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The blog has been a little bit neglected over the last few days while I’ve been trying to set up my website. It’s a bit of a steep learning curve, but I think we’re getting there gradually. One of the lessons I’ve learned is not to faff around loads with the layout and aligning everything before I’ve finished adding text. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve got it all tidied up, text aligned, images fitting alongside text, and then thought of something else I want to say in the text.

Anyway, we’re here: http://www.8livescatrescue.org The site is live, but still needs tidying up. There’s a load of images of palm trees on a beach because that’s the default pic the web builder gives you until you upload your own images.

What I’m ultimately aiming for is a website that explains who 8lives are and what we do, details the process of adopting from us, and has a collection of links and and information that I tend to share with people who are wanting to adopt. I also want it to have a comprehensive list of tips for searching for lost cats, and a selection of links to what I think are the best services and products I’ve found. There’s a link on the website to this blog which will continue to have all the latest news.

I welcome anyone’s comments on the website, what they think should be included, point out any typos etc.

When I brought little Meg home with me last Thursday I thought we had a couple of weeks for her to settle into the nursery before she had her kits.   So I focused on just getting her settled and getting used to me, and didn’t think too much about the kittens.   She was  hiding under my desk most of the time, but had got confident enough to occasionally sit on top of the desk, or come out to talk to me and even have a wander around on the landing.

meg – a rare moment on top of the desk

However when I went in to feed her this morning she was back under the desk, there was a patch of blood on the carpet and a lot of purring going on.   She’d clearly just given birth to her second kitten.

When Smudge had her kittens it was clear she wanted me around and was happy with me being there.  Less clear with Meg.   She was meowing to me but we both kept our distance from each other.   So I stayed around but at a distance while she had numbers 3 and 4.

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Unlike my previous pregnant ladies she didn’t opt to have her babies in a box or a bed, so they were just crawling around on the floor under the desk.  I was quite anxious about them.    Kitten 3 didn’t get fully cleaned up, and kitten 4 was on the way.   She cleaned K4, picked him/her up and took him/her off into the corner.    She started feeding that one and ignoring the others who were tumbling over each other in a mewling heap trying to work out what to do next.    Hard to know whether to intervene or not.   Had horrors of a) my doing nothing and them all crawling off in different directions across the study, getting hurt or trapped, or simply cold and unfed, or b) my gathering them all together into a box and Meg then rejecting them.   We compromised by rolling up a nice big towel that had come as part of Meg’s dowry, gently nudging the kittens towards her in the corner, and then cordoning that area off with the towel so hopefully they can’t wander too far.   Paws crossed, that seems to have worked ok for today at least.  Food and water bowls just outside of the towel fence.

So this young  man is the first official 8Lives cat who is from S8 and actually has arrived here!

jake

A lovely couple saw him in their garden about a month ago, very thin and sad.   They hoped he had a home somewhere that he would go back to, but after a few days of seeing the poor lad there, they couldn’t leave him any longer.   They took him to their local vet to check for a microchip but none was found.  So  they started feeding him, and he rewarded them by moving in and being totally adorable.   I got the impression they would have adopted him in a heart beat – however there are very genuine reasons why this is not possible for them to do so.

He’s a gorgeous lad, very laid back.   No problem getting him into the carrier to come here,  He settled down and enjoyed the ride. Happily explored his new room and then settled on a fleece with a view out the window.   Morris’ humans popped round this evening and were so impressed with Jake’s personality and lovely soft coat.   He’a real sweetheart.

Jake will need to pop in to the vets for a little family planning advice and a well man check then he’ll be up for adoption.

Please form an orderly queue.

Today has been an interesting and record breaking day.   I went to collect Bracken, my very first cat who was officially an 8Lives rescue cat.   He’d been taken in as a stray by an elderly man a couple of years ago, but sadly the man had died.   The family were anxious to find him a rescue place as they were unable to keep him, and the pressure was on as the gent’s house had to be cleared and the keys handed back.

