Tuesday 29 June 2010

TWO WEEKS LATER

Not because I haven't had anything to post but because I couldn't summon up the energy and I have been quite busy.  Working backwards we'll start with yesterday afternoon when Carol and I took a little kitten to Roker Park vets.
If you look closely at the outstretched paw you'll see some obvious damage. Carol had been looking at the kitten when a toe fell off. Literally. The vet reckoned some hair had got constricted round the toe cutting off the blood supply until it just dropped off. The wound was healing well but we got some antibiotics just in case.

Earlier that day, a carful of us went through to the Department of Pensions Office several miles north east of Newcastle. The department decides on a charity and collects for them for a set period of time and then gives them the money. In this case it was us. So there was me driving, Susan and Anne backseat driving, and Andrea talking on her mobile. Going there, and following a Google map for directions, I had to backtrack several miles because the instructions were wrong and on the return journey I missed the Tyne Tunnel turnoff and again had to backtrack. We still got there in time, went through the security procedures, and found ourselves in an attractive modern complex with lots of walkways and trees. Inside we talked about Animal Krackers, how it got going and what we all did which was appreciated as we were actually the first group to show our appreciation by volunteering to come and accept the cheque in person. The cheque was a handsome sum of over £700 and was accompanied by a table full of cat and dog food which we we just managed to fit into the boot and under the feet of the back seat passengers. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, for your kindess. It's much appreciated.

Back at the ranch, it's full house. No kittens or cats had gone out for nearly two weeks until the weekend just gone when Carol managed to rehome three cats and two kittens (or vice versa) only to have three more cats arrive. Here are some nice kitten pics.
Last Thursday I got a call from an elderly lady who had taken in a young cat from us some eighteen months ago. In the last few days she'd also taken in a cat barely out of kitten stage which had been hanging round her house for a few days. However, it hated her cat and was terrified of it she really could do with the fuss. As it wasn't an adult cat, and despite being full, Carol agreed to take it so I picked it up and took it round and here it is.

She is a lovely and friendly cat, had recently been neutered and is probably about 8 months old. And she hates/is terrified of other cats. She even spat at the little kittens and this made it impossible for Carol to keep as she had nowhere suitable for her. So I decided to take her to the shop and put her in a cage in the office, which I did. She seemed quite happy about this and didn't even try to scramble out of the cage when it was opened, preferring to have a fuss made of her. Next day, Anne (our treasure and co-backseat driver, see above) agreed to foster her for up to a couple of weeks and four days later she's still there. Carol put an ad in the Sunderland Echo about finding her but no-one has claimed her yet. This is a surprise as she's obviously been well-looked after and I'd have thought her owner would be trying everything to find her. 

Then there's the older kitten I picked up from Barmston and called Zoe who turned out to have stomach problems i.e. lots of diarrhoea which she still has nearly two weeks later. We're currently waiting for the results of a faeces sample I took to the vets. I hope she's going to be okay as she's not only gorgeous but very affectionate, happy just to be cradled and petted by me. She given me a case of the "I know we agreed not to have any more cats, particularly kittens, but I want her anyway." Here she is.

That wasn't everything I've been doing in the previous two weeks but then this isn't a diary plus I also have a lousy memory. This afternoon I'm off to Burnhope deep in the heart of the Durham countryside (see earlier posts) to take three cats to Tracy's rescue while this morning Susan and Andrea have gone to StrayAid at Coxhoe, not quite so deep in the Durham countryside, in the van with a shedload of dog food.

Back soon.

No comments: