Pets

[Bertie]

Thanks, Boodi. And that's a curious tale about your cat, Sox, but I'm glad you got her back at least.

Kittens update: The first two females that they caught have had their operations and they went fine, so they say they'll come back at some point next week. And one of the newborn Kittens has sadly had to have an eye removed, but at least seems to have come through the operation OK.

And bit of a strange situation: I received a text this morning from the woman who has been most for re-homing the cats, saying the two older kittens seemed friendly enough and could be re-homed if I was OK with that. I said fine for 3 of them, but that I've really lost my heart to two and so need more time to decide what to do. I've spent all day wondering what to do, and then just received a text from the charity saying that the first message wasn't really accurate, as while the kittens aren't feral, they aren't fully people friendly either, and they've already a long waiting list of other more likely cats needing re-homing and so they can't take them on and that they'd be returning here as planned. It's a shame for the cats, but it does mean I don't have to make that decision about whether to give up the two strays that I'd hate to see leave. I've spent all day feeling like George when her father asks her to leave Timmy with him!

[Boatbuilder]

Good news for you Bertie, although It's a shame about the kitten who has lost an eye.

[Bertie]

The will they / won't they be re-homed saga is continuing with the stray kittens.

Just received a phone call saying the person who has been looking after them while they've been in there has managed to tame them and they let him stroke them and tickle their belly and he would be happy to keep them. So I've said that's fine. So two will definitely be re-homed, which is good.

They've said they know how much I love two of the others and so they'll return them here. But they're such lovely things that I'm really expecting the same thing to happen again - and then I'm facing that nightmare decision. I've got three options: let them be re-homed elsewhere and never see them again; Take them in myself but almost certainly break the heart of Slinky (my timid, aging cat); Or keep them as 'garden pets' - providing them with food, shelter, and some attention, but denying them a warm home. Selfishly, the last one works best for me (and more importantly, Slinky!) but I'm aware the lovely things deserve one of the other two options if they're possible.

[Boatbuilder]

A very difficult decision for you, Bertie. If they are returned to you, what do you think would happen if you tried to introduce them to Slinky? Do you think he might accept them?

When we got Suki, we'd had Freddie for three years but of course he wasn't shy, although he was a little wary of her at first. However, he came to accept her into the family without too much trouble. Of course Freddie was able to go outside whenever he wanted if he needed to escape her, which she couldn't do as the catflap worked on his microchip and wasn't set up to allow her out. It was about six months before we decided to let her go outside. Of course Suki is the shy, timid one, particularly with people and I don't know how she would react with another cat or kitten if one was ever introduced, which I doubt will ever happen anyway. She loves Freddie to bits and shows it, but once when another cat ventured through the catflap (it doesn't work on the microhips now) and she happened to be around, she chased it back out PDQ.

Whatever happens for you, I hope it works out satisfactorily.

[Bertie]

Thanks, Boatbuilder.

Based on what's happened over the years when I've taken in strays and already had an aging cat that followed me about, lied on my lap, slept on my bed, etc - I'd expect poor Slinky to feel like he's had his one sanctuary and source of happiness taken over and become very saddened and probably start trying to urinate in all sorts of places out of stress and in order to leave his scent (which encourages the other cat to do so to leave theirs, etc).

If it was just the female one, it might not be too bad. Especially if they were happy to have different parts of the house as 'theirs'. But over the years, all the male cats my family ever had have always 'chosen' me to follow around, sit on my lap, sleep on my bed, etc. And it's the one male out of the five kittens (the ginger one) that already, as a stray, follows me around, nuzzles into me, rolls over to let me tickle his belly. So I know if I adopt him, he's going to be a younger, fitter, braver cat who'll dominate poor timid Slinky and he'll feel so pushed out. Which is a really upsetting thought.

But the thought of never seeing the ginger cat (or the lovely Calico one) ever again is just as upsetting! So I'm really torn.

[Bertie]

The final three kittens were trapped over the last 24 hours, and they have their operation booked for tomorrow.

The reason it was 'over the last 24 hours' was due to the difficulty in catching them now they've seen all the others disappear. The Ginger one that follows me around and lets me stroke him and tickle his stomach was, unsurprisingly, the easiest to catch. Though he was just as elusive for the charity people trying to catch him. But when I went out to see how things were going, he appeared from nowhere to run to me, followed me all the way to the trap and just went in to start eating! Though I felt really guilty at how panicked he was to be trapped after trusting me like that.

The other two were as difficult as expected. But eventually I managed to trap the Calico one this afternoon. And, thanks again to Boatbuilder for preparing the link, I've got a picture of the poor soul in the trap while I waited for the charity people to come for her...





She, and Ginger, will be coming back here (along with the mother at some point). But all the other younger and older kittens are hopefully going to be re-homed.

[Bertie]

Thanks again to Boatbuilder for preparing the below photo that was sent to me from the charity looking after the kittens (and the mother). She was a wonderful mum to the older kittens and it looks like she's taking her responsibilities just as seriously this time around...

[Katharine]

I'm a bit behind on the story of the kittens.

I'm glad you managed to find somewhere that could help out.

[Boatbuilder]

Just read this on BBC Suffolk:

Jack Russell in Suffolk has become foster mum to abandoned kittens

[Bertie]

Aw, that's a lovely story, Boatbuilder.

[Boatbuilder]

I was thinking of you when I read it, Bertie.

[Courtenay]

I just read that too — so sweet!

[Bertie]

On another thread, I was mentioning how I was turning a neglected shed into a 'den' for the two stray cats (Beauty and Ginge).

It's still a work in progress - still needs some more tidying up, and I'm going to get them some new cleaner rugs instead of some old ones I've put down for now. But it's already taking shape, and they seem to be very much enjoying it.

A cat tree that I ordered for them arrived today. It's made it a little more cluttered again for now, but Beauty has already really taken to it.

Thanks again to help from Boatbuilder, I've got some pictures of them playing with some of their stuff...

This is Ginge and Beauty playing with a mixture of a fishing rod toy (you can maybe just make it out) and their scratching pole. They kept trying to gently steal the toy from each other's grasp...




Here's Beauty sitting in the 'house' part of her new cat tree...





And, just because I really love this one, here's why I've called her Beauty. How cute is she!?

[Boatbuilder]

Lovely pictures, Bertie. I really like the bottom one.

[Katharine]

Sadly I had to say goodbye to yet another guinea pig today. He was the brother of the one I lost back in March, and had reached the grand age of 6 and a half. I knew his health was failing, but it was a quite rapid decline. I'd hoped he'd just go peacefully over night, but when I went to feed him this evening, it was obvious things had taken a turn for the worse, and I just managed to to get an appointment before the vets closed. They agreed that sadly there wasn't anything they could do for him and that it was time to let him go. I always feel guilty having to make that decision, but I didn't want him to suffer and it seemed fairly clear that if I'd just left him to let nature take its course, he may well have spent an unpleasant last few hours or possibly even another day or two.

The local vets are really nice with my guinea pigs - I've been to a couple of other practices in the past that don't seem particularly interested if it's not a dog or cat. Even after over 40 years of owning guinea pigs (on and off), and having owned 30 or more, it still doesn't get any easier to say goodbye to them.

That's 4 I've lost this year now, but thankfully I still have 6 others to keep me occupied. Fingers crossed I won't have any more trips to the vets for a while now.