July 11th
First, an update on animals mentioned in the last blog.Kia the Maine Coon cat has been adopted again, fingers crossed this time will be the last home she has, she is such a wonderful natured cat. The abandoned collie puppy (now named Bonnie)was not claimed and is still in foster care awaiting the right family to come along and adopt her. All animal adoptions have slowed down a little and kittens are still flooding in so no change there.
This week Mei and I went to catch a stray mother cat and her 4 months old kittens which had been reported to us. All looked healthy and were being fed by some people in the nearby flats though we were concerned that if they were left, it would not be long before the mother cat became pregnant again ;the youngsters were themselves not far off breeding age .Thanks to the neighbours feeding them regularly, the kittens were eager to see us and immediately ran up expecting food so the first two most outgoing kittens were caught easily by hand.The third, an all black kitten, was more timid and took some coaxing but with Mei’s quickness of hand and my expert basket handling, he too was soon deposited in a basket ready for the journey back to the shelter.Mum,however was then too wary to allow an easy catch so after a few unsuccessful attempts, we decided to leave her and return the next day. Later in the day I went to see how they were getting on and was delighted to see all three stretched out on a fluffy cushion looking happy and content with their new more luxurious accommodation.That’s it Kitties, much better than sleeping under a bush and hopefully soon Mum will be joining you.
Friday 14th;
I was too quick to say that adoptions had slowed down, they have speeded up again.6 dogs arrive from Romania tomorrow and all have been reserved. Most will be leaving us the same day they arrive, only 2 will remain in foster care until next weekend when their prospective adopters will collect the, All our Welsh rescues are reserved and only one is proving rather hard to home.
Yesterday we had an urgent call about a stray sheep which appeared to have been abandoned in a garden.The farmer who owned the land was annoyed at the arrival of this ursurper and wanted her gone by the end of the afternoon.There are, of course, hundreds of wandering sheep in this area but the unusual thing about this one was that she had no identification marks upon her body and no eartag which is something all farmers are obliged to do with their herds. Not only was she was very thin and hungry, she had been very recently shorn, her feet were in good condition and she was clearly a pet sheep and not an animal destined for the slaughterhouse.Most sheep are nervous of people unless they have been hand reared and this one was very placid and friendly.Angela as we have called her was fortunate to be discovered by a vegan lady whose home was situated on the farm and she was concerned that the farmers threats towards Angela were no bluff.
Two of our staff went out to collect her and bring her to a place of safety and were shocked to find that Angela had been likely scouring badly for some time and her back end and tail were thick with her own excrement.We washed off as much as we could but she will need another bath to clear all of it from her coat.She put up with our ministrations with a really calm demeanour, until we felt she had been through enough for one day and put her in a stable with a fresh bed of straw to keep her warm.
If the scouring has not stopped over the weekend, we will take Angela to the Vet surgery for a complete body once over.In the meantime she has been wormed and we are hopeful that may do the trick.If and when she is 100 % fit, we will search for a pet home for her.
Poor little Bonnie the collie pup has had an accident.One of the bigger dogs in her foster home trod on her foot and she has suffered two broken toes and is in plaster! Poor little girl. I hope we can still find a nice home for her soon.It may put back her chances of an early home.
Frankie the ferret has now been neutered so does anybody know someone who would like a very friendly,handleable 3 yrs old ferret.Pet home only of course.The reason most ferrets end up here is because they have been taken out rabbiting and become lost. In Frankie’s case the owner advertised his ferret as lost but clearly could not be bothered travelling to collect him.Well I’m sorry but no way am I arranging to deliver him back there! If he cannot be bothered to travel to collect his missing pet, then as far as I am concerned he is not fit to care for him.
Sadly we could not find the stray mother cat but will be going back every few days. I just hope we find her before she gives birth to her next litter.
Rant of the day:
Why do tradesmen in this area never turn up when they make appointments? I have now made 4 appointments with electricians to come and give an estimate to check our electrics (with some added work involved) and provide us with a certificate but not only have none turned up, none had the courtesy to telephone to cancel.This happens all the time, it is completely frustrating when jobs need doing but nobody seems to want the work! I have had the same issue with plumbers, builders, fencers etc. Nor do they seem to have any pride in their work and generally a mess is left after they finish the job(if they ever finish it!) What is going on with them? It seems a strange way to run a business and to obtain customer goodwill.
Finally. Our annual Fun dog Show will be taking place on the 10th September at Penygroes Memorial Hall, it has rescued dog classes as well as pedigrees, all are welcome. Please support us and attend if you are free on that day.A list of classes is available from the shelter. 01286 479711 or email Wales@freshfields.org.uk
