Adoption Tails: Jolene, Phantom

 Jolene

1 day

1 day: She took a while to eat and drink but she’s now regularly eating. She’s settled in very quickly and was exploring/playing. She has used her litter box to pee but hasn’t gone poo yet. She’s been renamed Jolyne.

Her owner’s apartment had a water pipe burst and they needed to sleep elsewhere for the night. They ended up finding a pet-friendly place but the water incident scared Jolyne.

2 days: Her owner had to make a last-minute trip to their home country to sort out some things so Jolyne came to board at SAFE for about a week.

Boarding Jolyne/Jolene

Around 2 weeks: Jolyne is doing well. “She’s been an angel with the litterbox” but has had a few issues with dragging pee outside her litterbox and vomiting. She’s still being active and eating well.

Around 2.5 weeks: “She’s fine now! Behaving as per normal and extra cuddly”

1 month: She’s doing much better and “she loves eating”. She’s really cheeky nowadays and keeps zooming around and playfully bites her owner. Her owner visits her home country frequently so she’ll come back to SAFE from time to time.

1 month

Phantom (renamed Sprout)

1 day: He’s settling in really well. He is eating his two meals a day and is using his new litter tray. He has spent the last day playing with ribbons and taking naps. He has been renamed Sprout.

1 day

 1 week: Sprout is doing very well. He has started exploring parts of the house and is very fond of the kitchen. “He is very loved, and loves a lot back - we can hear him purring a room away. He’s a little shadow, and a very good boy who loves a nap while being pet”

1 week

 1 month: “Sprout is very settled in now and enjoys sitting and sleeping next to his new family. He loves playing with his feather toys and mice, and will happily ‘trill’ all day. He greets everyone in the morning with a little meow and will curl his tail around our legs. He is everyone’s little best friend, and we can’t imagine our family without him. No one has eaten a meal in peace since he came home, but we wouldn’t have it any other way”

1 month

 

No play time

 Nobody is allowed out to play until the sneezing stops. And the boarders are being cared for very carefully. The last thing anybody wants is a sniffle caught at the cattery. Phantom came in to board for the first time today. He is now called Sprout and is dearly loved. He spends his time sleeping on her bed or in an avocado-shaped cat couch. He likes to play with Q-tips so she included several along with his special food.

Sprout, was Phantom

Ginger Meggs is back too.

Ginger Meggs

Joni has been moved to where Lyra was (which was Phantom's old condo). She seems fine and enjoyed her chicken. If she is, it may demonstrate that flu viruses fall downwards because Kat has it and Thelma and Louise have it and they were all below her.

Joni

Arlo looked miserable. He is just opposite the Maggie kitten source of the sneezes who have moved back into the main cattery. But his misery was because Annie was off being desexed so he didn't have anybody nice and soft to lie on!

Arlo

The single cat in Isolation is Sparkle. He is there because there is no room elsewhere. I suggested that his name be changed to Sparky which is more masculine sounding than Sparkle!

Love is the key

A woman came in this afternoon to pick up Phantom. She had been in earlier and done the paperwork. She said that she just fell in love with him. And I believed it from the look on her face. He had had a run around before she arrived. I gave her some of his special food because she has found that you can only buy ZD on-line. I think he has landed on his wobbly feet.

Prada is to move into Phantom's condo. She will be much happier there where she can chat to folk at face level not try to talk to the top of their heads.

Prada

The C kittens are still in the play place. 

But the Palace has been reserved for them because Ruby only has one little jewel left. This afternoon a woman rang to ask if we had any kittens. I said we did and lots in foster homes. They arrived shortly afterwards and chose Sapphire because they have a 12 month old girl cat at home and I said they should have a boy to go with her. The other jewels were adopted on March 4, 8 and 9. The adopter's partner said that the cat at home gets 4 sachets of food every day plus crunchies. I agreed with her that was way too much.  He showed a photo of a very long, slender cat. (Maybe she has worms). But I advised them not to cut her rations when Sapphire came home because she will blame the kitten and make his life hell once they get together.

Jolene

Jolene has a larger collar on again. Her tummy wound is looking a bit inflamed.  It didn't stop her having a lovely run around this afternoon.

Ace calmly cleaned Mia's condo this afternoon. She didn't swat or scream. I think she loves him. And he couldn't smell anything bad in Mia's condo. So perhaps it is Biscuit above after all.

Biscuit

PS Thanks Joy for the photo from Wednesday. I didn't have a chance to dig my camera from my bag this afternoon.

Simba gone

 He was adopted on Sunday afternoon. I don't think a reader of this blog adopted him. But the vibe might have helped.

Diamond was adopted today: one of Ruby's fluffies is to be a surprise for a child this afternoon.

