Christmas Cheer

I was late to SH this afternoon because we had our break up lunch for Friday morning tennis. As I got there Tim left with his two tiny kittens and another new cat to Chris the vet. Irene was still doing stuff so I got to my appointed task of taking photos for next year's calendar. I was not very successful. Ollie was more interested in being brushed and/or patted than posing by a prop.

The Ra family was trying to find the food hidden in the tree.

We tried out Mia and Belle in the play place. They were happy enough to be stroked, had a little explore but spent most of their time huddled together in the corner. Not a merry Xmas photo.

Earlier in the day, Irene had put Mini/RubyG and her grey kittens into the play place. They had a marvellous time. The kittens climbed to the top of the green labyrinth thingy. It did Mini/RubyG the world of good. She was very happy to have lots of pats later in the afternoon from me rather than hissing at me. As Tim was away at the 2:30 feeding time, Irene served the mums and kittens. Luna's lot had a lovely wander but never strayed far from their condo.

But Zelda's kittens made friends with all their neighbours, especially Claude.

A lovely boarder, Luna was lying peacefully, on her back, in her carrier when a person came from next door to "groom" her. She came back an hour later, shaved and still wet around the legs. Poor baby, I couldn't bring myself to take a photo. Tim got back at around 4pm. His kittens may have giardia and the other cat doesn't have a thyroid problem.

Family History

Last Wednesday Joy took photos of RubyG's lovely grey kittens. Today, the woman who rescued them came in with two full shopping bags of food for them. To her, RubyG is Mini.

Mini is the mother of Silky (so the grandmother of Silky's 4 kittens)

and also the mother of Sooky.

I don't know if Sooky is the father of Silky's kittens. So there is a plan, when Silky's and Mini/RubyG's kittens are grown, I will put Sooky, Silky and Mini/RubyG in the play place together to see if they recognise each other. By that time, we hope, the Ra's should be out of the upstairs-downstairs condo. Patchy's Spotty and Tippy have been renamed PJ and Penelope. (Tippy is PJ)

There are three kittens next to the two kittens in ex-Q. They are fraidy cats but we will win them around with Baby Cat. Their next door neighbours already know that we are the good guys.

Our Laurie (ie Lily's Laurie) is in boarding. His new name is Claude not Clawed.

Zelda is back from foster care. Her kittens are enormous and hefty. They will be desexed next week.

Charlie had a go in the play place. He was happy to get back home but will probably like it the next time.

Family reunion

Now that we have a play place for our cats the logical player is Rara. He has got into the habit of reacting with frantic when food appears. But he has the reputation of being a softie. When I suggested that he go to the play place I asked Tim to carry him there because he reacts with frantic to me. But once he was there and I sat with him he was lovely. All about the pats. He ignored the few crunchies that I found on the ledge outside his condo. He was just concerned with cuddling up with me. So it seemed a good idea to introduce Mimi and Macey to the play place. I carried Mimi and Tim carried Macey who is not so used to being held. Macey immediately went up to Rara. They touched noses. He started to groom her. Awwwwwww. Then Mimi strolled by on her investigative survey of the play place. She and Rara touched noses. He started to groom her. Awwwww. We left them there. Rara and Macey hung out together.

And Mimi found a nice hidey hole.

They didn't explore much but were happy to be together or with a person (me while I ate my lunch). So we decided that they should condo together in the up/down Ingleside condo. Which meant that I had to clean their condos, move Ollie and Felix, clean their condos and then move in the M-family.

Other movements: Silky has gone into Rita's condo out back. Her kittens don't seem too pleased at the move.

And Silky is horrified.

The tiny kittens are being cared for overnight by Tim. . . he who never sleeps. They have their ups and downs.

Sue asked me to collect photos for next year's (2022) calendar. I am to save one photo a month. Please tell me which photos you like best.

74

I just counted the number of cats we have at Safe Haven, from my memory. There are no boarders, unless you count Nom. It was a busy day with the new feeding schedule. I made myself a timetable which was much easier to follow than the previous cat type schedule. I left the copy there. . . it may well be changed by next week. While I was busy being anal, Joy took lovely photos. Of RubyG and her kittens:

We fed everybody chicken necks. The kittens were the most enthusiastic. . . and Rara, Mimi and Macy.

Luna and her kittens still pile on top of each other but Joy caught her and a kitten sitting up tall.

Mimi and Macy are so photogenic and mad about food but not frantic.

We have a new surrender called Rosie.

Star and her kittens had a lovely time in the new play place.

