New locks

 A man arrived this afternoon with new locks and keys for our Couzins bins. The locks have been faulty for a while. It is nice to have new ones with nice new keys. (My old key also opens the new locks). 

But it wasn't nice to realise this morning that there were 30 bags of rubbish on the balcony. I didn't check until after the Willoughby council truck had been past. And our Willoughby bins were in the garage: one completely full and the other completely empty. 

So we will have to be vigilant to get ahead of the maggots.

In the meantime, a kitten was supposed to come today but didn't. Ginger Rogers and crew are getting into the swing of regular feeds. They have been trained to bellow by Vader who is clear eyed and longing for someone to love. 

There is a new family of kittens in incoming. One has an enlarged eye and is on meds. 

In Boarding there is a kitten called Sunny who had an adventure late this afternoon. His condo door was open. He came when called, a trifle reluctantly and with a scrape under his chin that I don't think was there earlier. But I don't regularly look under kittens chins so perhaps it was.

Sunny

Lola has found a new possy. And she did a classic face plant.

Lola

Elsie and Eliza have been desexed. They seem thrilled and won't be long with us once their collars are off. Somebody rang today wanting three kittens!

Elsie and Eliza

And Whitney is all alone in her condo. Her kittens are together as a threesome but only one is available. . . . at the moment.

Whitney

Nova's new eye

 Since she has moved to Boarding, her left eye has changed. It used to have a white circle on the lower half. Now that has disappeared but it looks as though the front part of her eye has become more spherical rather than being convex outwards. She seems very happy and friendly as ever.

Nova's eye

 

As is Chelsea along at the other end of Boarding. Her kittens don't bolt out of the condo quite as quickly. And she just wants cuddles.

Chelsea

Even Whitney's kittens aren't such quick escape artists.

Whitney's three

There were adoptions over the weekend: Akira, Jenni, Cuddlepie and Mystic

Mystic

Camilla has been moved to Cuddlepie's condo. She was not happy after being moved. But she will get used to her new digs.

Camilla

She is next to Clyde who rather likes it in Welfare.

Clyde

Whereas, Robbie can't decide whether or not he likes the change.

Robbie

All the itchy gingers had a nice long self grooming session under strict supervision. No scratching allowed.

Big Kahuna, PC, Aslan

An L lady

 Sheridan came yesterday and took away the mother and kittens in Isolation. She says that the mum should have a name starting with an L because she will be her fifty-ith foster cat!

L. . .. + 4 kittens

Her stand alone in Isolation has been taken over by Tilly and her four one of whom has a spot which might be ringworm. Moving the kittens was easy. They shot out of the Incoming condo as soon as the door was cracked. Moving Tilly required Tim in gloves. She got him on the ankle.

Tilly + 4

On Wednesday we were worried that the smallest of Whitney's kittens wasn't getting enough to eat. Today she is first at the food bowl and her tummy is round.

Chad was in a friendly mood today, until I produced a camera upon which he ran into his bed box. 

Chad

And Victor is still in the stand alone by himself. His eyes are pussy (ie running with pus) and he had thrown up his breakfast. His mum Vera seems happy though by herself in the other stand alone.

Victor

Robin visited and brought the good spray bottles. She bought 5 on line and one arrived with a broken bottom. But we have 4 lovely new ones. Thank you Rob!

J's gone

 They went, of course, on Saturday morning and their new people look very happy.

Jack and Jessie adopted

Joy is back and took great photos today. I only took one to send to Tim re Whitney's kittens. He was concerned because the little one wasn't getting enough food. Her siblings are much bigger than she is and Whitney is no longer interested in feeding them. So the little one is on syringe feeds. (Which remind me of the old days at Peggy Brown's AWL branch when you had to have a kitten on your lap at morning tea time to feed and toilet before you got your own cuppa.)

This little one does eat solid food but her big sisters eat faster and push her out of the way.

Tilly has a "Ringworm" sign on her window. Which is difficult because as soon as you open the door to feed/clean them, they shoot out in all directions. . . . . especially the tabby with the really dramatic markings. 

