Running a Rescue is easy or at least most folks seem to think so; I`ve lost count of the times I have been told how lucky I am to sit and cuddle kittens all day while I wait and be grateful for the next unwanted love to be brought here to fill my never ending supply of available pens. In reality I began with 5 pens which simply wasnt enough,so we put up more and more still not enough,a spare bedroom was converted to a catroom,the office always manages to accomodate some golden oldie,theres a collapsible pen in the kitchen we share our house with Buster,Tula, Fuchsia,Ivan,Cat,Chat,Anastasia,Minimopsical and Tabasco,our greenhouse sleeps Hettie,Monica, Wilma,and Madison and is the feeding station for some 15 regular ferals. We are currently caring for 50 cats/kittens.
My day started just before 5am on Wednesday 1st August with the usual scrubbing out of pens,litter trays cleaning and feeding and yes of course the cuddling of cats. By 11am I was in the vets with Amelia who was in labour and having problems and I had the pleasure of a kitten being born in my car on the way home, spent the bulk of the day checking Amelia and helping deliver afterbirth which was stuck inside her as well as dashing round with the poop scoop and attempting to answer the endless ringing of the phone.
Think at around 8pm I took an urgent cry for help with ferals in Manchester and put an appeal out on forum for help; checked cats loaded car with equipment and off we went. Stayed all night trapping,home 7am -10 am to clean and feed and of course cuddle cats;then back to trapping in Manchester,dont need to tell that part its all written about on forum;what I will say what a rollercoaster ride,tears,joy,heartbreak that will not go away.Back home Thursday afternoon to an emergency call out to kittens supposedly found in a bag,they are 3 days old seriously dehydrated and in a bad way,I give them fluids in the car.
Back home for cleaning feeding and then off to Manchester again in a vain attempt to catch the kitten,think we gave up after midnight. I cant go to bed I have tiny babies who need hourly feeding so yet another day is one long continuation of Wednesday;on top of usual jobs have an hours journey to Congleton to try and trap a feral mother,then home to attend to cats and then back to Manchester, bottling feeding kittens in the car,poor babies have been on 4 feral trappings already.
Saturday continued much the same way except I had help from Claire and 2 grandchildren to entertain,family can be strange you know they seem to think they should come first yet people with cats think cats should come first;I end up feeling like a punch bag wanting to keep everyone happy.The rest of the weekend is totally lost to me as I have been caring for my fosters and nursing a very sick kitten who needed a Sunday call out as well as an appointment today. I know I havent seen my bed since 5am last Wednesday,I have had a total of 6 hours in catnaps and I`m sitting here cuddling a kitten because by morning he will be at the Bridge.
Still think its easy? why not give it a try,offer to help at your local rescue; chances are - like me you`ll end up starting your own.
Cos we all know how easy it is
