This is going to be a long post, but Teresa emailed me the updates on Paws Inn as I was desperate to know what was happening in that wonderful place, it is so lovely that she is still keeping these updates:
At the Inn
Minus 3 this morning and mucking out begins as normal, poor cats cant understand why your fingers are purple and you keep dropping everything.
The Muckspots are huge now, bouncing all over me, its so hard to imagine that only a few weeks ago they were so tiny and frail as Kiev is busy savaging my hair yet again, Olive who I hardly hoped would survive has turned into a greedy little gannet always first to the food, Chuckyegg, Kentucky, Flora and Sunflower all take great delight in running me ragged, I can tell by the amount of purrs.
Sophie and her 7 little trouble makers are also growing at an alarming rate and are all such bundles of fun, Star and Sabrina the 2 little black/whites have the most perfectly formed piglet tails you could imagine, Serena and her brother Sol are explorers and take every opportunity to try to find an access point into the Pen next door as they think the Muckspots have much more fun.
The 3 longhaired kittens Selena, Skip and Stig look more like they should be adorning a chocolate box each day.
In the living room chaos reigns as Simon, Sunny and Summer treat the furniture like a giant toy and Simon realises the babies swinging chair is a huge fun place for a kitten to ride especially when you can sit on Nurse Betty (cuddly toy cat) at the same time, poor little Sunshine is not so good today we may go to see the vet later on, somehow I am convinced this little one is on loan.
Chelseas kitten Dinky is very displeased when I attempt to stick her pill down her throat and manages to send it back up before showing me teeth and claws, it doesn’t work and soon pill No 1 is safely swallowed, we will attempt pill no 2 in a few minutes when her litter mates Dainty and Dodger have calmed down a little, they seem to think they are in for medication too, they will be relieved to know its just for Dinky who appears to be yet another cerebral hypoplasia girl.
Annabel’s little family are growing fast, 7 weeks now and getting to the stage where they want to investigate the world, Norman Wisdom is definitely the ring leader followed by Fontaine. Pavlova is busy doing her ballerina steps while Darcy Tuttle is busy lounging around looking beautiful.
The adult cats are patiently waiting for breakfast with the exception of Chelsea who is busy with her usual routine of “I hope you have something different for me, something a little special “ yes Chelsea is a fussy madam.
We had a visitor later this morning a lovely lady called Anne, 15 years ago she came to us and adopted a little ginger boy called Russell, just over 3 years ago she adopted Andrew another of our bottlefeds to keep Russell company, today she met and fell in love with Norman Wisdom who will be going to live with the family when he is old enough, cant help but think what a wonderful life he has ahead.
Caught little Sunshine weeing on my carpet this afternoon, think her problems could well be kidney related, have put her on antibiotics and given her some vitamins, meanwhile keeping a very close eye on her. Have since been to vet who has given more antibiotics and vitamins, he agrees it looks suspiciously like kidney problems. The remainder of the day has been spent trying to organise heating and dehumidifier for cat pens, old dehumidifier broke down and water began dripping from ceiling, ended up buying new machine as well as an oil filled radiator to heat the summerhouse, at least now I am spared the shame of an appeal for cat umbrellas.
7.30pm and have been on the go since 5am and still more maintenance to sort outside before allowing baby Simon and his rabble to wreck the living room again, not that it needs wrecking its full of things I am supposed to be getting ready for next weeks Christmas social, O dear starting to feel like a failure in many ways but in my heart I know the cats think differently.
Sunday 28th November
Little ones in living room all played for an hour and tortured me while I used nebulisers,they are sleeping soundly with full tummys and I`ve just spotted one huge lump in the newly cleaned litter tray best get that out. Sunshine is brighter today and playing a little, poor girl is very weak on her back legs.
Its so cold I don’t want to face the journey down the path to the summerhouse but I know Sophie her 7 and the 6 muckspots have my feeding and cleaning duties timed to the second so best go and face it. Don’t know why I worried it was only minus 7 and I was numb to everything in no time, the inmates were all ecstatic to see me or rather the banquet I had prepared for them and dived in like hungry wolves. We have set up a new oil filled radiator which should hopefully provide more cosy living quarters for them.
