Tuesday 13 March 2012

ROSIE'S STORY (AND LOTS OF KITTEN PHOTOS)

1. Rosie's Story.

This isn't a happy story and it doesn't have an ending yet.

Last week we got a call from a couple who wanted rid of their seven year old cat because they fancied a change. They wanted a kitten or a puppy.

Yes, take a breath and let that sink in.

There are several responses with the first being a torrent of bad language which is inappropriate in a Parental Guidance (PG) rated blog like this one. The second is to ask: are they adjective deleted stupid?  Sadly, the answer is yes. Fearing for the cat's safety if we didn't take it, Carole asked me to go get it. 

It was a bit of a drive, by my limited standards these days, a round trip of over 40 miles down to the coast and east of Peterlee to an old pit village. And, yes, the owners were thick. They clearly didn't understand that throwing a cat out of its home of several years was a bad thing and there was no point in me trying to explain it to them or showing how I felt. I just took the cat and set off back up the A19, hoping against all hope that her previous owners don't get their hands on another kitten or a puppy. 

I decided to take the cat to our new vet. This is King's Road Practice run by a lovely person and talented vet called Wendy whom we new from her days at Roker Park Vets. She's just set up on her own on the site of the old PDSA clinic at Southwick which is conveniently a five minute walk from Carole. Wendy thought she was older than seven and it was obvious even to me that her teeth needed seeing to so I left her in Wendy's tender care. I should add that Wendy has adopted the three-legged cat as her practice cat (as in veterinary practice not a cat to practice on) and it's very happy.

While her teeth have been fixed -she was also covered in fleas- Rosie is stressed out by the change in her fortunes and is clearly apathetic and unhappy. She desperately needs a new quiet home and a lot of love.



2. Five Kittens.

Another phone call and a quick trip up the road to pick up five kittens. The owners were having their male cat spayed but weren't going to neuter the kittens' mother because she never goes out. Somehow I don't think that will be the end of the story. Anyway, the photos are in sequence: by the fire in their home, in a box on arrival at Carole's, the next morning at Carole's (this morning). The grey kitten is from a separate litter.











3. One More For The Road.

On the way to collect the five, I also had to pick up a stray kitten (actually a young neutered male). The lady who'd taken it in has put a card in a local shop window so I'm hoping its owner might claim him. Wherever he came from, he's socialised with dogs and other cats and is friendly with people.


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