CataBlog

Hope everyone's sitting down...cos it'an update!

Hi all. So sorry for the lack of updating. Between work and the new shelter it's been a frantic few months.

New shelter I hear you say? Yes - it's finally happened! Our new shelter is finished, the cats moved in (with not too much blood loss) and is open for business. The cats are thoroughly enjoying the sun and extra space they now have, and are generally much more relaxed. Here - check it out...

We also have a separate room and run for the wee timid ones, and that's proving really beneficial for them, as they seem to be feeling a lot more secure and many of them are much happier venturing out of their cages than they were in the old shelter.

And speaking of cages, we now have new, flash, much much bigger cages with 5 (count em) 5 different levels for the cats to be on. A huge thank you to Shyla for the cage design, and again to Shyla, Alex and Peter (our wonderful cage builder and mentor extra-ordinaire) for the amazing effort to get everything painted and built in 3 extremely stressful weeks! Acutally I might break with a life long tradition and give myself a bit of cudos for that effort as well.

On the cat adoption front, well, where do I start?

Dish is going from strength to strength in his new home. In fact those of you who get the Sunday Star Times may well have seen the handsome lad and his new sister Ruby in the cat photo section a month or two back.

Kenny got adopted by the people who adopted Puff and is doing great! Here's an update from them:

"I thought you would appreciate an update on how Kenny is going after two weeks in our home.

Firstly, I hope you don't mind but we decided to change his name to Asher (which means fortunate and blessed). We thought seeing as he was having a fresh start, he deserved a new name.

He is doing really well considering how terrified and shy he was when he arrived here. Most of the time he now sleeps on top of the beds instead of under them! He's roaming around the house now during the day and night, and even watching out the window without running a mile. We've caught him sniffing the fresh air if we leave a window slightly ajar. He's discovered the fish tank and enjoys hanging off the edge drinking the water! The other cats have learnt to tolerate him, the older girls hiss abit but no lashing out thank goodness. Marlin (our younger boy adopted from you also, he was called Puff) has started to play with him and at night they have great fun chasing each other round the house. They stay a wee distance apart still but I'm sure in time they will be tumbling together causing mischief.

Asher is lying next to me at the moment purring his heart out, he wants to play as it's that time of night when he goes berserk. I'm still not ready to let him outside. When he can comfortably roam around the house without getting scared then we'll see.

Another interesting development is he's eating jellimeat! I was told he only liked dry biscuits but now he'll give anything a go!! Much better for him to have a variety.

Asher is a beautiful cat with a gorgeous personality. He's very affectionate and quiet, loves company and has even become quite chatty. We're thrilled to have him as part of our family, and very grateful for you entrusting us with his care.

We had a bit of drama with Marlin but thankfully a happy outcome. He disappeared Saturday night and didn't return until this morning. He likes to play outside at night but he always returns in the morning for breakfast. So needless to say we were beside ourselves with worry. He came back in a terrible state and is at the vet recovering tonight. It looks like he got his tail caught in something and has spent the last few days fighting to get unstuck. His tail is very badly bruised and the lower half of his body is covered in a yukky black substance. Poor wee boy, he was a miserable sight, it makes you feel sick to think what he must have been going through. So he's on antibiotics and pain killers for now, I'll know more in the morning."

Followed by:

"Marlin is back home now and looking heaps better than yesterday. He's just got a lot of washing to do on himself but everything else is intact. We're so thankful as it could have been a terrible outcome.

Take care and keep up the great work, you're very special people at CPL. "

Our lovely Bobbi-boy finally got adopted and all is going well there too. Here's an update from Angela who homed him"

"Thought I would give you and update on Bobbi...L. has rung me 3 times this week to tell me how well he is doing. They are in love with him already and he settled in from the moment he got out of his cage. he is very relaxed, very affectionate, very vocal and follows them everywhere and sleeping on the bed now too.

He went outside yesterday whilst they were sitting on the deck and he had a nosy around then went back inside.

He is fine with their other cat."

Toby got adopted, escaped, went missing for a week, then finally returned and has settled in great.

I can't remember if I posted this update on Patch (now Reggie Kray), but hey, it bears repeating even if I have done. :o)

"Just thought I would give you a quick update on Reggie's
progress as it has been a while since my last report.

Reggie and I continue to go from strength to strength. We
still have our moments. Earlier this week he went into
unprovoked attack mode on my arms. But such moments do not
bother me now and I don't even think Reg is putting his
heart into them. I am not sure what causes them. I have a
suspicion that it might be when there is a strange cat
around outside and it is when he is stressed and upset. I
would prefer that he found some other way of expressing his
unhappiness at such times, but I am now more surprised and
concerned when he does it than upset or unhappy.

He is still a bossy, stroppy wee boy it has to be said. And
he does not like being annoyed when he is not in the mood to
play. Unfortunately for him that tends to egg me on more
than anything else altho I do try and stop myself if he is
getting too grumpy (mainly because I will suffer if I don't
stop at such points in time!)

He seems to have learnt to tolerate at least one of my
neighbours cats as they were both lying within a metre or so
of each other in the sun last night when I came home from
work. Things aren't so good with the other cat next door,
but they seem to just sit and eye ball each other rather
than anything more serious.

Reg still sleeps on or in my bed every night and he has been
getting closer to me as time goes by. The other night I
turned over during the night and came across a tangle of
paws and a tail. What is more, he didn't even bother to
move away when he felt me there. I think this is a good
sign.

I have even had a few nights away from home where my
landlord upstairs has fed Reggie and let him in at night and
out in the morning for me. It seems there is a bit of
fiddling around involved as Frank (my landlord has to hide
before Reggie will go inside my place), but Frank said
within a few days Reggie was relatively unbothered by Frank
turning up in my place. I am so pleased about that as I
think it will be a lot less distressing for Reggie to be
able to stay at home than be put into a cattery.

I have plans to take Reg to the vet for a senior cat check
and a teeth clean in the new year after I get back at xmas.
I think that will be a bit upsetting for him, but that is
tough. I want him checked out healthwise and he can like it
or lump it.

But otherwise things are great and he is always interesting
to have around. He has so much character and it gives me
huge pleasure to think that I have given him a nice home to
live in (even when he is ungrateful enough to steal my tv
chair at nights!)

Thanks again for all your help in the early days. I still
haven't had my film developed but will send in a picture as
soon as I do so you can see Reg in full attack mode on my
flokati rug.

Have a lovely christmas and new year and please give my best
to everyone at the shelter."

Little Victoria is also doing just great:

"She is now spending all day outside in our big back yard; either sleeping, hiding or chasing butterlies! She also likes catching wetas at night. She is still a little flighty, but is very relaxed here, and loves being able to come and go as she pleases through the cat door. She is getting much more vocal too; and woke me up recently and led my through to her empty food bowl - which she has never done before, so nice to see she is communicating with us.

Victoria has a great life with us and we love her very much. Thanks to the Greenes and The Cats Protection League."

Called in to the shelter this afteroon in time to see Ahi be adopted and a hold put on Molly by the people who adopted but couldn't keep Meowff (due to some serious allergy issues with white cats). They'll be picking her up next friday. And our lovely Andy is finally being adopted by the fabulous people who fostered the late (and very very lamented) Kitty.

OK - that's it for now. I can't promise to update weekly, but I will do my damndest to make sure it's not ever this long between updates again!