We got Mum... just in the nick of time!

After trying to get Mum for the last 5-6 days, I finally got her on Tuesday night after she went into the shelter where she sleeps in the garden and I managed to butt then trap up again the opening of the box she sleeps in. She shot out of the box and into the trap. Boom. Caught. earlier in the evening she had been in the trap twice to eat, but not far enough in for me to release the door and be assured of catching her.

I dropped her off at White Cross Vets on Tuesday night for the operation on Wednesday, but come the morning, one cat had turned into 3 and by the middle of the day she'd had 6 kittens. sadly one passed away> The good enws she is really friendly and we will not be putting her back, but re-homing both her and kittens at some point. It's a really good feeling to know we literally caught her in the nick of time, one more night outdoors and even fewer of those kittens could be around to grow up into happy healthy cats.

Here's a couple of pics of Mum, sorry they're not a bit clearer!

It's a lousy job but someone's got to do it...

Working at the Yorkshire Cat Rescue center last Friday, once we'd fed and cleaned out all the pens, I asked if they had anything they wanted me to do. "Are any good with photography?" they asked. Not bad, I said. They told me they needed some new photo's of some of the residents to go on the website and would I do it? What take photo's of cats? Hell, yeah!

It took a while to coax some of the guys round to where we could photograph them, take Flosie for instance. she was really shy to start but then with the help of one of the other volunteer we coaxed her out and then she just wanted to pose, bless her:

Shadow was abit easier, well not really, she wouldn't keep still!

Last but, by no means least Holly. She wouldn't get out of bed at first and just wanted to be tickled and show her tummy. Then when she was up, she was running around so much we couldn't get a good photo:

Like I say, it's a hard way to spend a morning, but someone has to do it....

TNR job today

Got asked by LEEDS FELINE FRIENDS to help out a member of the public who has been feeding a tom cat, but he needs neutering and has a problem with his leg.

I arranged to go round this morning, after speaking to them last night and asking them not to feed the cat last night or this morning. Apparently the cat was very friendly would come into the house to eat, before going out again. I got there today and found a very friendly looking tabby anxiously wondering where his breakfast was.

He was very friendly, jumped right onto a chair and let me stroke his head and scratch him under his chin. As reported he had a big lump at the top of his right leg, which didn't look like a wound and looked to be a solid mass, either an break which had healed wrong, or something else. He allowed the gentleman who feeds him to lift him up and just drop him in the crush cage for the trip to the vets.

The is quite a big cat, and when I asked what they called him they said they hadn't got a name for him but had previously called him 'big head'... as he had a big head... true. They didn't know how old he was, but had been coming round for about a year and as he was friendly the assumption is he has been a pet in the past, possible due to looking pretty young an ex-student cat who has been turfed out onto the streets when the students have finished their course. Yes, it happens more than you'd like to think that students get a'cute' kitten for their flat/house and then just abandon them when they leave.

Anyway, I dropped him at the vets this morning and then rang for an update on him, along with what they had found around the lump on his leg. I got through to the operating room and they said they had examined the leg and it looked like a solid mass under x-ray, but despite taking some samples were unable to confirm 100% what it was. They couldn't rule out a growth, which may result in the poor fella losing his leg if it is cancerous or looks like it may spread. It didn't seem to be giving him any problems walking or jumping this morning, but I only saw him for a short period of time. I'll ring tomorrow and just hope he is okay. I feel guilty that he may lose a leg because we have 'done the right thing' and took him to be neutered.

The good news is that he should be able to be re-homed due to his calm nature, but not sure what losing the leg will do to this as there will likely be a long recouperation and some adjustment.

This is who I am.... what I do... and why.

Great day at Yorkshire Cat Rescue

Well, that was my first shift volunteering at YCR. What a great day, really made to feel welcome by all, especially want to than L'key (probably got that wrong!) for being a mentor and showing me the ropes. Nothing surprising, started off helping with the morning feed, progressed to cleaning the pens, stroking cats, lunch, replenishing food in the food shed, tidying the main storage area, then more stroking/petty duties... it's a hard life.

Worst part of the day was the damn traffic. Going from Leeds across to Keighley there was gridlock in Shipley as everything came to a standstill passing through one junction. I was tempted to go through Bradford, but it meant going right through the city center and at rush-hour that wouldn't be pretty either. I think it's abit rock-and-a-hard-place situation. I may go over abit earlier next time and see if I can miss some of the bulk of the traffic.

Best was this little beauty, Socks, and her six, yes SIX, kittens.

Right little bundles of energy. You can see them here in the run area as someone is down at the far end cleaning out their pen. This gave the kittens a great new area to explore as well as run round. They loved it.

Here's one of the kittens, exploring, everyone else is hiding off to the left of the picture between the pens. There are 3 kittnes similar to this one, then 3 more that look just like mini versions of Mum.

Last, but not least, this is a shot inside their pen. One of the little black & white fellas is so active, he just plays and climbs the walls all the time. You can see the sleeping area at the back, this has a door which closes to keep the wramth in and give the cats shelter and peace and quioet at night. It can opened to feed/clean the cats.

Was at first just considering going across one a month, then maybe fortnightly... now, I fancy going every week. It's that kind of place.

If you want to help cats and can't foster or donate money, at least try to donate your time. It's free and both you and the cats will get plenty out of it. Trust me.