How time flies

Well, it's August already and it has been several months since my last post. I intended to keep posting more updates on my trip to Torre Argentina, but time has just got away from me. I'll do another update in the next week when I have more time.

Inside Torre Argentina

The vacation has been over for a fortnight and it has been so easy to slip back into the daily routine - almost TOO easy. Life still goes on here in Leeds, as life will be going on in Torre Argentina. I said I'd post some more photo's and feel bad I haven;t posted anymore sooner, so here ya go.

These shots from the 'nursery'. As you can see there are cages down the left side of the room and on the back wall. The nursery is basiclly a quaranetine area where cats recouperate following an operation and/or wait for their 2nd innoculation before either being returned to the colony that came from, or released into the grounds. Once recovered, the cats are let out of the cages to 'roam' the room and the to get them used to being here and to the other cats. if they are released into the grounds too soon they are just as likely to run up the steps and out onto the road to try and find their way home.This way we hope they will learn they are safe, there's plenty of food, and hopefully want to stay. The area is also a permanent home for some of the deaf and blund cats, who if they did go on the road would be lost/injured for sure.

This area is open to visitors and ALOT of visitors are only to happy to come in and pet/play with the cats. There is a kind of double-door air-lock osrt of enrty so you shut a door behind you before going into the room, as some of the guys REALLY want to get out!. The children especially like this room, the cats are all friendly, being ex-domestic house pets, and just lap up the company.

In terms of volunteer work, we regular check the food/water in the cages and clean the litter trays, and there are more food and litter trays along the righthand wall for the cats running about. We also play with the cats when it is quiet, especially some of the more nervous cats or the ones in cages recoupertaing - they need love and attention as much as the other guys - this is one of our volunteers right here!

This last shot is of the entrance/mani visitor area after the sanctuary has closed to visitors, just before going home. The cats flock back in once the visitors are gone and look for food, because they know the food bowls will be full and there won't be anyone wandering around aside from volunteers. It's amazing to see all the cats just come in from the ruins and pretty much ALL get on. yes, there is the odd hiss and growl, but for the main it's pretty peaceful. This is a side visitors don;t see, but as volunteers we are honoured to be a part of.

Archeological site

This is the outside of the rescue center, showing the archeological area which the cats are allowed to roam in. I have highlighted on the photo's one of the feeding areas and the actual santcuary area itself, which is based behind a wall and actually sits back UNDERNEATH the street in previously excavated caves. The ruins have 2 feeding stations one on either side of the ruins, both of which are re-plenished daily with fresh dry and wet food, as well as water. We also need to go round and pick-up the litter which lovely tourists and locals drop into the area on a regular basis, from street level.

There are also some pictures of the cats sat in the ruins themselves. They usually look for a sunny spot, unless they are particularly shy in which case a shadey area out of the way is the next best bet.

The party's over

Okay, I'm official sad... my time at Torre Argentina is now officially over!

Today has been real funny, I've kept busy, but 6pm has loomed every closer like the inevitable armagedon of the Terminator movies. You know it's coming, you know when it's coming, but try as you might you can't change it. I said good-bye to all my faves, hell they didn't know what was going on, it was just another round of petting and fussing for them. 

I was out in the ruins today, and a new volunteer came out with me. She said she hadn't been around for a while and was catching up on the changes. Man, she knew every cat out there by name. We're talking 30-40 cats that we saw. It was amazing, and they recognized her too, or at least their names. We searched for one girl, Greta Garbo, for 30 minutes, but she eventually turned up, strolling out from somewhere large as life. About 50% will come to you to be stroked, but there can be some serious jealousy if something thinks someone else is getting too much attention and some hissing and swiping ensues, but overall everyone is generally good tempered.

The last hour was the worst when we were finishing off checking litter for the day, or warming up the heating pads for some of the cats just out surgery. Sylvia, the other original organizer of the sanctuary, was there today to see me off and said she wished could clone me... "100 times". I not niave enough to think they don't say it to alot of the volunteers but she said I would be missed and hoped I could come back soon -  well, here's hoping to, but I don't expect it to be this year, but who knows what 2009 will hold...

I have to say I DID enjoy my time there and want to thank everyone who made me feel so welcome. Even the Italian-only speaking staff helped me out... gestures and a muddled English got us through :+} I have to say the enthusiasm of the student volunteers for the cats is great. Like us all, they have their faves, but they all seem genuinely pleased to be there helping the cats in general. Most are American, either at school, or studying here. Most get down there at least once or twice a week. Although it mainly seems to be the fairer sex who volunteer [what's up guys, not macho enough for you?], a new guy did show up yesterday, from New Zealand here for a month, He was here 2 years ago and said he just wanted to come back. So yesterday was like a guy-club affair. There was Keith, myself and the new recruit. Wow, you could almost smell the testosterone in the air :+}.

But I have to say, no matter where the people were from, no matter what age, or sex, they were, I can honestly say I have never seen so many people, so happy, to shovel shit all day!

Anyway, back to England tomorrow. I'll start posting photo's over the next week, as I previously said, and hopefully some more commentary and anecdotes to go with them. 