Lots of vollies meant that the cleaning was done early. On Helen's suggestion I helped with the washing up and it certainly went faster with one to wash and rinse and the other to spray with bleach and, eventually, F10. 

In the afternoon we let single cats out to wander in the barricaded Welfare area. First were Tibby and Tabby with Helena and Kate in the Top Cat. They mostly stayed on their shelf and watched but one did come down to greet her friends. (I don't know who is who). We sterilized the floor between cats.

Kate and Helena

Then Phantom had a run (stagger) and a smooch with Lucy. Then Ginger George came out to play. (He had been swearing at me from his condo while the youngsters were out). I went out back to unpack some tins and who should come wandering out to me but Ginger George. I escorted him back to the enclosure thinking that he had jumped over the barricade. 

Calvin actually moved to make friends with Ginger

But he promptly crawled under Milo's stand alone, turned left at the windows and crawled under the trolley to freedom! I have since put a longer sheet over Milo's stand alone that falls to the floor. I don't think it will fool Ginger but it is worth a try.

Vicky wanted some photos of Jolene. I changed her Elizabethan collar to a smaller one that she could walk in and she had a lovely wander to say hello to Tibby and Tabby. 

Jolene ignores Tia

She ignored the tender chirrups that Taylor's mum made at her. She must be missing her son.

This morning Lucy distracted Mia with some creamy treat while I cleaned her downstairs without incident. Later Judy thought that there was a strong smell of urine coming from the cat carrier that she doesn't sit in. While it was quiet I decided to remove the carrier so donned the giant blue gloves and picked up the large picker upper. As I approached Mia's condo she screeched at me. I turned around and took off the gloves, hung the picker upper back on the wall and apologised to Mia. Maybe somebody can try it one morning. Maybe she likes the smell. Maybe it is Biscuit above who might just be on heat.

Lockdown

 I made a mistake on my last blog. Chanel didn't die. She is with the vet being treated for something, serious. But kittens in Incoming did die of parvovirus: the two smaller ones in the stand alone beside the Royal Canine stand alone and one of the ones with Venus in the stand alone across the room. It seems that parvovirus is running rampant in the western suburbs and goodness knows where these kittens came from. They may have brought separate bugs with them. The Royal Cannon stand alone was moved out of Incoming yesterday. But Roxy's kittens were not looking very energetic and not eating (!) this afternoon. So they were rolled back into Incoming. The cats, McGreggor and Donatella who were moved out of Incoming on Wednesday were moved back there. And it is a no-go zone for all but a few staff/vollies so that we can try to contain the source of infection. https://pets.webmd.com/cats/what-to-know-about-feline-parvovirus has lots of good information.

Tim has vaccinated all the cats that he can in the hope that we can stop cats getting very sick. Kittens are more vulnerable than adults. So there is to  be no more random cuddling of kittens and no cats are allowed out to run around to play. Phantom was not happy at being shut in this afternoon.

Phantom

And Opie complained loud and long.

Opie

Some cats couldn't give a . . . . . like Chessie: who would rather be alone. Perhaps we should have called her Greta.

Chessie

Demi and Winnie were not so upset by the lack of attention but the fact that they didn't cuddle together in one hammock. The tie of the upper hammock came undone and they were forced to find other places to sit.

Here in the process of getting back together after I tied the bow again.

And we have a new cat, Simba. Don't know where he came from and I couldn't give him a welcome cuddle because we are in lock down.

Simba

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GGG is back

 Georgous Ginger George is back. Somebody in the family is allergic to cats. He was grumpy today. He swiped at (and damaged) a vollie. But when I went later to tell him how pleased I was to see him, he forgave me and let me take off the collar, with a bell and fluorescent stripes. He is happier now. 

Gorgeous Ginger George

And he has Salazar for a neighbour two doors up, Mia below, Rosie and Callie coming out of seclusion below left.

Rosie and Callie (in front)

There are new cats too. Couldn't get a photo of Charlie and Champ as they were hiding in their carrier. Don't know where Simon, Alvin and Ruby (the mum) came from. They are sticking together in the smallest space in what used to be Rebel's condo. Perhaps his grumpy aura lingers!

Simon, Alvin, Ruby

 Sydney has gone to foster with one of our fabulous vollies.

The wobbly scratchy pole in the Top Cat has been replaced by another of the humungous cat trees that sits by the front door. It fills the Top Cat and is a bit cumbersome to maneuver. But if you slide it around and put it close to the condo doors after opening them and then quickly put the Top Cat frame around it before the cat in the condo makes a bolt for it. . .  it works a treat.

Chika did come out when TDs tempted

The wobblers enjoyed it while it was in the middle before dinner time.

Tibby and Jolene at play

NB: If you let Phantom out while Tibby and Tabby's condo is open, put the food onto the upper level. He is not supposed to eat anything by ZD and Tabby sometimes leaves some crunchies for later.

