Different digs

We decided that Lord Dudley needed a better box. The box he had was low and long. We found a box that he could sit in rather than having to crawl into.

He approved.

Petite and Norma were left overnight in the play place. I thought it would be nice if their sister who usually sits outside the box containing her brother and sister, could join them. The microchipper told me that she is Snowy. It is Patches who stays inside the box with Ginger. The other two were more interested in having pats from me when I took her into the play place. But they greeted her with licks and rubs. It was quite sad to put her back into the condo with the exclusive pair.

But somebody else needed a turn in the play place. I took Zelda thinking that if she ran around for a bit it might help her tummy. She sat in a corner. So I sat with her and gave her a massage concentrating on her tummy area. She loved it and purred and purred. Then I thought, perhaps she is taking air into her tummy as she purrs. Then she farted. Whatever . . . she enjoyed it.

I put her back into her condo which gets sunshine in the late afternoon, and wheeled in Harry and Harley who love it there because they have space to chase each other.

Then a neighbour arrived with his ?7 yr old daughter for their regular cat pat visit. It struck me that Miko came from a family with children. The father rang a couple of weeks ago because the kids had begged him to find out how she was getting on. Miko REALLY liked the kid. The kid liked the cat too. But dad said "What about the dog at home?"

Max in incoming was super friendly to Robyn while she was cleaning him until she tried to wipe his floor with some paper towel and then whap! Makes you wonder what his past experience with paper towel is.

Charlie is available. Wonder how long he will last.

Rita liberated

Rita was adopted today by the woman who came last week, or was it two weeks ago, with her "granddaugher". Their carer didn't want a boy cat. So Salam was rejected. And she didn't fancy Luna. So they said they would come back. They did and Rita was chosen. I hope the carer has the patience to let Rita adapt to a new environment of hugs and kisses. Poor little thing hasn't had much of that since she got ringworm after giving birth, eventually, to her three kittens. Who were her colony mates who came in at the same time? All pregnant. All just big kittens themselves. . .. . Star and Zelda? (The date on the photo is September 2020.

Her three kittens are now available as they have passed their ringworm test. They are Robbie, Roger (the grey tabby) and Roxanne (the black). Today a mum and daughter came in to check out Roger (mum liked grey) and Roxanne (daughter liked black cat). They coudln't decide so went home to have a family conference. They had planned to come back within an hour or two to take somebody home. But by 5pm, they still hadn't decided. And they were in Mosman. So I said, "Come back tomorrow". There is another person who is waiting anxiously for Roger to be posted on Facebook. Another grey cat lover. There may be a frantic rush tomorrow morning.

These folk spent some time with the kittens. As there were only two of them and three kittens, I had to cuddle the third. It is such a nice thing to do. I have almost forgotten how nice since all the "Don't touch a cat because you might give it a germ" policy that definitely was not in vogue at Peggy Brown's. And I realised that I am good at it which must be because of all that practice at Peggy's. The kitten I handed off to the visitor was relaxed while the kitten I got from them was tense. I put my skill into practice with our newest litter. Three blacks (2 boys one girl) and two tabbies (one of each). They have mucky eyes. So I had to clean their faces and apply the ointment. They are sweeties (and withour names.)

Our other new resident (75 in total today) is one that Irene picked up yesterday from the vet. She had been desexed and part of her tail had been amputated. Don't know why. But we decided that her name is Bridie. She seems a gentle, shy, very young adult.

Rosie news

Remember Rosie whose face we didn't see for weeks because she hid in her bed mourining her surrender. Eventually she turned around to see what was happening in her new environment.

Then she decided that we were alright, after all. And shortly afterwards she was adopted. The woman who adopted her came by this afternoon to buy her a scratchy pole. She got Rosie because her previous pair of cats died (one after the other) and she grieved for 2 years before being ready to jump back into the pool of cat loving. She is soooooo happy with Rosie. Rosie has her own room, with en suite, that she will return to when her mum has had enough tummy time. Rosie talks to her and anybody who comes to visit. She poses for paintings (the owner is an artist). They are very happy together. But the owner is concerned at how she bereft she will be if Rosie dies and leaves her catless. Easy solution! When Rosie is completely relaxed, come get a big boy kitten from us! If you always have two cats you will never be catless. Cabbie and his big sisters Uber and Taxi were picked up by their Cabramatta family. They now have unpronouncable Russian names. The mother cat has been desexed. The kittens have been microchipped. The family is happy to have them back again. Short, sweet stay. The soft drink kids were in the play place this afternoon. Irene had a great cuddle with them all but they were wary of me, even though I fed them milk.