By the time I reached the Isolation block I was considering a change of name to Mrs Frost, thankfully once in the Pens I soon began to warm up.
Dinky did her usual trick of spit the pill out, its not easy to pill a cat at the best of times but when your hands are blue with cold it’s a nightmare and painful when the fingers come in contact with the teeth.
Melody, Lucy, Chelsea, Dodger, Dainty Annabel and her 4 all enjoyed a hearty breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed showing me how much cleaning they had made for me. Its funny I hate washing up but each morning we have around 100 - 120 cat bowls to wash and it’s a pleasure to do, warms the frozen hands nicely.
Must start making things for Saturdays social.
8.30pm and I am able to sit and relax, the rest of the work can wait till tomorrow, have 23 bags of rum truffles all bagged up nicely as well as some bags of sweets, tomorrow I must try to do some baking and some wrapping of raffle prizes and sale goods, that is after mucking out of course. Just remembered Dinky and possibly Sunshine vet appt at 10.30am so that must be done before any social prep. Think I need several of me.
Monday 29th
The cat pens were as warm as toast this morning so new heater and dehumidifier doing their jobs, just need to be a contortionist to squeeze into tiny working area I have allowed for myself.
Just back from the vets with Sunshine and Dinky, Sunshine has been sick this morning so she has had a couple of injections. Vet agrees that Dinky`s walking is getting worse and he has injected metacam just to see if it makes any difference despite the fact that her problem appears to be neurological.
1st December it’s a wonder I have any fingers left after doing a marathon worming session, lost count of how many pills after 24 but fortunately I list each cat as they receive the precious pill.
Seem to have spent hours answering phones to idiots wanting kittens for Christmas presents, Tuesday 7th Dec.
Last week was hectic getting ready for last Saturdays Christmas Social, many of our wonderful supporters braved the terrible weather to come and we raised a massive £960 which has thankfully covered our November vet bill.
The last 3 mornings have seen us clinging onto anything that doesn’t move while navigating along the sheet ice to the cat pens, getting to the summerhouse has been death defying but once inside it is so snug and warm and full of happy kittens and of course one mother cat; on a good note 2 of Sophies kittens are off to their new homes on Friday as is Norman Wisdom; Melody went to her new home last Friday.
Vet will be coming on Thursday to do yet another round of vaccinations, possibly 16 not counted up properly yet.
Sunshine is making good progress but is another little one who cannot walk properly, she reminds me of a spring lamb with her little leaps into the air but then when she somersaults backwards she reminds me of Minimopsical, I so hope she will outgrow this but somehow I fear I have yet another disabled little one. We are pretty certain that Dinky has some sort of brain storage disease, X-rays, blood tests have failed to find a cause for her inability to walk.
16 vaccinations done on Thursday, only little Sunshine pronounced unfit to vaccinate but she is currently doing ok, she so reminds me of a very young Minimopsical. Debbie came to help with today’s vet visit and seemed to spend most of her time laughing at Sunshine, Simon, Summer and Sunny as they did their very best to destroy my Christmas tree and then fought like crazy using my tree baubles as footballs.
Saturday 11th December, my poor tree could take no more, the kittens are 9-10 weeks now and not only into everything but climbing everything, I was so proud of my little tree and eagerly waiting for the grandchildren to visit and admire it, the tree has received major surgery this morning and hopefully it will survive till Christmas now that the 4 kittens have been moved to the kitchen. Bonnie has been brought into the living room and I saved the arm of our leather settee with seconds to spare, these cats are proving very hard work.
Thankfully Bonny has been reserved to go in January.
Sophies kittens Skip and Selena went to their new home yesterday, Sophie seems quite happy to be down to 5 kittens. Got a family coming to select 2 kittens at midday but they will not be going to new homes now until January.
