Rice Noodles!

 Aslan: the fierce player with a feather on a stick in the morning.

When I came home from Safe this evening, Aslan greeted me at the top of the stairs with his "I am STARVED" look. So I fed him. Then went to wash SAFE from me after putting some rice noodles into hot water to soften. When I was clean, he was eating the rice noodles . . . on the kitchen bench!

I am now soaking another batch in the oven. And I put the peeled onion and garlic in there too  . . . . just in case.

He is getting double rations but is still hungry all the time.

It was surprisingly quiet at Safe this afternoon. We waited for Phoenix and Sydney's people to come to sign the contract now that Tim fixed the files. They came at 3:45pm. It was a quick finish up of an adoption. The 9 year old son was thrilled. P & S. . not so much.

Good thing Joy took lots of photos on Wednesday.

The "Pregnant Mum" still only has one kitten. Tim tried to listen for other heart beats but only heard her purrs.

Kitty only comes down for food. . . and Joy's treats.

Kitty

Our new full time vollie (who is getting paid to volunteer by somebody else) is daunted by Milly and Biscuit at feeding time. I showed her how I do it. . .  just add food and let them sort it out.

Milly and Biscuit (below)

The planet kittens have moved to the play place. Not happy. Just like when they moved into Incoming. But they came around pretty quickly. Now they are all desexed.

Roxy's four are still appealing. The ginger seems smaller and frailer than everybody else. Somebody make up some names please.

No Chicken Kitten

 For the first time a kitten refused chicken.

Thor

His brother gobbled it up.

Eddie

Thor and Eddie are in the stand alone behind Le Clerc. Their sister, Ginger was with them until spotted by a mother and her daughter who were playing with the kittens in the Play Place when I arrived. They made friends with Tallulah (not an easy task) and fell in love with Celine Dion. But Celine has a slightly mucky eye. So when they saw Ginger, it was love at first sight . . . mutually. They took her home.

And another family, Dad and 2 small daughters came in to do the paperwork for Smudge and Xena in foster. They were such nice, polite, listening girls that I am sure those kittens will have a lovely life.

Archie doesn't seem to think his life is much fun. . . . so far. We will wait to see if Geoff's magic works on him.

Tommy's pad could do with an upgrade .. ... . perhaps after he gets groomed.

Tommy

Where Suki was are a pair of mismatched cats. One, Mad. . . is loud. The other, Zoe hides.

Mad. .

There are two carriers in the double condo which is enough to make anybody mad.

Zoe

Zoe looks pretty.

And next door to Chelsea are three kittens who were quite difficult to get back into their condo after they had been let out for a run behind the flattened Top Cat. They are Petal, Ziggy and Koa. Must have come from a foster home. They liked chicken.

Petal, Ziggy and Koa (not in any order)

I let Le Clerc out for a wander. He enjoyed it. He was very  easy to bribe back into his rearranged stand alone. . . .. all it took was a bit more food.

Aiming for 40

 Suki was adopted this afternoon. I think the couple who took her looked like a good match but didn't do the adoption . . . . . Tim W and Sue looked after them. 

Another woman is coming back tomorrow to adopt Harry to go with her rather shy, small 7year old cat. He will be happy at her house. 

That probably will make 39 adoptions this month. Which must be a record.

We certainly have more kittens coming to make Feb and March record breakers as well. 

Peaches had 5 babies.

Peaches

Peaches' ? 3 boys and 2 girls (torties)

And Lilli had four:

Lilli + 4

The set of three kittens brought in last Friday were given names:

Mowgli is the tabby in front, Bagheera is the black on the right and Baloo is the black and white on the left.

At one stage all of Mateo's lot were in one hammock. I managed a photo when three were snuggled up together. So cute!

Catsie got a shot of them all together in one hammock.

 

 

Firsts

1. First time I ever washed a cat.

Natalie left a note asking if I could use a special ringworm shampoo on Teddy this afternoon. Before putting on the antifungus cream. I found the stuff and read the directions. You have to wet the cat all over, massage in the shampoo, leave the lather on the cat for 10 minutes. Then rinse it off and dry off the cat. 

The directions also said that any cohabiting cats should be washed as well.  GiGi!

I was prepared to do Teddy because he is a pussy cat. But baulked at GiGi. Natalie said not to bother with the other cat direction.

So we had a bath. I used a couple of the big red basin buckets so that the sink wouldn't get contaminated. 

Teddy, of course, was very tolerant. What he has had to put up with! I think he liked being rubbed dry best but he gave me such a look when I put him back with dirty GiGi. But he was all dry and comfy by the time I anointed him with the fungus ointment just before I left.

Suki had two lots of interested visitors. She was out and about when they visited and behaved like a prima donna. Later on when Geoff fed her, she yelled at him that she wanted more, warmer, fresher, etc, etc.