I tidied up out the back to make litter trays more accessible. And then distributed treats. Belle needs more treats. She is growing splendid white whiskers.

Sesame is an easy cat to give love to after Octavia who is very suspicious still.

And Christopher has come on leaps and bounds since his brother was adopted.

Talking of adoptions. Star was adopted. Don't expect her back. Her person has been waiting for her for ages. Her condo has been filled by the mum and kittens that Amy was supposed to pick up on Wednesday but they never arrived. They came this afternoon at 4:30pm. And Zelda has been adopted. Let's hope it sticks this time.

Milking it

I sat in the play place, on the floor, to eat my lunch in the hope that Silky's kittens would sidle up to make friends. They circled around me. Sniffed at the fragment of cheese I sucked the salad dressing off. They didn't eat it. The tuxedo stayed on the highest shelf throughout. Not a very successful lunch date. Until I thought to get the carton of cat milk that has malingered in the fridge for some weeks. It tasted OK. . . not sour. So I poured out a bit in four bowls and the kittens came. They let me pat them for as long as there was milk in the bowls. It is a good start. So I gave milk to everybody else who needed a pat. All kittens loved it and got patted whether they wanted pats or not. Some cats, like Billy and Zelda and Star, wanted, and got a pat, before being offered milk. Star has been desexed and the person who wants her will come to pick her up as soon as she is good to go. Even Lucky got milk. She wouldn't let me pat her but at least stopped spitting at me for long enough to drink it.

Pearl wanted what ever everybody else was getting but didn't recognise it when I poured it into her bowl. I am not sure whether she couldn't see the cream coloured milk in her yellow bowl or she couldn't smell it with her stuffed nose. But eventually she found it and enjoyed it. Mixa let me pat her while she drank his (And I thought he was a boy, no wonder he didn't want me to pat him before!) Belle is sick to death of anything to do with milk. Robyn had to trick her into accepting a couple of her kittens to deflate her mammary glands.

We got some more kittens from Cabramatta. One is very cuddleable. I decided his name should be Cabie.

The other two, from the same household are much shyer. They can be Taxi (or Tachi) and Uber.

The really good news is that Rita and family has been deemed un-ringwormed. They have joined us by turning their (wheely cage's) back on quarantine corner.

SH is good for your heart

It gives it exercise in all different ways. For example, when I arrived this morning I quickly went around to check on each cat and to count them (85 but I think I may have missed Octavia and other stand alones). Everybody was in their place. So I took the (17) trash bags out to the garbage bins because Wednesday is the day when the garbos come and there are lots of half empty bins along the street. When I got back the last time the Japanese kittens were running all over the place. They had forced their way through the hole in their screen door that I mended last Friday. I quickly rounded them up and popped them back with a temporary bit of cardboard. That is when I discovered that their mum wasn't there. Wasabi could have been anywhere. Under the food shelves, on top of the condos, over the balcony. . . . Terry arrived and started the search. After about 5 minutes he stopped and said "But Wasabi went home on Saturday". Such a relief for my poor overworked heart. You have got to love Terry. The day proceeded. The vollies arrived and found that we have very few gloves. I asked them to spray their hands with F10, put on gloves, clean cat 1, take off gloves, respray with F10, do cat 2 without gloves, spray hands, put on gloves, clean cat 3, etc, etc. It cuts the glove usage in half. And the cats prefer skin to plastic. Billy positively stroked himself against my hand. He was all about the pats today. Last week he was all over Joy as well.

Amber has two room mates. They are probably her siblings. They are shy as she was when she arrived but I can pat her now.

Sesame has always been all about the pats. She doesn't have any canines so has trouble keeping her tongue in her mouth when she is happy.

Zelda is back and available. Third time lucky, we hope. Especially since I cut an old, dry turd from the tip of her tail!

Windsor is not happy in his new digs. . . . same hidey hole but not as willing to come out for strokes.

Mattie and Maddie have been moved away from Marigold. None of them are happy about it, yet.

But Peggy was happy to have a gloveless pat.

At the final feeding of the day, I gave Marmalade his portion of crunchies and he looked at me with a hurt expression on his face. "Where is my cuddle?" it seemed to be saying. So I reached out and he happily got the caress that Tim gives him every day. Good exercise for the heart. (Plus I walked 9.92 K there today.)

