RIP Blackie

Yesterday I was called into work on my day off and had to take Blackie to be pts. He'd not been right for the last few days and had got a lot skinnier over the past months and we decided it was time.

He came to the cattery nearly four years ago. His owner had died and we had no idea how old Blackie was, he had turned up as a stray ten years before. We soon found out he got on brilliant with other cats and when our resident cat Gypsy died we decided to pair Blackie up with her lonely brother Sam.

Blackie was definitely an outdoor cat though we still tried to make sure he was locked in at night he had a few happy nights snoozing behind the shed, out of reach. He loved sitting on the roof come rain come shine and that was how we found he three years ago, looking lost and obviously couldn't find his way down. A vet visit confirmed what we suspected - he'd gone blind. His retinas had detatched due to high blood pressure and he was severly diabetic. Once he was stablised we started letting him out again, it didn't phase him that he was blind, he just got on with it.

Last october we lost Sam and although they hadn't been curl up together close Blackie obviously missed him and only weeks later he had a stroke. Luckily it was only mild and he recovered quickly but he was still lonely so we paired him up with Valentino our cattery mascot. Vali died in August but near the end they would sleep in the same bed and on the day he died Blackie wouldn't leave Val's side.

Sadly we didn't have any other resident cats to keep Blackie company, there was a brief time we had an old girl, Iris, but she was soon adopted and didn't like him anyway. So he's been on his own the last few months.

At the vets we saw a locum as our regular vet was away and she was shocked at the state of Blackie. His teeth were awful (which we knew, we had been told he wouldn't survive an anaesthetic) and they were starting to cause abcesses and his kidneys were failing, the kindest decision was to PTS.

Although he wasn't so active near the end he will be greatly missed, he loved a lap and a cuddle and although he couldn't see he would sometimes look at me like he could see me. He did that last week and my colleague even commented on it and in the back of my mind I knew he didn't have long.

RIP Blackie.

Merry Christmas From Smudge

Argh it's attack of the giant kitty! Just kidding, Mudgie was posing next to our tiny temporary Xmas tree waiting for the real thing to get here. The deccy's went up on saturday and so far none of the animals have shown any interest in them but that's more to do with the fact we've gone very minimalistic this year. Actually, I say 'we' but it was more my sis doing all the work, I helped by telling her where to put things, lol. I do plan on baking biscuits at some point, but then I also planned on getting my arse in gear and posting cards but that never happened either!

Merry Christmas xxx

The Great Escape

We wondered how Socks kept getting out, now I have photographic evidence! Sorry it's blurry :)

Final Resting Place

The pot on the left has had my old cattery cat Sam's ashes in it since he died nearly a year ago. In spring it grows daffodils. The pot on the right was planted today and contains Valentino's ashes. The spot where they are is in their favourite place - right where the staff enjoy their breaks so they could always guarantee a titbit! They are both greatly missed by everyone but they will never be forgotten.

Mitzi and Peggi

Meet brother and sister Mitzi and Peggi. I've known them since they were 2 days old and I swear they're the friendliest kittens ever! They're now 4 months old and have been overlooked by everyone that has visited the cattery. I think their mum, Socks, has something to do with it as she's definitely part siamese and lets everyone know by talking to them constantly in her siamese talk (if you've ever heard this you will understand how annoying it is, if now then imagine a sound similar to a baby crying). I really want the boy but I can't have anymore cats!

Simba

Where do I begin? We have been through so much with Simba and he's only 4months old. He was born deformed and we've recently found out he's got female parts aswell. He's so far had two operations and sadly vets have advised against anymore but he's doing well and is very close to his new best friend Pepe who really missed him while he was at the vets. We don't know what his prognosis is but he's such a little star.

Valentino

My cattery cat Valentino had to be put to sleep this morning.
Vali came to the cattery where I work six years ago. He had been found wandering the streets in an awful condition, he was matted and had a very bad stomach. After being neutered and cleaned up his owners were found and he was returned to them, only for him to go missing again weeks later. It turned that he was a Chinchilla Persian, shipped over form the US, used as a stud cat and basically worked to the ground. Once he was neutered they had no use for him anymore. He was readmitted to the cattery and was nursed back to health. When I met him four years ago he was a shadow of the cat I will always remember - he had recently been shaved, had a bad case of ringworm and had diarheoa everyday - he still had a long way to go. The staff before me and my current colleagues hadn't given him much attention as he was awkward and didn't like being groomed or touched (funnily enough he has always been great at taking tablets) and although he always had a sensitive stomach he came round leaps and bounds and my manager made the decision to keep him as a resident cat as it had turned out to be impossible to home him (he was homed once but due to the diarrheoa and his temper he was soon returned).
Vali always joined us on our breaks, he loved sitting on laps and sharing our food and he saw of any strange cat that came into his territory. That said he got on extremely well with the other resident cats we have had through the years, the latest being Blackie who is now around 18 yrs, blind and diabetic. On cold days they would curl up together.
Yesterday morning he was his normal self but had quickly become ill by the afternoon. He was a cat that would only let you stroke his head - touching anywhere else was strictly forbidden and would result in a swipe - but he let us touch him all over. also Blackie was hanging around him and had gotten in bed with him which is rare this time of year. As our vet was having a rare day off yesterday we made the decision to take him this morning, half expecting him not to make the night but he did and three of us took him to be put to sleep. We all kept it together until the needle went in then even our vet was crying.
He was our cattery's mascot and was joking called Cattery Manager (as you can see on our website: http://www.rspca-enfieldanddistrict.org.uk/He will be sadly missed by everyone that works with us, many visitors and Blackie.

Tilly and Max

So Tilly's been here nearly a month now and although she's still got to relax a bit more with everyone she's settled in well and is noticably looking brighter and healthier. I just wish I'd been in the position to help a needy cat earlier.

Look who's come to visit!

Yep, Tilly's here for a holiday which brings the total of cats in my house to 5. Plus the dog and 2 rabbits I think I'm slowly going insane!