I changed Jule and Bass's hammock for the right kind rather than the square ones. They cuddled up together in the narrower hammock.

Julie and Bassuria

Irene brought in more kittens. One group of three:

And a group of four:

No names. They are in Incoming.

The kittens except Mateo in the stand alone there were taken to the vet last thing today to see if they do have flu or are just stuffy kittens. Mateo loved being alone and settled on my lap to have his eye ointment and pill.

Mateo

Nova still hasn't ventured upwards in her stand alone. We will move her to a condo as soon as one becomes available.

But the GOOD NEWS is that Chad has gone to a foster home which will probably be permanent. The lucky fosterer left a box of goodies for us as well. 

2. I didn't succumb because I didn't get around to having my lunch all afternoon. . .  another first.

Bottled kitten

 I made room on the top shelf of the laundry shelves by putting the ping pong balls into the toy drawers and consolidating other toys. There are two piles of towels there now.

I was going to throw the large plastic pot that the ping pong balls came in but was distracted by holding kitten duty while the Palace was cleaned. Tom Claws decided to climb into the pot. Later Hui Hui climbed in and Tim W carried her to show what a clever girl she is.

Potted Hui Hui

So that is why the pot is in the Palace. They have all that space and choose to be confined! 

Hui Hui is the lightest of the three and needs to be encouraged to eat. Tulip in Isolation with Tilly doesn't need encouragement to eat but she has a blocked nostril (R) and wheezes. I had to move GG and Teddy because the hinge on their condo 6 failed.

But because kittens have been adopted I moved various cats.

Nova is where Missy used to be. She stayed at ground level all afternoon. I wonder if, having only one functioning eye, she finds 3D difficult.

Nova hiding in plain sight

Next door, in "Lola's stand alone" is Celine Dion. She got the jumping from level to level without any problem. The two boys (Cheesecake and Waffle) were the quickest adoption ever because Sue gave the new owner the folder of info yesterday. She took it home and read it thoroughly.

Celine Dion

I also moved Annabelle and Emily into Welfare. They settled down very well.

Annabelle (l) and Emily (r) the matriach

And Kyle has settled down very nicely. He is such a friendly cat but very difficult to get a photo of because he is completely black.

A woman visited and fell in love with Chad. She may be back.

Another woman visited and feels that Suki might be good for her but has had experience with Siamese who pee in public before so thinks she should foster to adopt to see if they can live happily together.

No photos today

 For two reasons: I left my camera in the pocket of my jacket that is over the back of a chair in the Weaving Room at Brush Farm House after our meeting there on Saturday. Or I hope it still is!

And husband Jo used my mouse for his computer and it worked there but is not working back at my computer. So the photos I have on my computer are not available yet. Perhaps it will all sort itself out overnight.

The world is separating itself into the technologically competent and the technologically incompetent.

Eg, today a couple came in to buy the microchip controlled feeder that we had advertised. They wanted to pay cash. I don't know how to give a cash receipt and Peter (Irene's husband who was being my 2ic today) doesn't either. He talked them into giving us the $10 change as a donation and promised a tax deductible receipt. . . by somebody else.

I did manage to do the adoption of Harley to the woman who rang early to find out if she was still available and came sooner than she said that she would to do the deed. So Harley has gone. And, thanks to Charley, her condo has been cleaned for Twinkle to move into out of the stand alone where Cooper used to be. 

Twinkle in Incoming

His stand alone has been cleaned too, by Peter, and we moved Linda and her remaining 2 kittens out of the play place into it by the simple expedient of putting their dinner into it and the kittens jumped straight in. Peter had to grab Linda.

Another woman came by to check out our kittens for her family. She had been told that ginger kittens are the friendliest. I said that is probably because most ginger cats are boys (80%) and boy cats tend to be sookier that girl cats who like to rule the roost. 

Later I had a teary call from a woman who wants us to take her boy cat who attacks her and her husband for no reason. I told her to fill in the form on line which is what we tell everybody.

Next day: My mouse decided to play with my computer after being connected to it for a couple of hours. Wouldn't a cat like a mouse like that!

Some old photos:

Oscar waits patiently

Sukie likes pats but won't admit it, yet

Irresistable Peach

 They came back early to get Peach today. She didn't really want to get into a carry cage but luckily Tim did the adoption and the transfer so no blood was shed. Here is the proof:

"Please Clean" on Pearch's condo

You can tell it was in the later part of the afternoon because Yin and Yan are out on observation duty. There is a plan afoot to move them to the pair of condo's with the connecting hatch currently occupied by Lucky and Suki.

A couple came in today looking for a "bonded" pair. They were after Midnight and Pumpkin but as they don't want the cats until Feb 20. . . . that train has left the station. They will keep an eye on the website between now and then now that they have met everybody. 

If the move of Yin and Yan works well, I suggested that Sydney be added to the mixture so that that family of boys can be reunited. 