Missy is fine. She is no longer in such hot heat.

Missy

And Robbie and Clyde have recovered from their dental procedures. Robbie is 11 years old.

Robbie

Clyde

Low Lola

 Irene was horrified to find the "new" stratchy pole that Lola loved to loiter on was covered with her hair and her upchucks. Irene moved it into the corridor to give it a good cleaning in the hope that somebody will buy it. Lola wandered around looking lost. She climbed into the bookshelf and sat with the Safe hats for a while but eventually retreated to ground level. No nose bumps there.

Lola

It was a very quiet afternoon. The most exciting thing was when the wooden, crate-like carrier was picked up, at last. And a pair of boarders were transferred to a fosterer to take home. 

Although when I was handing out chicken (thank you Catsie, the cats loved your crispy chicken skin) I noticed a black cat waiting for me in the Welfare area . . . . not confined. On investigation it turned out to be Mia. How did she get out? With chicken in my hand she was easy enough to get back in. 

Sesame is settling in but doesn't like us yet (or my chicken).

Sesame

Cuddlepie declined to venture into the Top Cat.

Cuddlepie

Mickey prefers to be in his bed box.

Mickey

There is an new cat come in from foster in Rebecca's condo. He is Simba and is confused.

Simba

Mums and bubs are doing well except that Whitney prefers to spend most of her time in her upper bed box where the little suckers can't get at her. They happily eat baby food. We think she must come down to feed them when she is ready.

Whitney upstairs

Little Ws downstairs

 

More Mums

 I thought from the dirty state of her condo that Tilly had her kittens last night. But it seems they were born on Saturday night. We did try to clean up the mess but she didn't like it. So we covered it with a bath mat. She has five kittens.

Just like the mum last Tuesday night whom we named Quin.

We named the Mum with 3 kittens in Isolation Whitney.

Whitney plus 3

 And the pregnant mum in Incoming Zali. Her tummy is as round and hard as a ball. She is very friendly.

Zali

 I doubt that these names will stick but there are just too many "pregnant mum" labels around.

Raj has settled down on Better Row and is super friendly.

Raj

LeClerk had to move out of the Palace which now houses three of Katie's cats. He is not real pleased with the move.

LeClerk

Sparkle is next door to Big Kahuna. Heidi is in the play place. She was returned because the husband thinks she looks too much like the previous beloved cat who got run over. Her son Axel has been adopted.

Sparkle and Big K

Plus, the Willoughby bins were collected at before 7am so I didn't have a chance to add more bags to the bins. They are back to the pre Covid schedule.

Adoption Tails: Phoebe, Sophia, Whitney and Scout

 Phoebe

1 day: Phoebe is very timid and has hidden under the bed. The owners have kept noise to a minimum but she is pretty committed to staying under the bed! They managed to lure her out for some pets and bring her closer to her bowls. They have set up a box with blankets (covering most of the box) in the bathroom for her to settle and have a drink as she has not used the litterbox. The family kids are older and the house is quiet so they're hopeful that Phoebe is not too freaked out. She seems to love human contact despite still "slinking" around. Their resident cat is insanely jealous and wants in to where Phoebe is staying.
1 week: Phoebe is a funny little cat. If the owner takes her out from under the bed that she refuses to come out from on her own, she is super affectionate. Otherwise, she would not budge from under the bed. The owner has been working from home as much as possible to make sure Phoebe has some company though she is a really quiet one! The resident cat has met Phoebe from a distance through a cracked open door. They had a sniff and all seems amicable.

Phoebe

1 month: Phoebe is settling in really nicely. She's a chirpy little cuddle bug. The resident cat is being a bit bossy though it seems to be settling down. 

