Monday 27 September 2010

15 cats need rescuing and a Ferret is admitted.



















Tess really is back to normal today, she has started to enjoy her walks again , I do wish someone nice would come along and see her and fall in love with her. I am not a great Staffordshire bull terrier lover but I cant help but like this one. She has a nice character like Jade the longterm staff we had here and eventually homed after a year.All the staff are very fond of her and we all wish the breed did not have such bad press. I am sure a true kind staff lover will turn up one of these days.


We are currently involved in the rescue of 15 cats from the same home, the owners are moving to live abroad and these are all stray cats they have trapped, had neutered and fed for the past year or so. There is not enough room to accommodate all immediately so we have started by taking a few at a time, three were admitted today and as they had no names have now been called Kerry, Clara and Bonnie. I dont know what I am doing wrong with my photos, some animals have green alien eyes !They dont really - HONEST. I would love to do a photography course to learn better techniques.

Another cat was admitted today, one year old Poppys' owner is seriously ill and no longer able to care for her beloved pet - these cases can be very emotional, both for the owner and for the animal concerned.My heart goes out to them. You see ,I am not completely heartless with people.There are many genuine ones and I know which are and which are not.Todays case is sad and only a sociopath would feel nothing.

During the afternoon another farmer turned up with an unwanted collie.THis dog is A pretty longhaired male but oh, how scared he is. This was not one I felt happy about turning away, the farmers attitude was not good or helpful and I feared for the welfare of this animal. Another one for the kitchen (not to eat I hasten to add, but to join the dogs which live in that part of my house.) though I will have to make sure he does not get out until he settles down, he is completely terrified of everything at the moment of writing.Poor fellow. His name is Jim so I now have two kitchen Jims!
I have discovered that there are three types of farmers, one type is like this one and has no compassion whatsoever for his dogs but will take the time to drive here and dump a dog at the shelter, the worse type will just shoot his unwanted dog or leave him chained for life and the third in his own way cares enough to wait until we have a foster home ready or a home lined up and may even give us a small donation. It can be a case of working out which of the three categories they fit into and making a decision based on this. Not always easy.

As I am about to finish the day I receive a call about a ferret found on a farm, he has been seen around the farm for a few days and seems tame.They have caught him and are bringing him up here this evening.He will have to stay in a cat sky carrier until tomorrow when we will find a better place for him. I am too tired to run around cleaning hutches or pens and I know Mei still has a few horses to feed before she goes home. Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday:
Nobody has claimed the Lurcher but today the Yorkshire terrier was claimed - he was being looked after by the owners son who lived on a farm, hence the dog escaping.I have had a word about the importance of having identification on a dog and also the benefits of microchipping.The little dog is named Toby and is older than I thought, he is seven years old.I m sure he will be happy to be back with his family.I am not surprised that Sean lurcher is unclaimed, he is not a well cared for dog . Al;so in a generally bad state is the ferret ; now I have had a good look at him he is emaciated and covered in ticks .Although not a nasty biter of a ferret as some are, he is very scared and trembles when his cage is opened. It is the first time I have seen a ferret behave in this way, if only he could speak and tell us where he came from and what happened to him. The most obvious answer is that someone had been out hunting and lost him down a rabbit hole. Altogether he is a very sad little specimen but we will soon have him looking and feeling better.

The home has been approved for the two shetlands Minnie and Georgie Girl,it is ideal because at the moment they are with Rosie on her land and as these ponies hate being boxed and moved anywhere this home is in walking distance for them. Marigold and Melba should be going to their new home within the next few days and the Morris the 22 years old gelding with the arthritic hip should be arriving from the Colwyn Bay area round the same time so lots going on with the horses right now. Mei has asked me to mention that the naughty 'teenagers' Merlin, Shamrock and Celt have broken into the field we had fenced off ready for the winter arrivals. They are so mischievous but great fun to be around and watching their antics sometimes is hilarious.
Christine who held the table top sale for Freshfields on saturday rang to say it was a great success and she raised £460 for the animals.This lady has been a tremendous help to the charity since we gave shelter to her 4 ponies when her circumstances changed so drastically.You may think that it is as it should be but believe me most horse owners 'dump and run'! Christine helps with their feeds, vet supplements and hay for the winter months and is now fundraising so she is a gem and genuinely loves her ponies even though they no longer live with her. One of the ponies palamino Marcasite (pictured here with one of her 3 companions Starlight.)has kidney problems and the supplement needed to add to her food is expensive so it is a relief to have help with it.
We are expecting the Vet out tomorrow to check Sorrells hernia and to look at Crystals melanomas to see what he thinks about her condition and treatment she is currently receiving.She does seem livelier today but a regular check over is necessary anyway so she can have it sooner rather than later.
The new Kitchen Jim is still scared of his own shadow but is a gentle soul and I am confident he will improve and gain confidence daily,






4 comments:

Penny Brown said...

Haven't you heard about the Invasion of Cats from Outer Space? :0)

The 'green eye' explanation is actually pretty boring: it is the feline equivalent of red eye, and is green because of the flash reflecting off the cat's tapetum, which gives them their superior night vision. Anyway, for someone who claims to need lessons you get some great photos!

lesley said...

Thanks Penny but how do you prevent it? I may just have to stay with the alien cat pics!

Penny Brown said...

Using the 'red eye' camera setting often works - or of course not using the flash if there is enough light. Alternatively, rehome to a Star Trek addict!

lesley said...

Penny your humour is on same level as mine!