Chikka has been moved to next to Max (on the other side from Libby)

Chikka

She was a bit shocked. She had been in boarding and Rosanna let her out for a wander this afternoon. Salazar spotted her and chirruped in a very suggestive manner. 

Archie was adopted yesterday (or Thursday) by the person who was going to foster him. Chessy has moved into his condo. She has had some changes in the last week or so! (From male to female, desexed, moved).

Chessy

She is now next to Rebel who was playing with his ping pong ball after chicken time.

Rebel

A pile of cat carriers went to the vet for check ups this afternoon: Jolene, the little kitten in Incoming with the underdeveloped legs, Tiger with the funny tummy and Puss with no teeth.

Christmas thanks and mood

 Earlier in the week a 6 year old boy came with a donation. He asked his friends to give money to Safe rather than to buy him a present. He gave us $350. What an entrepreneur!

And the Eleanora Heights Vets had a donation drive for us over the weekend. I picked up their Safe money box and it held $202.85. 

And thanks to all the vollies who are pulling extra shifts over the holidays.

Joy brought in some deco/toys to get the cats in a festive mood for her photo shoot.

Phantom took it lying down.

Pumpkin and Midnight have heard that he is to go to the vet  tomorrow.

Margot was at the vet today. She is to go into Wanda's condo because somebody has taken Wanda home for foster care.

Kate and Helena were not impressed

Winnie/Demi was more interested in getting out of the condo for a little wander.

Tiger was not enthusiastic.

But he did like a little wander. While he sat on the chair that gave him access to his upper condo, Ying who lives below him, got up to see what was going on. He doesn't usually bother to unwrap himself until almost dinner time. I think he needs a buddy.

And Mariko bought one fluffy tail with a bell and a hook to attach to a stick for every cat. They are laced with catnip so there was frolicking.

Suki died on Saturday. She lived at least 27 lives . . . . at full volume. She will be much missed.

Suki

 

Adoptees picked up

 Lucy and Eric were taken home from boarding where they have been for a week since being adopted. They didn't want to go into the carrier. As soon as I got one in and turned to get the other, out the first one would pop. Eventually I had the owner hold the carrier on its end to keep the first one in and tipped the second one onto top of her. Inelegant but effective.

We had Katie's cats as guests today. As soon as Suki started screaming for lunch Tim took them home to Katie's. Five cats each in a separate carrier just fitted into Tim's car and he was serenaded all the way to their home.

Gulia, a regular Friday morning vollie, spends at least half an hour at the end of her shift with Honey. Today Honey touched paws with her. Giulia would love to adopt her but a flatmate is allergic to cats.

Honey loves Giulia

Hana loves chicken. She came out of her carrier to ask for more.

Hanna

Pluto, Star's last kitten has been desexed. She is very skinny and has Star's rumbly purr.

Pluto

Geoff came late to work on the moveable play place. I convinced Rosanna that it could live against the wall in the main room with the shelves perpendicular to the wall instead of against it. (As Sandy and I agreed 2 years ago was a better placement of the shelves.) 

He has repaired the giant play place scratchy pole. It just needs a bit of sewing which I will do. . . . next week.

Laundry redo

Firstly, Katy sent photos of Suki whom she is looking after lovingly at home.

I arrived late because my morning tennis was rained off after I left home. I went home and made another hammock. When I arrived I suggested that the laundry shelves be rearranged to put all the winter woolies together. Tim said that he would prefer that the dishes be moved to the shelves in the feeding area. So I suggested that the hand towels be swapped with them. So now we have (from right to left) first bay: top shelf face towels/washers, second shelf: hammocks on top of the modesty cloths and bath mats on the right. I later moved the dirty clothes bags from the top shelf to above the dirty clothes baskets on the feeding shelves.

Second bay: cuddles and small blankets

Third bay is all towels.

Fourth bay (next to the tall bookshelf) has big blankets on the bottom shelf, just in case we need to wrap a person in a blanket. Sheets, doona covers, etc which are good for draping over a wheely cage on the second bottom shelf. Very big towels on the top shelf with space there for . . . . .

And I moved all the bowls, each of which was a different size, to the top shelf of the food shelves where the hand towels used to be. They fit very snuggly. But, of course, when more are added the space occupied will expand exponentially unless there is a organising nazi is involved. (I mention no names). How long will this splendid organisation last? In the meantime, I made myself popular by handing out bits of BBQ chicken. Even Mako, the uncle of the Japanese kittens below was seduced. Before:

After chicken (at dinner time):

I fed Silky's kittens last and they got to lick out the chicken container. While they were licking, I picked each one up and give each one a good cuddle whether they wanted it or not. They might get adopted tomorrow.

We got two new cats today: Romeo and Juliette/Juliet. One is very shy, the other is more outgoing. Neither wanted anything to do with chicken.