Engaging Ebony

There was a hole in the mesh of Wasabi's condo before she moved in. (Star's kittens did it). Her kittens have just learned to poke their heads through the hole. Within days their bodies will follow. So I patched the hole. Unfortunately there wasn't any of the thicker mesh left so it is a temporary fix. But whatever it was, Ebony was fascinated.

She gazed and gazed. While Wasabi tried to hide in her bed because my hands kept coming into her condo.

And her kittens went to sleep in a carry case that kept them from escaping all over the place.

Tim has listed lots of cats and kittens availble so that Terry can get them all adopted tomorrow. The list includes Coco, Cola and Pepsi who had a lovely time this afternoon in the play place while Silky's kittens were off getting desexed. Charles and Christopher are available. The "I am adopted" sign on Elona's condo that had Charles written on it was a mistake. Elona is to be picked up tomorrow. And perhaps the interested person of Wednesday will come by for Charles. Zelda is back on the available list and is desperate for cuddles. Steph's kittens Dash, Flash, Bear and Chip are bound to go quickly because they are such love bugs. Dobby, at last, is available with his loving snot.

As is Windsor with his old man's morning cough and hack.

Talking of which, why is Sunny's nose brown? He is available.

And Salam. We tried to get a good photo but he kept wigglying with the joy of being out and with people to love on.

Zelda is back

Despite the pep talk I gave her owner last week and the telephone support Irene has provided over the weekend, Zelda's person could not provide her a safe place. Goodness knows why she thought it would be a good idea to have a young cat in a two bedroom flat with a 102year old and her daughter with carers coming frequently. We will find her somebody to love her properly. In the meantime, Belle's kittens are growing fast despite her gastric troubles. There is Baxter.

And Bugsy,

Button,

Bonnie,

And Buffy.

Zelda adopted: Liz reports

Zelda was taken by a middle aged woman whose elderly mother lives with her. She wanted a calm friendly cat so Zelda was the perfect choice.

Prue comments: Over the weekend Jack was adopted by mistake. He wasn't on the website as available but his paperwork was in the available file. The telling clue to his readiness should have been a pink or blue condo card with his name, age and price. But the condo cards we have are rather pale pink or blue. I will try to find some more eyecatching paper to laminate. Nevertheless, a man rang on Friday wanting to come and have a cat choose him. Evidently, Jack chose him. They are happy together. Tim has spoken to the man. All is good. And Pearl can now relax. They came from a hoarder so were not necessarily "bonded" but they did like each other.

Also over the weekend Leaf persisted on the website. I was worried that he had been returned as a failed Chinese New Year special. But he is still with his new family. He was just slow at getting off the webpage. . . cutie that he is, he looked good there.

Happy Year of the Ox

Unfortunately we don't have any oxen ready to adopt. But the lass who came in on Wednesday brought her mother to choose a "special something for Chinese New Year". We introduced mum to all the cats but she, reluctantly, admitted that black cats are unlucky for Chinese. Mum fancied Sapphire. . . . . the smallest kitten. But daughter settled on Leaf. By next Chinese New Year, he should have grown into a beautiful TIGER. He pulled out all the cute stops to engage them both. I think they will be happy together. I asked about favourable names for cats in Chinese families and they said that anything to do with good luck or money is irrestible. So expect names like Euro, Billion, Dollar, Megabucks, Jackpot. If anybody can come up with a list send it to us before the next kitten season which we hope will be an all tabby season (unlike this years mostly black and white season). We have a new mum parked in boarding. As she is our 500'th cat I decided that she should be called D, or something starting with a D. (I admit that we had to Google which letter was Latin for 500, but I knew that there was one). Tim decided on Daphne after rejecting my suggestions of Darling, Dearest, Dearsley. . . . Either way, she is a honey. And her kittens know a beam of sun to lie in when they find one.

Last thing Robyn brought in (Isa)belle and her kittens. Can you believe that she has had them for almost 6 weeks! The kittens had such a lovely time exploring their new digs while Belle relaxed upstairs.

Second to last thing, a family came in to surrender their two cats. Don't know why. . . yet. They are Bud and ?

They are in Luna's old condo out back. She is up front and ready to go now that I patted her so hard that most of her hair fell out. I brushed out the rest.

And Salam is where Dobby used to be

Because Dobby is in the Palace

From whence he can breathe fresh air and sneeze snot on Irene in the morning from several yards. In the afternoon his nose was much better/clearer. So we hope that Florence Nightingale's method of fresh air will cure what ails him. In the meantime, he got to watch Irene clean the play place.

Well done Irene.