Where have all our visitors gone?

Saturday,   No Photos this weekend because the camera battery is not charging, why is there always something not working? Hope to sort it out by next blog.
An incredibly quiet day today,we had almost given up on the idea that we would have visitors when a couple turned up and reserved two adult cats.I think next week I will place an advertisement in the local newspaper for cats in need of homes, 2 cats being adopted per week is really poor.Hopefully tomorrow will be busier.
A young lady of 11 years called Rose came to help us today, she was accompanied by her mother as she is still too young to work here without parental supervision; she was happy to do any jobs which is something not many youngsters will agree to. Often it is the idea of working at an animal sanctuary which appeals but the reality of  cleaning out smelly pens is usually enough to send them running for the hills.It is often those we think  will never cope who actually do.When we first moved into the Ince Blundell shelter there was a young girl from Southport who wanted desperately to work with the animals but she was very small and slightly built and barely looked her age,(11 years) I admit I thought there was no possibility of her being useful to us - how wrong was I? Biff (her nickname)proved to be one of the best volunteers we ever had, the first day she volunteered she was busy trundling backwards and forwards to the midden with a wheelbarrow piled high with dirty and heavy straw.There was no stopping her and she worked on and off at Freshfields until she went to University(she is a qualified lawyer nowadays)
Of course nowadays we have to think of insurance and health and safety for youngsters and it is not as simple as it once was though from the age of 13 , if they want to work
they can obtain a permit from either school or local council . I  don't like to discourage children because they are the future animal welfarists and if they are shown how to care properly for pets then they can pass on that knowledge to other children and eventually their own children.

 For once we have enough catfood to last us 2 weeks at least.Mion and Elspeths collection outside Tescos in Holyhead raised £350 in donations and about £200 worth of catfood was also donated which was an added bonus.Added to that Tescos petfood collection bins were emptied and 3 weeks of donated petfood arrived via Judy our supporter in that area. I too had brought back petfood from the Liverpool shelter(which does well for donations of animal food) and Roy had collected donations form Caernarfon and Porthmadog shops.All in all it was brilliant stacking up the cases and knowing that the cats were going to eat well for the next couple of weeks without us having to buy in at huge expense. I am so grateful to everybody who donated a tin or two for the shelter animals. On their behalf - THANK YOU.

Sunday:-
It was still quiet today unfortunately but the two reserved cats went out.Suzy, a shy gentle tabby and white had been with us nearly a year, she was the only  survivor of a group of cats at a caravan site in Caernarfon.The rest of her companions were shot by the owner of the site and the kind gentleman who had been feeding them was extremely distressed at the events and terrified that Suzy too would become a victim.Thanks to him she was admitted to the shelter and today her luck was in.It would be lovely if she enjoyed longevity like the new owners last cat who was a grand 22 years of age when she passed away. The second cat they chose was Joss a lovely tabby who was fostered by Mion last year when she  came in to us heavily pregnant, the kittens were adopted and Joss has been here ever since. They have gone to a lovely rural home where they will be safe from traffic(and nasty people with shotguns)
Paddy is looking well at the moment, he is now on three meals daily and that seems to keep him at a good weight.I had to give up on feeding him Burns as I could no longer afford it but he seems to enjoy the cheaper food as much and he certainlylooks well on it  He really is the most loveable dog but now he has his(very large) feet under the table, he has become very protective towards me and the house - Not such a bad thing for someone living alone, there is no doubt he would not hesitate to attack if I was threatened but it does make it somewhat difficult if I go away. It is only Mei whom he will accept in the house and only she can take him out.He is a much bolder dog than dear Molly(is it really 8 months since she died?) Time goes so quickly. I feel as though Paddy has lived here all his life, sometimes I forget and call him Molly by mistake!