Bracken was a lovely black lad … and the only one apart from my Sooty who I’ve seen with white whiskers.    Unfortunately he’d got very stressed whilst his human had been poorly and had taken to over-grooming himself.   His back legs and tummy were almost bald poor lad.  On the journey across town we established that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his voice.  However I thought it might be best to pop in to the vet on the way home just so they could check him out.  

Bracken waiting at the vets to go home

Lovely Vets4Pets at Millhouses – managed to slot him in to an appointment.  He was healthy apart from his over grooming and Alastair gave him a shot to stop the irritation in his skin so he wouldn’t be so tempted to pick at it.  Just as an afterthought we checked for a chip.  Goodness knows how many cats I’ve waved a scanner over knowing deep down that there would be nothing.  But this time ……… PING! …….. chip found!   Various phone calls made and finally one to his baffled ‘owner’.   She couldn’t quite believe that a vet practice  were phoning her about the cat she lost 3 years ago!  But yes he was her cat, and yes she wanted him back, and yes she could come and collect him later.  

So Bracken stayed at the vets to await his ride home.   He never actually made it to my house.   I reckon I had him for about 45 minutes – which is probably the quickest turn around time I’ll ever have.   I also reckon he cost me just under £1 per minute during the time I had him.   I sooooo hope this remains the record for most expensive cat for a long long time to come.

I called the surgery just before closing time to check Bracken was sorted, and sure enough his humans had collected him.  I so hope I hear more of this tail  so all concerned can fill in the gaps.

We have two adorable (paying) senior guests for a couple of weeks to help them through a housing crisis.  I have to admit to having been a little anxious when I was told about these two teenagers – a timid lady and an elderly gent needing twice daily medication.  However they have been a complete delight.

FJ and B

FJ the boy was immediately friendly and adorable, tho his sister B hung back a little.  While FJ was having a cuddle B watched and rolled and purred as though it was her being stroked.  Once she realised they were on a pamper holiday she’s not been able to get enough of being brushed.  I’m not sure I’ve fallen for any cats quite so quickly.  FJ is a real gentleman when it comes to giving him his tablet – he knows its coming and will happily be disturbed from eating, allow me to open his mouth, and swallow the tablet.  What a star.   His mummy has clearly done an excellent job of getting him used to it.

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They’re the kind of cats who are happy to make polite conversation, so when I say something to them they invariably answer.  They like to be around and involved with stuff and have helped cleaning their  bedroom, painting the bathroom, and putting up some pictures on the landing.

Every now and then they go quiet, and look a little wistful.   Enquiries are made about mum and going home.  I’ve assured them that it will be about 7 sleeps until mum comes to collect them.   They’re currently sleeping to olympic standard in the hope that 7 sleeps will be done by tomorrow.

I’ve had a lovely afternoon visiting Dunlop and Panda and their (not so new) human.

dunlop and panda in their new home

I lose track of  time a bit – but they came to me just over a year ago.  Dunlop and her sister  arrived first, age about 8 weeks, having been born to a feral mum in Rotherham.  They were wild as the wind at first, hissing as soon as I walked into the room.   Panda and his sisters arrived a few weeks later at around the same age.   They’d been found on the street in Doncaster and collected up in a wheelie bin to keep them safe.  Also terrified, and very baby cats – at some cue from one or other of them they’d all snuggle down and suck on their bedding, purr loudly and pretend mum was still there.

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Time went on, they calmed down, Panda became quite a snuggle bug while Dunlop remained a bit tense.   For some reason both of them plus their siblings, plus two other sisters and another random lad were still with us all through the Autumn and over Xmas.  Then along came their humans-to-be.   They wanted one kitten, maybe two but didn’t want to be over faced by the numbers at big  shelters so decided they’d choose from mine.   Flipper rushed to meet them but wanted a home with Fidget, her sister, and Fidget who was normally very confident just dug her heels in and refused to come out from under the bed.  Panda started making adopt-me eyes at them and got the go-ahead to pack his suitcase.   Dunlop had initially been dismissed as beautiful, but too much like a previous much loved cat.   On second glance though, Dunlop seemed quite different from the previous cat.  Both black, but very different shapes.  She started playing with Panda whilst he was packing his bags, and was soon invited to pack hers as well.

