New instructions and a new vollie

Sue indoctrinated us and Robin (new vollie willing to do Joy's other Wednesday plus some other day/s. . . brilliant) on the new protocol. I mentioned that we should use the red buckets for the dirty scoops. That will be added to the protocol as it got a big tick. Let us hope that no vollies are colour blind. Because of that and that Robin is new, it took rather longer than it should have. Nevertheless, the garbo's hadn't come by when we left at 2pm so we dumped our trash bags locally which is a big win for the atmosphere in the car especially on a hot day like today.

Sue asked me to take photos of the following cats because they are all now available and can be posted on various platforms. If you have a better photo, please send it to Sue.

Wendell

Penny

Olivia

Peanut

Elsa

Melody

Evie

Blossom

Samantha

Cute Critters in Collars

Evie and Melody look lovely in their collars and they seem to be doing the trick comfortably.

Evie

Melody

They will be ready to be adopted soon. Evie's grey and white kitten was duely adopted. Emily is a great purrer and Eden is as handsome as a silver tabby can be. They shouldn't last long.

Eden and Emily

As I left the A kittens woke up from their hammock naps, for a moment. (I need to make more hammocks as they are getting used. The only reason this litter hasn't been desexed is that the one girl is still under one kilo. The three boys are all well over the kilo. She gets fed separately so that she gets her fair share).

A kittens

I washed the tiny kittens, again. They were only half as pooy as on Wednesday. After cleaning they look like rat tailed cats.

 Blake, next door, has Egyptian khol markings from the outer corners of both his eyes. He looks particularly fetching on the pink and white blanket but rushes forward when you open his door. Another potential photo for Valentines Day.

Blake

 Peanut was looking much better today than on Wednesday. The grass did the trick.

Peanut

Kittens ready to go

Evie's kittens have been desexed and are ready to be adopted. There is one grey and white kitten who probably has a home already.

 Smarty cat

Sammy

My old neighbour adopted Sam and Sally from Rose Cottage 15 + years ago. Sammy died over the weekend. And Evie's silver tabby arrived at Safe Haven around the same time. Coincidence?

There is a new "litter" of black kittens: 3 little ones and a big black kitten: obviously a ring-in but nice for the little shy ones to have a big brother.

Joy and I had a busy morning. We are still doing the kittens first which is perhaps a good idea because they are so messy that you need all that fresh energy to clean up after them. The adults are a pleasure to clean up.

My final job of the day was to clean the poo off the kittens that I washed last visit. The smallest ginger didn't survive the night after my last clean up. At least he went to his maker with a clean behind.

The surviving two were in a right state. They must have stomped in poo to get such thick soles of brown on their legs, sides, tummies. 

Before the clean up

After the clean up.

Still standing.

Washing kittens

I didn't go to Safe Haven yesterday because I had visitors from the US to entertain (at the Zoo). But Sandy mentioned that Tim was disappointed that I wasn't there to wash the tiny kittens who have taken to walking in their poo (not in the litter box) and then climbing over each other. What a job mother cats have!

So I went there this afternoon to deliver grass to delighted cats and wash less than delighted kittens.

The tortie was the most tolerant of my combing and pulling.

The larger ginger, also known as Mr Wiggle, did not like it at all and fought me every inch. He, naturally, had most poo stuck to his fur.

The little ginger, was lethargic so let me do what I needed to do most of the time. Or I got the job done while he was resting. But then he passed some wet blood and Tim rang the vet. They will all go home with Tim tonight and visit the vet first thing in the morning. Fingers crossed for the little ginger.

More kittens

First the good news: Pepi has been adopted to an older couple who have grandchildren.

Pepi

We were asked to clean the kittens first, even before the borders. Catsie had to hold the kittens while I cleaned their condos. . . . I gave her the hard job.

This little, white and grey tabby boy has shy eyes but is quite engaged with people and toys. Tim thought that the folk who dropped him off called him Nemo. But he is not ginger and white striped so we will probably change that name.