But Ollie didn't like it at all. He prefers life behind glass.

Chicken fingers

I took some BBQ chicken to do my cat behaviour routine this afternoon. Give me chicken, was Dolly's reaction.

But she says that to any food on offer. Other more circumspect cats were lured into more friendly behaviour by my chicken fingers. Even Windsor came out of his cave. (He had heard the fuss that Buddy and Petey were making: Buddy even let me pat him with my chicken fingers).

Silky was interested to eat chicken but not to make friends. She wears white stockings.

And Marmelade let me pat him. And Billy shut up while I tossed chicken at him. Gracie yelled for her share and Mimi and Macey fought over every piece. Macey got most of them because Mimi is a push over. The cat who REALLY LOVES CHICKEN is the new mum with four grey kittens. She still doesn't have a name. But, she is wearing a rather frayed collar. Her "rescuers" put the collar with a bell on her to stop her catching birds (to feed her kittens). She still doesn't have a name. I think we should call her Ruth, or RBG, or Rubygee because of the lace(y) collar. She was not going to give any of her chicken to her kittens . . . . she laid down the law. Then she followed me with her eyes as I distributed my inadequate stash to those other worthless cats.

Patchy and co have finished their ringworm treatment. To celebrate, I redecorated their wheely cage with new hammocks. And I swung it around to face the action. Tim is worried that they are not yet desexed so should not be on show. But I said that visitors won't see them until they are leaving and by then it will be too late. They have names. Meet Spotty, named for the spot on her nose/the end of her nose is black.

Tippy because she has a white tip on her tail.

And PJ who is the tortie.

They should be desexed and ready to go next week. Irene said that she would share photos of our cats who now live with other servants who take photos of them too.

Weight lifting

When I arrive in the morning I leave all the doors open so that the pong de chat can dissapate. Imagine my horror when I went through to the feeding station to see Buddy and Petey's door wide open, again. I rushed back to close the doors and then approached their condo. They were sitting together in their carry cage. Petey has learned to jump up to the higher level. My heart beat went back to normal.

Later when I was bathing the face of the dark tabby kitten (to the right of the desk) I heard Peggy hiss. I looked over my shoulder to see Macy stopped in her tracks on the gutter outside Peggy's condo. Perhaps Macy wanted to visit Rara. Mimi was watching from the open door of their condo with a worried expression on her face. I just turned Macy around with one hand (the other was holding the above kitten) and she walked back home. But it may be the eyebrow marking that makes Mimi look worried. Because later when I was washing the gummy eyes of some of Gracie's kittens, she watched with concern. I went to take a photo and my camera said "Charge the battery". Sue had three new volunteers to train this morning and Robyn is still nursing a very sore arm so took it gently. There were plenty of helpers. And then the men's shed arrived. They call themselves a community shed these days because there are women as well as men involved. They wanted to attach the brackets that will support the walls and top of the play place. And they the brought bits to fit.

We thought that they would be able to work around the stack of litter bags. But no, they had to be moved from where I put them yesterday. Luckily the community shedders did the moving, not me. I did it yesterday. And we had to move Hera, Diamond and Octavia because the litter bags are now behind Octavia where the scratchy poles used to be. They have been moved to the foyer beside the ones for sale. Really Octavia and Lily should change wheely cages. Octavia's only has three wheels and a peg leg. Lily's has 4 wheels. Maybe tomorrow. The community shedders will be back tomorrow or Friday to finish the job. By the way, I think Hera and Diamond are happier in separate areas rather that bunking in together. Patchy and her crew were happy when I rotated them so that I could mop their area.

We have a new, nameless, label-less mum with four grey kittens. She is a frightened, hissy mum. But she has a collar on. So she must just be really pissed off to be with us rather than a wild child. Later when It was quiet I noticed Star's tail hanging out of her condo. And when I looked at the photo there are two kitten tails hanging out as well. . . . cute.

Its raining kittens

There were four more this afternoon" two sets of pairs. I think they are to go to foster homes. Below the hissy pair:

Are is pair of tiny's"

And next to them below the crazy quartet are another pair who will be picked up by Sara:

Gracie's five are coming on quickly. The fluffy dark tabby had only one eye open until we bathed the stuck eye.

Elona was out with her two. I still don't know if they are a boy and a girl so that they can be named after the Keoride buses called Emma and Eamon I saw on my drive home after they were born.

I tried to get a good photo of Mia's Bella but they were focused on getting pats and treats and I couldn't get a good shot of Bella's super long, thin tail which has a curl on the end like a monkey's tail.