Re: Kittens

[Guest guest]

Am I right in thinking you're in Cyprus?? (I'm losing the plot a bit..) So

is this the cat sanctuary on the ?Arkitiri (told you I was losing the plot)

peninsula - just round the bend from the turtle beach and on the way from

Nicosia to the Roman villa? (via a bit of a detour..)

If so, it's one of my fave places on the island. I used to come and do the

UK Higher Ed. fair in Nicosia every March and would take a morning out in

the sanctuary, sitting with the cats, trying to keep them out of the car and

picking up fleas! Happy times...

Vicki Portman

http://www.plushpants.co.uk

> Well the two kittens we were fostering have gone back to the Cat

Sanctuary. Not in there a week and the impossible has happened, they have

been rehomed. This was partly to do with the fact that having been hand

reared and kept with children, they are the most lovable pair of young cats

in the Sanctuary.

[Guest guest]

How have you become involved with this, Sue? Sounds rewarding and

heartbreaking at the same time.

Lesley

---------------

From: Sieue

Well the two kittens we were fostering have gone back to the Cat

Sanctuary. Not in there a week and the impossible has happened, they

have been rehomed. This was partly to do with the fact that having

been hand reared and kept with children, they are the most lovable

pair of young cats in the Sanctuary.

A

[Guest guest]

> Am I right in thinking you're in Cyprus?? (I'm losing the plot a bit..)

So

> is this the cat sanctuary on the ?Arkitiri (told you I was losing the

plot)

> peninsula - just round the bend from the turtle beach and on the way from

> Nicosia to the Roman villa? (via a bit of a detour..)

>

> If so, it's one of my fave places on the island. I used to come and do

the

> UK Higher Ed. fair in Nicosia every March and would take a morning out in

> the sanctuary, sitting with the cats, trying to keep them out of the car

and

> picking up fleas! Happy times...

Erm its the Malcolm Cat Sanctuary, just outside the base, on the road to

Ladies Mile Beach - a couple of sheds and a lot of cats, fleas and flies.

Nicosia (Lefkasia for the pedantic), is quite a way from here, so it would

have been a good drive out, perhaps an hour or so. But it has been around

since 1988, so its possible.

Sue

[Guest guest]

Yes, that's the one I'm thinking of! It is a way out from Nicosia, but when

you're only there for 1 week every year, you become pretty proficient in

covering the whole island in a day if what you want to see is at the other

end! I used to drive to Paphos for lunch in a little cafe I like just

behind the leiki gaitonia (sp?), too. The first time I was out, DH came for

the weekend after the exhibition and we bought my engagement ring in a

jeweller's in Paphos (about a year after we got married!) and had wonderful

moussaka at this cafe, so a meal has to be eaten there on every return

visit!

Ladies Mile Beach has an active turtle population and I'm told the hatching

season is quite spectacular - I've never been there at the right time to

watch, though! There's some amazing bird life on the mud flats there, too,

and a citrus grove on one of the back roads of the peninsula where you used

to be able to buy wonderful wild honey.

I've had some wonderful times in Cyprus - looking round the old church at

Agia Nappa and being taken under the guardian's wing and told the impossibly

romantic story: the island was invaded at some point by pirates (the

guardian's English wasn't good, and my history is worse, so we agreed

pirates was the closest we would get to a name!)who were looting the church

and village. A group of locals hid in a cave under the church with no food

or water for days and were on the brink of death or surrender, until a

vision of the virgin showed them a tiny spring at the back of the cave,

which allowed them to stay there until they could escape safely. Agia Nappa

is called Agia Nappa because it's Panagia in reverse - Panagia being the

Cypriot name for the Virgin. It's a lovely church, even if the town has

been taken over by ravers and utterly spoilt.

Another visit, the guardian at Apollo's (is it?) grotto let me in at 5pm

when he should have been closing up, because I came from Manchester and he

was a huge United fan. I had the most glorious hour all alone amongst the

ruins, which are impossibly beautiful, watching the birds re-establish their

territory after the tourists were gone, and basking in the evening sun. It

was a very peaceful time.

Oops, sorry: rambling! That's what happens when the kids get me up at 5:30!

I'll go and make some tea and go back to bed now!

Vicki Portman

http://www.plushpants.co.uk

>

> Erm its the Malcolm Cat Sanctuary, just outside the base, on the road to

> Ladies Mile Beach - a couple of sheds and a lot of cats, fleas and flies.

>

> Nicosia (Lefkasia for the pedantic), is quite a way from here, so it would

> have been a good drive out, perhaps an hour or so. But it has been around

> since 1988, so its possible.

>

[Guest guest]

We've always picked up cats this way: I had a knock on the door (in my old

house in Manchester) at 6 in the evening once, and there were a group of

very ruffianish little boys one of whom announced that his Mam said I liked

cats and there was a kitten under their car, could I come and have it,

please? It was a beautiful tabby kitten, about 4 weeks old, who nursed

absolutely everything in sight and spent the next 6 weeks attached to bits

of my shirt, nursing and mewling and podging vigorously - like being

massaged with a wet pin cushion!! Anyway, he grew like topsy and lives with

my father, now. He's called Ali Cat (groan!) and at the ripe old age of

10ish still nurses and podges given half an opportunity - except now he's

about half the size of a tiger!