When I took them over to their new home they had every treat and luxury imaginable laid out for them …….. but ignored it all, dived under the sofa and hid for several days.   Lovely patient humans gave them time and space and the two of them have made huge progress.

When I arrived today Panda (no longer his real name) was sprawled on the human’s bed, Dunlop (she has a new name too) was out for a stroll.  Their human so obviously adores them, its a delight to see.  They’ve grown into lovely healthy young adults and are so relaxed and chilled now.  Panda had become a bit of a softie while he was with me but I’d never seen Dunlop on her back, so relaxed and showing her tummy.  They have a lovely life, and a happy routine which includes calling on (or being called on by) two neighbouring cats to go out to play.   They each have very much their own personalities and likes/dislikes, all lovingly catered for.   The really lovely thing is that although they’re different they get on very well together.  They’re not siblings, just a fairly random pairing out of about 10 kittens but they’ve made the absolute best of it and curl up together, groom each other, and look out for each other when they go out to play.

It’s hard to express just what an utter delight it is to see what were two very hope-less cats, move through the process of being fostered and adopted, and becoming two adored and adorable cats.  As their human and I reflected – we can’t change the world, but we CAN change the world for these two.

Accidental Fosterer readers might remember the angst over Mog recently:  http://accidentalfosterer.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/if-only-they-could-talk/

At least in the short term my worries have decreased considerably since that post.   It all changed when I met the lovely couple who started by helping me to  get into the allotments to feed Mog, and then have gradually befriended Mog so that they now call her and feed her themselves very often when they’re at the allotments.   I just  can’t thank them enough, such lovely people to look out for her like that.

I suspect Mog has slightly more mixed feelings, as her double life is gradually being revealed.  My new friends have only recently taken on the allotment so are just getting to know the other people on the block.  Stories are gradually filtering back to me about Mog’s secret life over there.   Apparently she has quite a fan club.

I met with my friends today and went to feed Mog whilst they sorted out their allotment.   I’m pretty confident of where I’ll find her now, so I wasn’t calling her as I usually do, and I think I took her a little unawares.   She was mid conversation with a lady on the allotment she hangs out on when I arrived.  Nevertheless she politely excused herself and came and had a pouch of Felix with me.

She left a little food in the bowl and I wanted to empty it so I could put some water in for her.  Not being an allotment holder and uncertain of ‘the rules’  I asked the lady Mog had been chatting to if it would be ok to tip the food onto the grass verge.  Yes, that was ok, but better to put remaining food in Mog’s food bowl.  And not to worry about water because she has a water bowl!!!

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So I’m invited through to the allotment, where Mog has her food dishes and water bowl, plus a nice little stash of pouches.  In the coolest, shadiest bit of the allotment of course.  She looked a little sheepish as the lovely lady showed me where Mog likes to sit in the large greenhouse/shed.   There’s a cosy bit where she goes in winter, but other places she prefers in the summer.   It became clear that conversations had also been had about whether it was a good option for her to go home and live with the lady. Mog blushed the colour of the tomatoes and slunk behind the runner beans.

We’re going to need to re think things when the weather turns colder, but at least I know she’s absolutely fine for now.  And now I know who’s feeding her I can made sure I stock them up with food.  They also have my phone number so if Mog is ever ill or in difficulty they can contact me.

We’ve made an interesting start to our new focus on S8 cats by spending a day this week by transporting Albert from NG3 to CO12.  Um … what can I say?   Albert is an elderly black tom cat with hyperthyroid and was in urgent need of a taxi.   He’d come into Vets4Pets in Nottingham as a stray.  He’d been at risk of being put to sleep by the RSPCA but thanks to a lot of lovely people working together, had been offered a retirement home in Essex.   All he needed was to get there!   Sounded too much like my lovely Sooty to refuse.