And there are new big kittens in the "Meet and Greet" Stand alone. Didn't take note of their names. They are more friendly with other cats than with people.

Phantom and phrends

 

Chanel died of parvovirus earlier this week. So we are anxiously watching all the cats for symptoms. 

Late in the afternoon a very nice man came to adopt Aladdin and Jafar. Unfortunately, Aladdin had been adopted the day before. He really wanted two more male kittens to go with his male kitten at home (!) I tried to convince him that a girl kitten would be a good idea but he adopted Jafar and has taken him home. He will be back for another boy kitten when one is available.

Familiar face: wrong name

 In boarding is this face:

It has to be our Puss. But the sign said "George". Sure enough. He has come back to board after being adopted last weekend. He was pleased to see the chicken lady.

I arrived in time to hear a fracas coming from Gimli and Kiki's condo. When I looked there was Kiki coloured fur in Gimli's mouth. I think they are getting sick of each other. So Gimli was allowed to wander around out back for a couple of hours. Kiki stayed in their condo and slowly relaxed and got brushed. She enjoyed some chicken which Gimli usually greedys.

Gimli meets Phantom

Max was quite active in the play place. He talks dirty to Phantom.

Max

Callie has resumed her usual place on top of the cat carrier. And Rosie hides in the carrier. She was not interested in chicken.

Callie

There are two new kittens in the stand alone in Incoming next to the Canon SA. They are Angel and Narnia. It is not known whether they are related, complete strangers or just not talking to each other on the first day in captivity.

Angel

Narnia

A couple of sisters came in to look for a black kitten. Taylor is the only one available at the moment. More are coming along the pike. He behaved perfectly. They have gone away to think about it. They have had a series of wonderful black cats. One is trained to walk on a leash and regularly walks to the dog park, gets let off his lead, climbs the trees, chases the dogs, comes when called to walk back home. Must be a dog in cat clothing.

Exchange Row

 The Naughty Row needs a new name. This week I suggest Exchange Row, or The Exchange. It is where things change from bad to good for the cats who come in. 

For example, remember Chester? He came from a vet with various other cats and was said to be desexed. He was in Incoming first and was withdrawn/shy. Then he moved out back and started to become much more friendly. Then he started to call out to other cats. Then Tim had a good view of his back end and realised that he is a she and that she was coming into heat! So Chester is now Chessy and will wail until she is really desexed.

Chessy

We had the minimum number of vollies today which was still good as Sandy arrived in the afternoon to help clean up out back. And one vollie brought her sister who stood and watched the cats until I found her jobs to do. . .. the boxes of plastic gloves are stored in the bookshelf behind Opey. There are only two packs of toilet rolls left there (hurrah!). Next I asked if she like putting things together. She did. So I got her to assemble the pingpong roller track that had been left on the drying table.The idea was that it go into the play place. But it was too big.

She made is half as extensive and Jasmine and her kids will learn to play with it. And we will get used to it looking like a reticulated python.

There were visitors. One came looking for a young cat (not a kitten) for her unit. She is expecting visitors in a fortnight to the room which should be the cat's safe room. We decided that she should delay her decision until those visitors leave. She rather liked Lucky! Fingers crossed.

Other visitors came with donations and got to visit with the cats by way of thanks: one lot adopted Tom and ? 2 years ago (and changed their names immediately) from us and are very happy with them. Another came with donations because their cat died of urinary failure. They will be back when they are ready. Another brought in a splendid crate and a bag full of ? mouse hidey holes (too small for cats) that can be suspended!

We have a kitten in Incoming who needs physio on her back legs. This entails gently pulling her back legs every afternoon. She is getting much better. Her name is Jolene.

Jolene, nothing wrong with her appetite

Phantom will have company perhaps.

Phantom's funny way of sitting

And finally, I don't know why Demi and Winnie are still with us. Such loving cats.

Demi and Winnie cuddle

Cat watching

 There were some adoptions over the weekend: Benny, Earl, Gia, Schmo, Scout, Sesame and Smudge.

Our cats have been moved back from next door. Their condos have been cleaned. Our cats have been rearranged on Better Row. They all seemed subdued this afternoon.

Lucy, sporting new multicoloured hair tackled the dry food shelves. They are now neatly labelled and perfectly organised. I didn't take a photo. I will take one on Friday when she has installed the proper, typed labels. I didn't take a photo of the great wall of poo bags on the back deck either. . . . too disgusting.

Tiger and Phantom parallel played this afternoon.

Phantom and Tiger

But Tiger is really a desk cat.

Tiger

And Phantom is a chick magnet. Yin and Yang can't resist watching him

Yin, Yang, Phantom

Talking about being watched. Tibby was inspected by Ginger George and Max (who she must think of as dirty old men)

Ginger, Tibby, Max

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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.