SO, WHAT IS A CAT?

[Thomo]

The wife was a bit disappointed last night when Bobbytwo didn't put in an appearance, but he never has on two consecutive days. Not far away behind where we live are clusters of garages set in groups amongst the trees, bushes and overgrown vegetation, some are quite old and neglected many show no signs of use, there are broken down fences giving access to gardens and sheds. It would be easy to hide a hundred cats in that lot, all those garages and people park on the road!! The presumed owner of Gizzi has conveniently slipped out of my mind, the phone I rang yesterday was a mobile, when I didn't go there last night, if they were that concerned, they could have called me. A closer look at the lost cat poster revealed that it was written in pigeon English, this bit stood out "me partner have baby move house" the alarm bells sounded and the poster was deleted, get out clause is now in place "we haven't seen it again". It could be that someone else nearby is feeding it. it appears to be in top condition. The hedgehog was in the yard again last night so wondering how it got in with the gate shut we watched until it left, the gate is made up of vertical slats just two inches apart, it compressed itself laterally and passed through without effort!.
Last night I heard of something interesting that had never crossed my mind before. When you see pictures of car factories, there may be hundreds of new cars parked outside, some may remain there for a long time, when they are to be moved an inspection takes place before the engine is started and it seems that sometimes under the bonnet they find cats with kittens, the car manufacturer in this case is Vauxhall, when this happens they call someone in to remove them and relocate them, this someone lives about 300 yards from here and has herself got several rescued cats, this could be where Bobbytwo is going, conveniently, she works at the same place as my wife so wifey has gone to work this morning armed with pictures of Mabel and Bobbytwo, we will see what transpires later.
Mabel has just found the low level bay window sills and is now sat there looking cute with an uninterupted view of the lounge. Two of our cats are asleep in the bedroom, only Molly is in a bed out of sight asleep, I can isolate the rear rooms of the house, this may be the time to let Mabel have a look around the remainder, more later.

[Gloria]

Thomo, if you rang them then they have your number---obviously they couldn't care less or they would have been straight round like I said before. I would string them up, some people don't deserve animals.

[Thomo]

YES!!! A happy ending for a change. MIA, aka MABLE, has just been re-united with her delighted owner, one of my 7 posters did the trick. Now for Bobbytwo, he didn't appear again last night, but this afternoon I had a visit from a local woman who sees him often, and a plan is hatched, this one will NOT be going back to his owners, he will stay with us. In the case of Mable it was a house move, but she is now back home and safe. I just love it when a plan comes together!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wendyf]

Great news Thomo.

[Thomo]

It seems strangely quiet here now, no loud meowing from the yard. The owner is in the process of moving today to a house not far from here, perhaps the cat intended to get here first.

[Thomo]

Gizzi aka Bobby Two put in a brief appearance in the garden on Friday night, he seems to turn up every other day and we have discovered that he left his former owners nearly three months ago, that is when the posters appeared. We still have the bed, litter tray and food in place in the o/s utility room with the door wedged ajar. The water and food were replenished on Sunday morning, at about four o,clock in the afternoon half of the water had gone and there was a black cat hair on the surface. My wife went out to the bin at nine last night and he came out of the utility room and into the garden. There we fed him and had a fuss and played with him, he stayed about half an hour and had a quick look indoors. He panics at the first sign of entrapment so this is going to be a long exercise, we just hope he doesn't come to any harm for the time being.

[Gloria]

Sounds as though everything is going in the right direction. Our outside cat always has to be able to see a way out if he comes into the house (which is not very often), and he cannot cope with the tv on-----still, when you are the great killing machine he is---what is a tv??

[Thomo]

Last night GIZZI now finally renamed IZZY came again, thats two nights together, another first, and he a look at the kitchen prompted by a bit of tuna. I have been round town and removed all posters of the other cat, now with her owner, all had been displayed except the one in the post office, no marks for that.

[Wendyf]

A cat can be a scary friend...



Alfie wishing he wasn't sharing the settee with Feebie.

[Thomo]

Since IZZY started coming just over a week ago, he has always arrived in the late evening. Yesterday I needed the car and so I took the wife to work in the morning, at 3.30 pm I went off the collect the wife from work, as I opened the yard gate IZZY was just about to jump up onto the wall, startled he ran off and didn't come back later, it was wet and miserable so I consoled myself by thinking that this could be the reason. Before going to bed I put a dish of fresh food in the utility room, this morning at 6.30, all gone. Our relationship with this young cat is fragile at present, and his trust in humans is not high, sudden moves are out. We will get there, but it could be a long journey.

[Thomo]

8.30 tonight. loud meowing at back door. MIA aka Mabel is back!. A phone call got me the contact, within minutes the man who let her out in the first place is at the door. Mabel took one look and fled out of reach into the wilderness where the garages are, I told him "if she comes back I will let you know". My wife and I have just made a command decision. "If no one had come forward in the first place, we would have kept her here" this is now how it stands, as far as we are concerned, Mabel is staying, the cat had crossed a dangerous road to get here, she is safe now. One problem though, she is now occupying the o/s utility room again and this is where I put food etc, for IZZY, but there is an up side to this, they have both been sharing a common habitat where the garages are, and on the occasion that they came together in the garden, they played. Please wish us luck, we will need it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thomo]

