Did my 1st visit today

[Desley (booktigger)]

Aww, fingers crossed for the poor mite. i dont know why people think it is OK to feed cats outside in the winter, yet as soon as the weather turns expect rescues to suddenly find homes for them all.

[Ela]

I don;t believe it I have just had another call about a stray, that about 5 in the last hour.

[Ela]

Today I have received many calls from people who have asked me to bring a cat in now, this minute, today, if not sooner. All have been feeding for months but now it is  is getting cold we need to take it in. When I say I will need to put the cat on the list of cats waiting to come in they are godsmacked,  of course I always slip it in somewhere that had they called when they first thought the cat was a stray it would by now quite possibly have a new home. In these cases we ask for the caller to continue to feed the cat and always arrrange for a vet check,  flea and worm  neuter/spay if necessary, etc. On the plus side when they cat has had a vet check many people do decide that they would like to keep the cat. If they are not prepared to actually take it in and leave it in the garden then we leave it on the waiting list as I don't think it fair that it should never have a chance of a warm fireside.

[Mark]

Sharon asked me to visit an old man who had a cat in his greenhouse. The found it a couple of months ago and said that it could hardly walk at the time but was OK now. He wants it taken to a rescue as he is worried that the cold weather might kill it. He has asthma and can't take it in the house. He told CP that the cat is feral and needs to be on a farm or similar. Sharon asked me to check if it was. The cat is quite nervy annnd aggressive but let me rub it's head. We were in the garden talking afterwards and I called the cat over and he came to me for a fuss  . The cat keeps rubbing it's head against a post and he said he thought it had earmites. He said it gets nasty when you touch it's back. I suggested it could be infested with fleas. He said it possibly still had a back injury - I asked if he had taken it to a vet and he said no! - I remembered Ela's postings about biting your tongue in these situations. It's funny that the old man was obviously fond of it and it was VERY well fed - also he has made a proper bed for it - a real 2 storey bunk-bed type thing - but why he didn't take it to a vet when it was injured I don't know - he wasn't poor - he told me he used to own all the woods in the area and had a sundial installed at kent uni in memory of his wife. Anyway - I ramble.......just was happy to actually be useful

PS - He said he thought the cat might be pregnant - I wondered if that was why he was in a hurry?