Success stories
Abyssinian babies
A phone call for help ‘for a problem with my cat’ resulted in more than we bargained for. The lady in question had a number of pedigree Abyssinian breeding cats. A window left unfortunately open led to an opportunistic tom cat leaving three of the cats pregnant, leading in turn to the phone call.
The half breed kittens were absolutely beautiful but tiny when we first heard of them, and one of our fosterers made regular visits to the owner to ensure the kittens were getting everything they needed until they were big enough to leave their mothers and come in to Cats Protection foster homes.
At nine weeks these sociable, bundles of fun, with their long bodies and unique patterns in their fur didn’t take long to find new homes. Such was their ability to steal people’s hearts that three of them were adopted by Cats Protection volunteers.
The story didn’t quite end there as we also funded the neutering of the mother cats to prevent any more unwanted accidents.
Emergency admissions
Following a call from a very distressed lady, Peterborough branch swung into action and took in five cats overnight, housing them initially with local cattery Paws n Claws. Their elderly owner had recently died and their temporary accommodation became unavailable with the onset of a serious illness.
We had our work cut out; Magic and Shadow the eldest two sisters were 16 years old, Sooty 12 years, and 4 year olds Smokey and Gizmo all needed extensive dental treatment. After a few weeks at the cattery we moved them to one of our foster homes, and started to look for new owners willing to give them a loving home.
A very understanding couple, recently moved to a large house, with lots of room, felt it needed a cat or two to become a proper home. The idea of giving two elderly ladies a home where they could live out the rest of their lives in comfort was one that appealed to them and they soon departed.
Quickly followed by Gizmo who went to a rural home and Sooty to a very lonely pensioner.
Hardest to home was Smokey. Having been a victim of Calicivirus, Smokey had to have all his teeth removed and was left with a permanent dribble. He also has a viral condition in his eye which whilst doing him no harm and causing no discomfort, has discoloured part of one eye. Happily Smokey found his new home a couple of weeks ago and will be settled in before winter sets in.
Petra and Tiger Lilly
We were recently approached by a Guide Dog charity with an unusual request! Puppy walker Ruth and charity representative Lorna decided to take steps to train Petra the Labrador puppy in the art of NOT chasing moggies, and they came to the Peterborough branch of Cats Protection for help.
It was during one of the charity’s regular re-homing events that Ruth and Lorna enlisted the help of CP Homing Officer, Karen Baldock. Karen suggested that they pair Petra up with kitten Tiger Lily, who was looking for a new home.
The two are now settling down well together, and have become firm friends since being introduced to each other a few weeks ago by supporters of the charities they represent.
It’s an unusual request to re-home a kitten with a guide puppy to enable it to socialise and learn not to chase cats whilst ‘on duty’, but it has been a pleasure for us to help out another animal-focussed charity and we love hearing all the stories about how Petra and Tiger Lily are becoming acquainted.
Either the puppy or the kitten sometimes initiates play, which Ruth supervises to help them learn each other’s boundaries and find a peaceful balance.
Ruth says, “Petra’s tail is an extremely tempting plaything for a kitten, and Tiger Lily sometimes rushes over and hangs on, which Petra accepts for a moment or two before gently shaking Tiger Lily off and continuing with what she had been doing.”
Ruth said the charity welcomed Tiger Lily to help Guide Dog puppies by giving them a good experience of co-existence. Puppies that learn to respect and not chase cats at home find it easier not to be distracted by cats they meet when walking outside.