Ciao Torre Argentina!

Today is going to be bitter-sweet...

It's my last day today and I'm already alittle sad, but it is starting to feel like it's time to go home. I've made some great new friends - both human and feline - so the time has been well spent.

It was slightly cooler yesterday, overcast for the most part, not sure what Thursday will bring. Have already said goodbye to some of the staff. As they 'volunteer' there are only 2-3 people that are in every day, the others work a rota. Lia, the boss was out in the archeological ruins yesterday and at the end of the day she said "I have never seen the ruins to clean and tidy in 14 years, John, you done wonderful job" Ah, it warms to cockles of your heart to know I may have found my vocation... picking up litter :+}

Baloo is looking to be picking up and abit more perky the last couple of days. One of the volunteers, Elise, has said she will keep an eye on him, and Maria, for me and let me know how they get on. Maria is the cute black-and-white cat with the big eyes. She is the one who has recently had the tumours removed and they are waiting on the biopsy back on them. Hmm, guess the jury is out on that one until we know one way or another.

I re-registered yesterday for a new a new cat to adopt-at-a-distance, with Tomistocles going to New York in July, I've picked Braille, a little blind white and ginger cat. Very sweet, with a nice temperament. 

I heard something scary yesterday, one of the visitors was asking about kitten season and what was it like. Keith was saying it was busy and infuriating, the fact that the Vatican says 'all cats should be free to live' and doesn't promote sterilisation. He said the Pope should have been down at the sanctuary last year when they got 18 kittens in and had to remove one, or both, of the eyes, of ALL of them, after they had got infected... something that could have been treated with 20 cents worth of antibiotics! As most cat owners know young kittens tend to get eye infections, something easily treatable if caught in time. With the rescued kittens being brought in they are usually past the point of treatment.

A sobering thought to end on and now you know why I wanted to come here and why the work these guys do is so important to the Rome cat population.

Percy Thrower eat your heart out!

Well, Sunday today, and gardening duties call. The sanctuary has a small garden once you come down the steps from the street, in the form of planters and tubs going down either side of the wall. The boss said "... you do garden today, ci?" Hey, I do as I'm told. With us just coming through spring the plants are just coming back to life, but there was still some bugs and stuff to spray, not to mention dead plants to remove and some new ones needed bedding out. I have it on good authority that the garden looks lovely when in full bloom and I can beleive it. The cats love to wrap themselves around the planter tubs and just laze in the sun. It's a cool thing to see a big old cat squeezed into a tub 2 sizes too small for him to fit.

I also had an audience whilst working as the cats lovely come and see what you're up to. They getting used to me being around now each day so don't seem to skitish. They also know I'm a good source of stroking and occasionally food.

I've learnt today it is an honour for volunteers to go into the archelogical area. Apparently if tourist wish to come into the area it has to be arranged through the goverment they charge people around a THOUSAND EUROS a time. And I get to wander round and pick up the litter and crap for nothing! You wouldn't believe the stuff people throw over from the street into the area. I've been told they've come across furniture, whole sets of clothes (often new), and more. Today I found a boot (just one) a freshly discarded nappy (yes, it was full... nice!) and a half-a-rubbish-sack of free newspapers which had blown down from the street. The biggest hazard for the cats we need to be on the look-out for are broken bottles and plastic bags.

Didn't get to spend any time with the cats today until 5pm, due to doing the plants and filling the feeding stations. There's a funny tail (yes, I know!) there. To get to one of the underground feeding areas you have to go through the food storage area and I was told not to let any of the cats into the storage room ("..they pee" I was told). So what happens? Yes, one of the cats sneaks through my legs into the storage area. With both doors shut, the cat can't get out on his own, so I need to get him out. I debated asking another volunteer for help (it can't have been the first it had happened?) but figured, how hard could it be to scoot a cat from a small storage room maybe 20 feet square? Well, the bugger was crafty and if I wanted him to go left, he went right, and as I chased him down one aisle he went up the other. I got close, he ran. 30 minutes later I was on the verge of giving up and all the cooing and sweet nothings in the world hadn't got him to come to me. Then just as I am about to give up, he sits down, licks a paw and lets me pick him up! Turns out he one of the regular guys from indoors. He'd been playing me all along.

Didn't see Tomistocle today, think he was hiding. I got a great reaction out of Baloo who has only been in the sanctuary less than a week and had an operation , not sure for what. Anyway he is in one of the cages and has hardly moved all week out of his box. I was told it helps to get him to eat if you stroke him. Well, he's a scraggy looking small ginger fellow and not one of the most popular cats when it comes to visitors... they usually go for the cute and/or amputees. But today, after several minutes stroke and coaxing he purred and started to show me his stomach and pawed at me for more. Ten more minutes of petting and guys gets up and eats nearly a half a bowl of grub! The most I've seen him do all week. I also made a point of stopping my a little black-and-white guy who has had one of his ears removed as it has cancer. Again, not a big hit with the tourists so I make a special effort with him... it's okay until he keeps rubbing his stumpy ear on you hand... oooooooh!

