New pens... nearly there.

This is the state of the new block today, everything building-wise is in place save the mesh/iron-work which need to go on the exposed side (facing the camera). This is being made at the moment, so should be in place pretty soon. Then it just finalizing the plumbing and electrics and we shud be good to go!

A week is a long time in building..

Well, last Friday the new pens were really starting to take shape as the frame work was put up during the course of the day.

Looks very much skeletal, and it's nice to see the framework of what the finished pens will be like. So the open side of the pens will be facing the gate, and the entrance/walkway will be at the back (see final photo). Will be interesting to see what progress has been made on my visit this week.

Is neutering cruel and against nature?

Interesting comment on the Celia Hammond Trust Facebook page, interesting that she has even had to say this at all. Comments wholly justified, and when you've worked for a cat charity and seen the effects of unwanted kittens first-hand, and the suffering and death of many a litter, you can't help but agree.

A frequent concern expressed to us is "but isn't neutering interfering with nature?"
And our response....
By domesticating cats and dogs, humans have already interfered. By breeding cats and dogs and caring for them, we have helped ensure their breeding success and longer life.
Cats are prolific breeders: If a female cat was to mate every time she came into season, and all her kittens were to survive and breed, then there could be up to 21,000 extra cats in just 7 years!
With the cat population able to increase at such a fast rate there could never be enough homes to go around.
The dog and cat population can either be humanely controlled by neutering, left to nature or the surplus can be killed or 'culled'.
Nature is cruel and since there are no natural predators of cats and dogs in the U.K the population would be controlled by starvation and disease. The most likely scenario however would be a situation seen by many holidaymakers in some countries - starving colonies of sick animals which are killed by the authorities to contain numbers - a situation we think most people in this country would find intolerable.
Surplus cats and kittens are already euthanased in the U.K because the cat population continues to grow and there are not enough homes.
Stray cats and kittens already struggle to survive on our streets in growing numbers as animal charities struggle to help them all. Cats and kittens become sick whilst living stray and and many do die.

https://www.facebook.com/celiahammondanimaltrust/posts/948189308525262

Foundations going down....

Well the cement foundations for the new pens went down today at Yorkshire Cat Rescue, and mighty fine it looked to.

A cement truck came on site and poured the cement mid-morning and the guys spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon smoothing it out and leveling. Here's some pics of the action...

This is how the site looked at the end of day....

A stray's story, a stray's one wish....

More snow....

This was the scene today. The foundations have been covered up, but there is still snow and ice around and it's COLD!

You can see how crisp and cold it is by the sun in the trees, and that's ice on the ground... very slippy.

Kind of excited to see the block take shape, although I suspect a few more weeks before it really takes off.

Slow going, snow going....

A week last Friday, this was what the building site of the new pens within Yorkshire Cat Rescue looked like. The snow was down and no work was going on. To be fair the foundations are now in and, whilst I am no builder, I think they need to settle before anymore work is done.

Anyway, it was COLD out there...