 There are three tiny kittens who prefer to hide in a cat cave. They haven't quite got the hang of the litter tray. So while I was cleaning crap off the tail of one, he obligingly pooed for me. There are two ginger tabbies and a grey tortie girl.

 We moved the M's: Mozart, Monti, Mikado and Madonna to a condo out back across from the feeding station. They had knocked over their water, probably yesterday, so all headed for the clean water bowls. The sound of lapping was loud.

Madonna, Mikado, Monti, Mozart

I think I have brushed most of Caramel's winter coat off her back and sides. While she was sitting beside her food bowl waiting for more pats, I noticed that she has a white chest and tummy with a grey mark on her chest that is shaped like half a heart. I suggested to Tim that she should be our Valentine cat . . . . . "mend my broken heart, adopt me".

Caramel

Sooty Shoots Through

When I arrived from picking up 20 bags of litter from Arundel Park, all was under control at Safe Haven. Dishes were washed, floors swept, last few condos to be done by the four volunteers. And the family of two adult men and one boy who stayed for HOURS to play with one kitten at a time had finally left. Then Joan got to Sooty to clean. She opened the door a crack and Sooty shot over her head, through the air to the other side of the room and hid behind the block of condo's next to the giant climbing tree. 

Other cats have hidden there. We have an established technique that involves a broom, a blanket and the magic gauntlets. All primed, Sooty was encouraged out from behind the condos. But instead of coming into the open, she opted for climbing up the "art work" behind the climbing tree. She only got half way up, hung there for a while then dropped to the ground. She was grabbed by Tim's gauntlets and hustled back into her condo. On the way she managed to bite through the leather but didn't break any flesh. Those gauntlets will be washed/bleached/F10'd.

So now, Sooty knows that her condo is a safe place and that "out there" is fraught with brooms, unscalable heights, shivering blankets and squeezing blue hands.

After we caught our breath. . . . all was peaceful again. As I had been to Arundel Park I didn't have any grass to distribute. I don't think Charlie will ever forgive me.

Charlie

Candice's kittens are much better. They are eating well but unfortunately being eaten by fleas. They have been treated and the fleas are in a death frenzy and driving them mad. I decided the black and white one with half a moustache should be called Cemi (because it has to start with C rather than S). But Tim's Mum has names for them already.

C kittens

 Candice's sister Bonnie looks younger and younger. She is definitely not pregnant any more.

Bonnie

Candace has decided that she likes to be patted. Her purr is amazing. . . . probably because her lungs are still full of flu so the reverberations are legend. 

Candace with two hands patting

 I spent some time with Blossom who seems much happier in her bottom, small condo. She has put on 250gm since the last weigh in. I gave her a soft bed because she has old bones. She will have another thyroid test next Tuesday.

Blossom

Spit and polish

I did go to SH last Friday but the camera was out of battery so I didn't blog. The situation is the same today. We are in emergency clean up and sterilise mode. Wesley and Winston (the two strays who came in with their sister Tammy) developed feline panleucopenia  which demonstrates that they had never been vaccinated against this virus. They died despite Tim's efforts. Tammy is still OK. She doesn't have any symptoms yet. But we have lots of other cats who haven't yet been vaccinated, including all the kittens.

So very strict protocols have been introduced including new gloves for every condo, bleach for wiping down condos, chuck the Chux, F10 the worker between each cat, no unnecessary handling of the cats, not cats playing around the place, bleach swabbing of floors. It should only have to be this strict for two weeks until all possibility of lingering viruses are eliminated. Then we can get back to normal.

Today there were lots of volunteers which made the work get done in time for Tim to have a couple of hours off in the middle of the day early afternoon.

The boarders are all well (so far). There are some gorgeous cats.

Poor Jimmy couldn't go for his usual wander.

Jimmy

And Kimmy was not pleased not to get her usual cuddles.

Kimmy

Candace is looking better and she can breathe through her nose  at last. Her two surviving kittens are doing well.

Candace

Penny hadn't eaten anything for 2 days but managed to scoff her breakfast today.

Penny

And Eve wants out.

Eve