So on Thursday we set off on a long journey.  Big bag of supplies packed ….. cat carrier, towel, spare towel, and another spare towel.  Puppy pads, wipes, rubbish bags.   A frozen bottle of water so it stays cool, bag of treats, some dried food, feliway, toys, and bowls for the water and food.   Oh and just as an afterthought, a flask of coffee for me cos I didn’t want to leave the lad whilst I went into a service station.

Mapperley Vets4Pets are fab.   They’d looked after Albert well and were obviously very fond of him.  They gave him a big send off, with toys and cuddles.   And added some rather delicious cake to the comparatively poor supplies that I’d packed for myself.

albert’s mates at vets4pets

We set the sat nav and off we went.  Albert wailed as we threaded a rather complex route out of Nottingham, and I tried not to imagine what a 3+ hour rendition of traditional Nottingham feline tunes might be like.   Would I be chewing the  steering wheel by the time we got to Cambridge?    And given that my lovely Mog can need a change of bedding just on a short journey from home to the vets, would Albert’s singing be the least of my worries on a hot day?

Thankfully once we were on the A1 Albert decided to settle down for a snooze.  We listened to the radio and occasionally exchanged comments with each other.  Once we’d got half of the miles behind us we pulled in to a service station.  With all the windows closed and doors locked, Al hopped out of his carrier for a while.   He sipped iced water in the foot well and munched on Dreamies whilst I cracked open the flask and dined on the excellent cake from the vets.   What a sweetheart – he had a bit of a snuggle and then when it was time to go back in his basket he hopped back in.  [I briefly wondered about swapping him for one of my awkward monsters].   And snoozed all the way to Harwich.

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It was lovely to meet his new human.  Another mad cat woman who offers a lovely retirement home for many elderly cats with extra needs.  And dogs, and guinea pigs, and fish!   Albert strolled out of his carrier, met some of the other cats, looked at the dogs, and settled down.  Whatever he’s been through in the last few weeks/months it looks like nothing is going to phase him now.    His new human thinks he’s great.  She clearly has good taste.

new postcode

Sounds like he’s settling down well.  It’s the furthest from S8 I’ve ever been for the sake of a cat, but I’m delighted to have been part of the lovely group of people who have come together to save the life of this delightful boy.

Had a lovely couple of hours introducing young Morris to his new home this evening.   I think he can’t quite believe his luck.   He suddenly has a whole load of possessions which belong exclusively to him …. including two besotted humans.   He got first (and only) grab at the toys, and when he came back to his food bowl all the food he’d left was still there!  This a completely new thing for him and one I believe he’ll very happily grow into.

It’s kind of quiet around here and I miss the little guy.  Flipper is having to think up mischief all by herself without her little partner in crime.  Not that that will cause her any great hardship.   I’ve had a few texts from the lad during the evening …. apparently he’s found and claimed the bed already.   He’s still a little nervous, but very soon he’s going to realise that rather than have to fight with Flipper, Honey and Sooty for a place on my lap, he has exclusive use of two adoring laps of his own.

morris pushing in on flipper’s cuddle time

Live long and purrily little man …….. and your lovely new humans.

It feels like with a first post there should be a big drum roll and fireworks.  However, we ‘re choosing to just slip in through the cat flap and slide under the sofa for now.

We have a busy week.  All of  Smudge’s kittens have been reserved and will be starting to go to their new homes this weekend.  I can’t believe how grown up they suddenly are.  Morris is also off to his new home tomorrow.   He’d spent months in the cattery and was very timid when he came to me.  However, he’s grown in confidence especially since his new family came to meet him a couple of weeks ago …  and now they’re back from their holiday he can’t wait to move in and take control of the house.    He has his suitcase packed and is very excited since he heard that he already has some post there.  I suspect its a pets@home voucher so he’ll be instructing his new mum and dad to work through his wish list of toys and treats.   Top of the list is a hammock

morris in jango’s hammock