginge. Either he is a very chatty cat or a very hungry cat. He is still on wet food only and can never get enough.

There has been movement out since last Friday: Mylo the glorious. As opposed to Milo at Bron's in Avalon who has been badly tick bit and is now at the Emergency Vets. Willow has found a home. Morty has been adopted. Jacob as been moved to his condo. Edward has their old condo all to himself. I think Jacob has more brains that Edward. I put a kong with crunchies in both of their condos and showed them how it worked. Edward just kept screaming for food but Jacob hit it repeatedly until it was empty.

Tim Tam and Cookie got adopted twice since Friday! Let us hope that this will be third time lucky. The new owner took some of their fancier toys and their new bed which is a good sign. Missy was adopted. . . no surprise there as she was our smallest. And Lennox. Not only that but somebody is after Layla. As soon as Lucia and her two terrors are off our hands the Liverpool colony will be done. The new mum in the corner of boarding is doing well. Her kittens are always in a neat pile, she is in her carry cage and her food bowl is empty. . . no matter how often you fill it.

Angel has been renamed Angelique because Angel was tempting fate. She feels much better and had multiple small, warm meals. . . . sort of like tapas except it was always the same thing. She snoozes between teaspoonfuls on her hottie.

On Sunday, the colony cat Windsor disappeared. (He was from a colony near the suburb Windsor hence the name). Terry found him in a hidey and carried the whole thing to his condo with him inside. Better Terry than me!

Lola is settling down in her new home. She got a new pillow today.

New Blogger

The bloody web site has been threatening to change (?update?!) its protocol for the past month. Today it has done it and I can't work the new system. Luckily they have given me the option to retain the "old fashioned" method for a transition period. Mutter, mutter, grumble, grumble. . . . if it ain't broke WHY fix it! We have The Big Ging in the Palace Suite. He was thrown out of a car in Newport and rescued by a young woman who took him to the Northern Beaches Emergency Vets. They have passed on the pleasure of finding him a new, improved owner. He is much younger than we expected. He didn't like what he was given for breakfast this morning but lapped up the rather smelly fishy food that he was given for morning tea.

The Big Ging

We have two new surrenders in the boarding aisle. Persia, whose name really should be spelled Pursia, is a very pretty girl.

Persia

I don't like the feel of crochet cloth so gave her a fleece and she was much happier. Candace and Bonnie's sister was brought in from the industrial estate at Brookvale. We decided that she should have a D name and the only sweet name we could think of was Dolly. She came with 5 tiny kittens and is is the far corner of Boarding. Hera and Diamond have been declared non ringworm and probably never were. So they were moved to the condo under Lola. Initially they were shock/horror at the move but they soon came out to watch the action on the front desk. Tim's back side is always interesting. Lola, upstairs from them, did not seem pleased to have a noisy pair of grown kittens downstairs.

Lola

Talking of Tim's back view: here he is trying to give Larry, Leonard and Lucia some lunch.

Tim

Cody update: Tonight there were two fat bandicoots frolicking on the grass out front because I overcooked a bean bag and tipped the scorched grain there a couple of days ago. Brush turkeys have been having a lovely time digging them up and the bandicoots are probably sucking up the worms that they have uncovered. Cody was peeking at them from behind a brick wall. I don't know if it was caution or fear. He came in shortly thereafter and put himself to bed. . . such an exciting evening.

White is the new black

Storm went back home today. Won't she be pleased! But she will be confined because the neighbours don't like her to roam and create havoc.

I had just cleaned out her palace condo . . . . cleaning her hair off the scratchy pole took the longest. . . . when in came Sue with Linda. Sue is off travelling (in NSW) so Linda is having a turn in the palace.

Linda

 I also cleaned the condo above Willow and moved her into it (with permission) so that I could clean the condo where she and the kittens lived (and caught ring worm) for weeks. I have given it a good scrub but it needs another pair of eyes to clean off the grubbiness that was under the first layer of crud. I think WIllow likes her new view (of the feeding station!)

Willow

Lucia's boys were taken off to be desexed because WIllow's kittens were not quite well enough. She seemed anxious to have them back. I removed the small carry cage that they were born in and have outgrown.

Lucia

 These two WIllow kittens look quite smug to be left at home

Willow kittens

Morty has an interesting mark on his foot.

Morty

A couple came to look at Lynette but have gone away to think about her. They want a shy cat because their last cat was shy. But then he spotted Bowie . . . . who is not the least bit shy. In fact, his door was unlatched and he wiggled into my arms happily. They could pick Harriet's kittens if they want a shy kitten.

Boss Cockie

It was my first time at being boss cocky today. And I arrived to an open condo. The igloo was neatly placed on the floor in front of the open door. So I checked the day book to see if those two shy, surrendered cats (Hera and ?) had been adopted last thing on Tuesday. Nothing in the book.
I checked behind the block of condos beside the ghastly art work. There were two sets of eyes peering up at me.
So I left them there to think about the situation they had got themselves into. With no breakfast until after Ros and Joy had cleaned all the condos and it quietened down. Then we got busy with the broom stick and blankets. I almost got the tuxedo as he tried to squeeze past me by pressing him against my back and the condos. He wiggled away from me by ripping my shirt (sorry Catsie) and shot off to the top of availables condo block.
We turned our attention to the cat still behind the ghastly condo block. Joy pushed the broom at her and decided that she was stuck. . . must be a fat cat. So I pushed against the condos and made a wider space so that I could get to her. She was just catatonic. I picked her up and took her to Candace's condo. Then I pushed the ghastly condo block back into place and further against the wall. Only a one inch wide cat will fit behind that block in the future.
Isn't it surprising how strong you can be when the adrenaline is coursing through your veins?

Back to the tuxedo. He settled down behind Katies glam carry cage but we frightened him over the top to ground level. Eventually he hid on the bottom shelf of the trolly in Boarding. I moved everything in front of him, Ros found a top loading carry cage, I picked him up and put him in the carry cage. . . . calmly. (The adrenalin was tailing off at this stage).

So he is downstairs and she is upstairs (or vice versa) and the trap door between them is open. They have food.

The rest of the day was calm. A mother and son came to choose a kitten on the firm understanding that they cannot reserve one and have to phone each Monday to find out who will be desexed the next day. They had a lovely cuddle. The kittens loved it. They have four cats already at home but the late teenaged son wants a kitten of his own. They have adopted Samson from AWL. . so are good folk.

Angus is all alone next door on Tuesday to Thursday. So I spent some time with him late in the day. I think he didn't quite know why.

Angus

Joy sent some photos as I was too busy cockying to take many.

Harriet's chocolate box top kittens

Lucia

Indie

Pepi

Sootie

New cat arrived last night, name begins with C. . . Cecily or Cecilia