Seven in, One out.

More new cats.
We have admitted  seven cats into the one unit which is infection free. Suzy was the first. The next to arrive  were found abandoned and are fully grown - perhaps around 9 months of age.We were told they were kittens but as happens so many times, when they arrived we could immediately see that the kittens were  in fact fully grown adult cats. A little timid at the moment but young enough to appeal to the public who usually are after youngsters and they are attractive little cats.  We have named them Olive and Oscar.
Then youngsters  pictured below were joined today by three more newcomers -  Cochyn (Welsh for Red) Sox and Queenie whose owner was waiting to move into sheltered  accomodation.  They are so scared at the moment that I don't want to distress them further by doing my David Bailey impersonation! If they settle a little more, I will try to take some photos tomorrow.

A rather nicely named cat called Martini  was admitted after several weeks in a boarding cattery.Her owner has been  in hospital and it has now been decided by the relatives that Martini will need a new home.as her owner will be unable to care for her when she leaves hospital for sheltered housing. That scenario is a common one  and it can be greatly distressing for both pet and owner.At least we can do everything in our power to ensure that Martini is found a loving home not too dissimilar to  the one she has enjoyed for the past few years.
Before I finished this blog Martini found  a new home. What a fantastic result.
That makes seven cats in and one out!



Neutering turns an owner against her dog!
Yes, I find this hard to believe too ,but the reality is that the owner of Dinky a small terrier cross found wandering, announced that she  no longer wanted him as he was no use to her if he was neutered. We had asked the Vet to neuter him if we were to take him as it was believed  that the person who 'found ' him was in fact the owner. Normally we wait much longer before we take this action but as it was genuinely believed that nobody was going to come forward for him  so  the vet went ahead and neutered him. The owner was none too pleased at this and flatly refused to have him back because she had bought him for breeding!
This little dog is not a pedigree and as such it is completely unethical to breed yet more crossbreeds but there is a current trend to cross two breeds to make  dogs called labradoodles and maltiepoos as well as other crosses. What would this little chap have fathered ? (he is a yorkshire terrier crossed with a border terrier)
 As if there are not enough crossbreeds in animal shelters everywhere!

A   Little Grey pony Needs Help.
Last summer I was concerned about two  ponies being kept in a field local to the shelter. They   did not appear to have anyone caring for them and on investigation I discovered  that there were sporadic visits only made to him.. I  then received a call from a man asking  me to take the grey pony  and  his companion but the following day he rang again to say that one had been homed(she later died) and the other which belonged to his wife was no longer in need of a home as his wife wanted to keep him.
Since then I have kept an eye on the pony and made enquiries of neighbours. Satisfied that one neighbour was  watching out for him and that the World Horse Welfare had also been in touch with the owner,I felt that the situation was being monitored enough for me to relax over the remaining pony,
Today I received an email from the owner(who now lives several miles away) telling me that her ex husband has left the property and that the rspca had been in touch with her  over the abandonment  of the pony. The situation is now desperate for the 20 years old  grey, and having spoken to Mei about the feasibility of introducing him to one of our groups of ponies here, she feels he will fit in with one group which are not stabled individually - this group are  kept in one half of our barn.(we have no spare single stables)  Now we have to have him signed over and then it is just a matter of walking him from the next village to the shelter.

 I have been in touch with the Vet about castrating the Llamas and I am waiting for a date to be given.  I have emailed the prospective owners to see if they could cope with the warring pair and as yet am still awaiting a response.