Sophia

1 day: The owner adopted Maomao earlier and thought it would be good to give him a friend since she can get quite busy at times and won't be home for longer hours AND the more cats she can provide a permanent home to, the better! She is finding Sophia (now Sophie as the owner's mother find it easier to pronounce) even shyer than Maomao when he first came. She has eaten a little last night and used the litter box for a wee. Sophie did not seem to want to venture out of her little box this morning when she was offered breakfast but the owner is hopeful that once Sophie settles in over the course of the next few days, she will learn to trust her new family.
1 week: Sophie is a lot shyer than Maomao - still loves to hide in her box when the owner comes in but is definitely more active when nobody is watching as toys are in different positions every time. She is eating and using the litter box well though the owner is a little concerned that Sophie is not eating enough especially since Maomao devours his food even when he first came. Overall, Sophie is just taking her time to trust her new family and new space.

Sophia

 3.5 weeks: Sophie made her way out while the owner was in the room. The owner is ecstatic! "I can't express my happiness with words"
1 month: Sophie has actually walked out of her room pretty regularly now. She just had a wander around the apartment. The owner usually sits by the side and supervises her and Maomao. Whenever Sophie sees Maomao, she lies down on her side to show her tummy and occasionally, Maomao also does that to Sophie. The two cats are now fed on opposite sides of a door (opened by a crack). A very recent development is that Sophie will walk out of her room to eat out of Maomao's bowl (even though she has her own!) and Maomao is happy to continue eating from it afterward. One main concern is that Maomao really loves to chase Sophie around (body language seems to be playing -- no ears pointed flat and back, hissing nor claws out) and Sophie has never chased Maomao around. The two are showing good signs of getting along. Currently, Sophie is let out 20 minutes during mealtimes so that the two can mingle and so Maomao will stop chasing Sophie around. Sophie claws at the door every time she is put back inside and meows like she wants to be out again. It is definitely still a work in progress between the two but their relationship is looking quite good.

Cosmo (formerly Whitney)

1 day: When the owners first brought Whitney home, she tucked herself away for a couple of hours but then she came out at night time, wanted to play and explore everywhere. She is doing amazing settling in so far, having used her litter tray (which is wonderful). She has not been eating as much as expected though they suspect that she will eat some more once she is more comfortable. The owners have also decided to change her name to Cosmo which she has surprisingly responded to. She has since been super affectionate and has lots of yarn (knitted into squares and other craft projects) to play with!
1 week: Cosmo has definitely got her appetite back which is amazing. She is so affectionate, it has made the owners cry a couple of times. She has since explored the rest of her home at her own pace and now she is content to be their cuddle bug.

Whitney/Cosmo

1 month: Cosmo is completely settled in and everyone is still as obsessed with her as they have been since Cosmo first came home.

Scout

1 day: Scout is currently in the guest bedroom. She is eating and drinking but has not used the litter tray yet. She has explored the room a bit as Tania (the wife) noticed a key had been knocked off from the window sill. Garry (the husband) has just spent about 30 minutes sitting in the room with Scout for her to get used to him being there. She had a sniff of his hand and is definitely slowly getting used to the new environment. Tania likes the name so Scout will stay Scout.
1 week: Scout is doing well and wants company. The couple has let her out a few times to explore. Their resident cat Myf is not at all impressed with the new housemate; having seen Scout a couple of times at a distance and hisses and growls. Myf was outside Scout's door hissing the other day. Scout was lounging on the husband's lap earlier this morning.

Scout

1.5 weeks: There has been a backward step with Scout as she pooed in the dining room yesterday and the day before. She even pooed and weed today; all in the same spot. This is very likely a response to Myf. The previous morning, Myf headed downstairs when Scout was out (Myf normally stays upstairs on the owners' bed at least until they get out) and there was some hissing. There was also some hissing from Myf in the afternoon though the details are not so clear. Scout is appearing to be more hesitant with the husband and in general from Wednesday night. Scout will stay in her room for the time being until she is ready to go out again (without Myf present).
1 month: Scout is doing well. She now has free reign of the house though Myf is still getting used to the idea of sharing the house. Sometimes, Myf will ignore her but other times Myf will hiss. The introduction process is still ongoing but the relationship seems to be better than before.