The events of last night have completely undone all of the efforts and work of the past three weeks in respect of two stray cats, I will use the names that we have given them. 1. MABEL ex MIA, she was moved to Barlick and lodged with the owners son two weeks prior to the owner moving here herself, Mabel had been found by the roadside in Ingleton seriously injured, the vet put her back together and the owner took her in.. Now in Barlick, the son who obviously does not like cats allowed her to get out and eventually she turned up here, what happened next is already in this topic and a week ago after a poster campaign she was re-united with her owner, Advice given at the time was "Do not let her out for at least two weeks" this was repeated before mabel left here. Last night at 8.30 she was back and hungry. I rang the only contact No I had and soon after the son turned up here, his attitude was not good and Mabel was clearly terrified of him, she went from the yard towards the wilderness where the garages are. She came back after he had gone and I put food for her in the o/s utility room, but at bedtime she had gone again, and we have not seen her since, she may have returned during the night as the food had gone this morning. Next there is 2, IZZY ex Gizzi we were gaining his trust and could monitor his coming and going, that has also gone. So three weeks of effort and care have been "Blown out of the water" I feel sad and worried, despondent and angry, all we can do is hope that these two lovely animals will return, neither will be going back to their former owners. Given that it is possible that these two were sharing a common habitat before they came to us for help (Izzy started coming here soon after Mabel and they have played together in the garden) we are now going to have to overcome the anger and be patient, but I am deeply concerned.

[Wendyf]

I hope it all works out Thomo. There might be other kind folks like yourself feeding them and providing shelter.

[Gloria]

Just keep what you are doing so well Thomo. Cats know who to trust.

[Thomo]

Having spent yesterday beating myself up for making mistakes and feeling a bit desolate, by bedtime I was feeling a bit raw. We normally go to bed about 10.30 pm as the wife has to be up by 6.30 am, but Thursday is different, on Friday she does 12 to 8 pm so that we can do the shopping in the morning. At 11 o,clock I checked outside and there was Mabel in the utility room, it was like starting all over again, but she will be back. I have a feeling that Mabel and Izzy have been in contact in the wilderness, for last time, he appeared not long after her, and they played together. My mistakes, calling"The Owners" in the first place, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time, a mistake that will not be repeated, not now, not ever.

[Whyperion]

Cats are fairly good at choosing their servants. I have never claimed as such to own a cat , ( fairly much like I dont own any cars at present ) , but that I am responsible for a Cat , ensuring it is fed when needed , taken to the vets if required , hold the string for it to play with and generally move off the sofa if it wants the sunny end by the window , much as I am responsible for three of the family's cars - keeping them clean and fuelled to propel family and their friends around , for myself I have got walking down to an achievable level for me and strange looks from the people in the street as I converse with most of the cats I meet en route to the places I need to go.

[Thomo]

Mabel surfaced again at 11 o,clock last night, had some food and then went again, she was back at 10.30 this morning and her confidence is growing. Today is Tuna day for the cats, she enjoyed that when she moved in three weeks ago. We have not seen Izzy since Tuesday and that is now a cause for concern, Mabel is under instructions to find him and bring him back.

[Thomo]

All was going well yesterday, Mabel stayed in the patch all day, but still no sign of Izzy. And then mother nature played the ace of spades, the storm! when the rain stopped I went to see if Mabel was ok as she had been her bed when the storm started. The utility room was flooded, her bed soaked and food floating and she had gone. The cause, the heavy rain had washed lumps of moss from the roof and blocked the gutter, the water spilling over the edge then hit the top of the slightly open door soaking everything inside, and Mabel had gone. The gutter cleaned, the mats hung up to drain, the floor mopped up and a fresh bed and food. Half an hour later the wife said "there's a cat outside, I can hear it" and there was Izzy, wet through and wide eyed with terror. He had some food and a fuss and then left again. Shortly afterwards Mabel arrived, soaked and frightened, we fed her, and off she went again. At nine this morning I went to see if she was about, she wasn't and the bed hadn't been slept in, poor animal she has been through a lot lately. On turning to come back in, I met Izzy coming through the gate, some food and a bit of love and then off again. This could be an interesting day.

[Thomo]

Izzy meets Ellie and Molly with only a minimum of fuss.

[Thomo]

Both Mabel and Izzy were at the back door this morning at 6,45, but just when things were looking better, our little Evie has developed a problem. All of the strength seems to have gone from her back legs, and she will be going to the vets at 4,40 this afternoon, I feel sick.

[Wendyf]

I dont know what to say Thomo, except that I feel for you.

[Whyperion]

My mums cat sometimes seems to walk around with no strength in back legs (pins and needles/ circulation ? ) , next thing he is up and jumping over the furniture.

[Thomo]

I have just recieved a condolance card from the Vets, along with the bill for lucy £211.74, this makes a grand total of just over £355. in the last three weeks, and we will back there again this afternoon, it did not come on a good day. What really gets up my nose is this "If my wife or I were on benefits, we could get help with the fees" but we are only pensioners, I could add more to this but I would probably get barred!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chrissyp]

Hope your cats okay. Mines there now he's been hit by a car I think its his hip. Praying he's going to be alright, then I'll be praying I can afford the bill.

[Thomo]

It is very sad that many pensioners only have a pet as a companion, and such bills are a massive burden. There are many in this country who do not, nor ever will get off benefits, for which we pay. Probably more of these have pets than pensioners do. We are lucky, at present we can meet the cost to prevent suffering. Wonderful then is it not, that the two strays that came to us for help, had owners, if life was so good with them, these two would not have been here. But they are and "will" be cared for, both owners are benefit families. In this case both owners have my phone No, they could get in touch, yet are plainly unconcerned. Sickening!!