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There is always something going on in a multi-cat household. Erm 9... cats and counting...... Plus stories from the Sheffield Cats Shelter

Sunday 27 October 2013

Sunday at the Shelter 27-10-13

I did my volunteering on Thursday this week, which gave me the opportunity of working with Cat Care Manager Kim and meeting Diane who is the volunteer co-ordinator.

In holding, Zina was recovering from her spay operation to remove her infected womb. She's still a little unhappy as her wound is also infected.  Hopefully the course of antibiotics she's on will soon sort that out.

Ginger cat
Zina
 
Harriet was still here, she's also recovering from her spay operation and is doing well.  It won't be long before she's out in one of the main rooms.

tabby cat
Harriet

Toffee and Apple were found living outside.  Their Mum hasn't been trapped yet, but more attempts are being made to get her to the shelter.

black and white cat
Apple waiting to greet me :)


Apple is a little cautious but not as timid as Toffee who really didn't want to come out of his little house.  I cleaned the cage around him to prevent unsettling him.  They are very handsome so hopefully it won't be long before they find a loving home.

black & white cat
Apple


white and tabby cat
Toffee feeling a little vulnerable

While I was there Kim was talking about information to help callers who were concerned about finding potential stray cats.  She thought it might be useful for me to share some of it here.

With over 800 cats on the waiting list, the Shelter asks callers to help out wherever possible if they are concerned about a potential stray.

The first thing to realise is, not every cat is a stray.  Many cats and kittens wander too far away from home and can't find their way back. Or they simply might like your garden and visit every day! If you do think it's lost or a stray, try to take the cat to your local vet.  They can be scanned for a microchip and possibly re-united with their worried owner pretty quickly.

As well as the Shelter's own lost and found register, you can also report the cat to the RSPCA to go on theirs too. There are also many Facebook groups devoted to re-uniting pets and owners.  CatChat.org is a good place to look for more rescue centres you can contact who may hold lost and found registers.

If the cat seems to be living outside, you can help by providing some shelter for them while they are on the waiting list. Something as simple as a large plastic box with a blanket in a shed or greenhouse, will provide some protection from the weather.

The final piece of advice, is, I guess, a bigger ask.  If the cat is not micro-chipped and hasn't be neutered can you arrange this? Not only does this stop unwanted kittens, but can also reduce the risk of some fatal feline infections being passed on to neighbourhood cats.  There are vets who are able to offer reduced costs for some groups of individuals, for example those on low incomes.

Back to today, I called in to catch up on any new stories.

You may remember Texas and her kittens, Ohio and Vegas, from previous posts.  They are now enjoying the comforts of a foster home to give them a chance to sample life in a new environment.  Once they have all been neutered and vaccinated they'll return to the shelter to look for their new homes.

ginger kitten
Vegas

Willow and Quaver were adopted and went to their new home today.  They've come a long way from being found abandoned in a pampers box.


grey and black kitten in a carrier
Willow and Quaver


This little chap is Dash.  He's around 12 weeks old and was found alone in an outside toilet.  He's such a sweetie :)

white & black kitten
Dash


Bella has just been separated from her kittens Tom and Lucy, who have gone out with a foster carer.


tabby cat
Bella


The kittens have gone with a new friend, Howard.  Howard is one of Harriet's kittens and he, like his siblings was very shy and frightened.  He's gone to a foster home with Tom and Lucy, who are very outgoing.  The Shelter often use this tactic to help shy kittens to overcome their fears.  They can learn a lot from a braver kitten.  It's almost like a buddy system!

That just leaves Henry and Hetty, who are still currently in maternity.

Tabby kittens
Henry & Hetty
 Finally, I thought you'd like to see how well Ernest is doing :)


White Kitten
Ernest

Isn't he looking well!  He's managed to put some weight on and outgrow his jumper. It's still uncertain what the future holds for him.  But he's heading in the right direction :)


1 comment:

  1. Lovely to see Ernest looking so much better. The buddy system sounds brilliant!

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