Nada nada

 Jacqui's cats have gone home so the play place is available for our cats as none of the boarders are inclined to move. I put Tiger in after Diego and Dora had a play. He liked it. Strolled about and did a big, smelly poo. Then Opie went back in overnight,

Tiger

There have been adoptions. Sampson and Kit Kat have "adopted" on their condos but are still with us. Luigi has gone. He didn't even make it to the "for adoption" list! One of Mia's and Cindy of the Supermodels have also gone. So has Betty White from foster.  And SOOTY has gone to a family whose previous cat hid for 9 years. They like a quiet cat. So Helena and Kate have moved into Sooty's condo. They were not happy but they will get used to it. 

Whitney and Mary will be next to go as soon as they recover from being desexed. Whitney tried the Top Cat this afternoon. She was not keen. And went back to bed.

Whitney

Later I set it up next to Nada. And she wasn't impressed (while I was watching). I hope she comes out overnight.

No Nada

But Yin did unroll himself this afternoon and posed for Robyn.

Yin

And I gently held Tibby still while he ate his dinner. He pecks at the food like a bird rather than hoovering it up as most kittens do.

Tibby

There is a new mum, Ruby in Incoming. She has 5 jewel named kittens about 2 weeks old. One of them has a eye that hasn't opened correctly. It needs to be bathed and anointed 3 times a day. This kitten will get very used to being handled. The mum is completely friendly. Don't know her story. 

We will have to inspect all volunteers who wear black tops as they leave to make sure that they are not trying to smuggle Margot out with them.

Margot gets first prize in the Cuteness Class

Fresh air at last and Bye Bye Baby

 Somebody came on Sunday to install the ducting to force air into the AWL condos. It comes out of the gap around the glass fronts so the cats don't live under any extra air pressure. They just get good air circulation. The block of double condo's against the wall of Palace condos has been moved across the aisle to be beside the long double condo block. The block of single condos in Welfare will go into Incoming, eventually. They don't have the extra air yet. But the ones who do, look happier. Nada was sitting at the front of her downstairs this afternoon.

The stand alones which were behind the desk were moved across the aisle. I rearranged them so that Yoko and Linda are no longer in the major traffic way by the door. That space is taken by the cleaning trolley. They have been moved to beside the Palace condos where the double AWL condos used to be. And the other stand alone, which used to house Courtney but now has Dexter, is where the trolley used to be . . . opposite where Beauty was and where Macy is now. 

Macy

Opey was moved to Rosie and Callie's condo. (They were adopted!) As soon as I opened his door to feed him this morning he bolted out of the condo, ran around the room once and stopped in front of this old stand alone and cried to be let in. I could not entice him back to his new condo. So I moved all his stuff to his old stand alone where he grumbled and whinged but settled down by lunch time. There is a new ginger boy above where Rosie and Cally were whose name is Lobster. He is very friendly.

Lobster

 A kitten was delivered by a good Samaritan who rescued her from the middle of the road. She has 60 cats of her own at home so couldn't fit another. This kitten, Mary, is 3-4 months old, has flu, mucky eyes and the dirtiest feet that I have ever seen on a cat. She was rather overwhelmed but is friendly.

Mary

Then a nice lady came again. And chose Baby. She wants a cat who won't sit on her all the time. She was a little worried about the amount of hair that Baby was shedding. So I got a brush to see if Baby likes being brushed. Baby loves it. Sold! She had a cat carrier in the car but no litter so planned to stop at a shop on the way home. I gave her the opened bag of paper litter that we left for a vollie to take which has been on the shelf in the junk room for months. Bargain!

Whitney had a busy Sunday. She came in pregnant but her teats were not ready for kittens. Nevertheless kittens came. The smallest one, 60 gm, died but the 70 and 90 gram ones survived. But Whitney wasn't producing any milk or colostrum so it was decided that they should go to a fosterer willing to feed them every 2 hours. On Monday another mother cat in a foster home went into labour. It was obvious that she was struggling so she was taken to the vet. They discovered that she had a broken hip. Imagine the pain trying to give birth with that! Two kittens were born by Cesarean but the mother could not be help and was euthanised. These two kittens were added to the feeding foster mother. They are bigger than Whitney's. But we hope that by feeding Whitney like a lactating mum, we will be able to put all four into her capable paws soon.

Whitney