Anway, I've got a ton of photo's to post of the blog but they will have to wait until I get home, so do drop back, even after I'm home, as I'll post them up over the course of a week and try and put some commentary with them.

Kingdom of the cats

It was clean-up day yesterday after the rain on Thursday. Keith and I were given the duty of hosing down the main steps and visitor reception area - not all the work is exciting or cat related! It was pretty wet going, but thankfully the sun came out and it ended up being very enjoyable. A couple of cats watched our antics with great interest. After that it was a tour of the archaeological area to re-fill the food and water stations for the outside cats [ some guys don't mix with human and are happy to spend the time in the ruins]. We also did litter duty whilst out there. One of the ruling cats from the site is currently in the nursery, recovering from an eye infection. His position as head honcho has now been taken by a 3-legged ginger & white cat. The cat followed us around as we worked, meowing for attention, but a little too nervous to actually come close enough to be petted. Not sure what will happen when the other guy come backs out....

Later in the day we went back out snail hunting. Keith says the snails hide near the feeding stations and get into the food and water and can spread disease to the cats out there... they tried to hide but couldn't escape! We found a bunch on them under a sly rock/slab encampment and cleared them out! Job done!! We also had to sweep out some of the storage areas with dirt floors. Sounds like and exercise in futility, but makes some sense when you understand that keep he loose dirt down stops it blowing up and into the water containers. Must say, it is the first time I have swept up dirt, from a dirt floor.....

Cat-wise no real news yesterday, it was a busy day for visitors so most of the cats got lots of attention and petty which everyone seemed to like. A new cat came into the nursery from the recovery area. He's [?] had half his ear removed and a few scars on his back. He looks pretty forlorn, but appreciates a stroke and a kind word. Baloo is a sad little fellow, skinny and ginger with scruffy fur. He needs to be stroked/petted to encourage him to eat.

Friday night is pub night! Everyone goes out for a drink after work to unwind. If you have the impression it's all grey-haired little old ladies, think again! There are people from across the social strata and there's artists, students, computer guys, the works. Yes, some are retired, some have relocated to Rome from Australia, England and America, but they all have one thing in common... a love of cats.

Back in the land of the moggies

Well, we're back. Weather isn't too great, intermittently over-cast and a tad nippy.

The sanctuary is going strong, various empty cages this time round, which were full before, so on the one hand that is a good thing, on the other, due to the cold weather they haven't started to have their influx of this seasons kittens yet and I've been told the cages can be empty one week, and the suddenly full the next. Current the sanctuary has around 250 cats, both permanent residents and those awaiting adoption. Adoption numbers are good and I have only just arrived in time to say goodbye to our own 3-legged adopted-from-afar cat, Temistocle, who is off to live in New York very soon. Looks like I am going to have to find someone else to sponsor.

I have been put under the wing of an ex-Australian/Brit named Keith - the men have to mentor the men, the women mentor the women! Keith gave me the grand our today and it looks like I'll be on litter-patrol, rubbish patrol [more litter, but this time it's the crap that is created by humans: stuff that is thrown over in the sanctuary at night such as cans and bottles] and filling up the food and water bowls out in the ruins themselves for the next 2 weeks. Keith been there for over year and has retired to Rome from Australia.

The place was spruced up today, with a small lawned area getting cut and the workman drafted in to paint some of the cages in the holding area to tidy them up. The place down have running water, but still no santiation or drains.... any water we run down the sink[s] ends up in a bucket and be emptied. They have been promised a working sewerage system by the council 'very soon', but in Italian speak that could be years! 

Nearly there...

Okay, so less than a week to go now. I meant to add a post earlier than this, but March has been a mad month, lot's to do at work and at home.

Am I excited? Getting there. I guess now we're in the final straight I am feeling a buzz welling up inside. Apprehension? A little. It all looked like a big adventure planning this back in November, but as D-day approaches the reality of 10 days alone in a foreign country starts to weigh on me a bit. But hell, I'm gonna be surrounded by a zillion of cats the whole time, so what's not to look forward to?

I have to just finalise my travel and accomodation arrangements over the next couple of days with emails and stuff, but that's pretty much taken care of. Good old blighty's got snow scheduled for this Easter weekend and the prospect of warmer temperatures look even more appealing now.
Rome, here I come!

Sanctuary pictures

Okay, nothing new tol update to add today, but I just felt I wanted to post some of the photo's I took last time in November, at the Sanctuary. These give you a feel for what it looks like in terms of the size and overall condition of where the cats are 'living'. I have also inlcuded a photo of the inside. Check out all the cats sleeping in the baskets. To the right you can see some of the cages. This is the last room, where the cats are brought after netureing and a climatising, before being given the choice to stay inside or go outside, in the ruins. Some of these guys are still waiting to being 'collected' by their owners [or so they think in their minds] and go home. I was told some of them never venture far from the basket and don't go outside even though they have the choice.

Countdown time!

Okay, so we've got the vacation time booked, hostel booked, the flights booked, and the airport parking booked and we're in countdown mode! 63 days to go before I fly out.

I'e created this post to keep people updated throughout my trip, as well as post thoughts and stories both before and during the trip.

Enjoy!