Of our current cats, Chester was found in the jaws of a large alsatian cross

at a riding stables I used to frequent. His siblings were all headless in

the barn. I had a hissy fit with the woman who ran the stables and brought

Chester and his mother home. His mother wouldn't stay - she was

understandably very mistrustful and took herself off after a short while.

Chester is a big, soft beast, remarkably tolerant of the children who pull

him mercilessly. And Tilly was the fallout of my sister's relationship

break-down. She's a very fat, hairball inclined grey tabby with an

unpleasant nature and a habit of gipping her hairballs all over the clean

laundry. She's on a permanent diet, but I think is fed all over the close,

and is a dreadful thief, to boot.

I do sympathise, Sue - I think calling the lady who runs the sanctuary dippy

is something of an understatement, and I would find it very hard to resist

becoming involved if I lived so close by. I seem to remember that there was

a neutering fund set up last time I was there - certainly, as well as

putting a handful of cash in the usual collection box I have a memory of

giving her some money directly, following a conversation about neutering.

As you say, ho hum. I shall look forward to further stories of your

non-involvement

Vicki Portman

http://www.plushpants.co.uk

>

> Ho hum - I am not getting involved - you heard it here first. *ahem*

>

[Guest guest]

Well there's a thing. A neighbour had two kittens not rehomed from a litter

of four she hand reared. At 10 weeks they were big and lively but still too

young to go back to the sanctuary. She had her sister staying for a week

and so the kittens came to me. I had them a couple of weeks and yesterday

they were rehomed which is amazing.

I wasn't going to do this, but you just cannot say no to a little scrap

that, if they don't get one to one attention will definitely die. Simon

went bezerk and has been trying to find me a job ever since (LOL he'll be

lucky).

So I guess I am now catmum, and only been here 5 weeks, been doing it

from a week after we moved in. To be honest I like doing this sort of

thing. My plan was always to do puppywalking but Simon wouldn't hear of it,

or fostering children but again Simon isn't keen. So kittens it is.

To be honest, with the slim chance of kittens ever being rehomed, and the

huge mortality rate, it would be a lot kinder to just put them down, rather

than let them go slowly, but I can see why this is hard to do. They look so

cute.

At the end of the day, cats don't really belong to anyone out here, and it

is a complicated problem because left to themselves a certain number would

die, and only the healthy kittens born to good mothers would survive and the

cat population would be kept at a reasonable level. If people then spent

time neutering the feral cats, and convincing the Cypriots that it is a good

idea to NOT let your cat have kittens twice a year, and to have your cat

neutered, this would be much more useful than trying to save them all. As

it is it's heartbreaking to see perfectly healthy kittens come in, separated

too soon from their mum, and to watch them just wither away because there

are not enough people to hand rear them and then for them to live their life

in the Sanctuary's cat population not house cats but not independent either.

The Sanctuary itself is run by one lady, who relies on volunteers and

donations. The building are horrible and fly infested but they are saving

money to build a new sanctuary in Fassouri (although to b honest the lady

running it is dippy so I can't say when that will happen).

They have about 8 volunteers who feed and clean twice a day and the adult

cats live outside. Unfortunately with no running water cross infection is

rife, so perfectly healthy cats and kittens die. It would be heartbreaking

but I am refusing to get involved in that side of things, otherwise I would

be down there every day.

But people like Vicki coming in and hand feeding the kittens is a godsend.

I wish more people would do it. They could also do with a team of hand

rearers/foster mums and better advertising for volunteers.

Ho hum - I am not getting involved - you heard it here first. *ahem*

Sue

[Guest guest]

Well there's a thing. A neighbour had two kittens not rehomed from a litter

of four she hand reared. At 10 weeks they were big and lively but still too

young to go back to the sanctuary. She had her sister staying for a week

and so the kittens came to me. I had them a couple of weeks and yesterday

they were rehomed which is amazing.

I wasn't going to do this, but you just cannot say no to a little scrap

that, if they don't get one to one attention will definitely die. Simon

went bezerk and has been trying to find me a job ever since (LOL he'll be

lucky).

So I guess I am now catmum, and only been here 5 weeks, been doing it

from a week after we moved in. To be honest I like doing this sort of

thing. My plan was always to do puppywalking but Simon wouldn't hear of it,

or fostering children but again Simon isn't keen. So kittens it is.

To be honest, with the slim chance of kittens ever being rehomed, and the

huge mortality rate, it would be a lot kinder to just put them down, rather

than let them go slowly, but I can see why this is hard to do. They look so

cute.

At the end of the day, cats don't really belong to anyone out here, and it

is a complicated problem because left to themselves a certain number would

die, and only the healthy kittens born to good mothers would survive and the

cat population would be kept at a reasonable level. If people then spent

time neutering the feral cats, and convincing the Cypriots that it is a good

idea to NOT let your cat have kittens twice a year, and to have your cat

neutered, this would be much more useful than trying to save them all. As

it is it's heartbreaking to see perfectly healthy kittens come in, separated

too soon from their mum, and to watch them just wither away because there

are not enough people to hand rear them and then for them to live their life

in the Sanctuary's cat population not house cats but not independent either.

The Sanctuary itself is run by one lady, who relies on volunteers and

donations. The building are horrible and fly infested but they are saving

money to build a new sanctuary in Fassouri (although to b honest the lady

running it is dippy so I can't say when that will happen).

They have about 8 volunteers who feed and clean twice a day and the adult

cats live outside. Unfortunately with no running water cross infection is

rife, so perfectly healthy cats and kittens die. It would be heartbreaking

but I am refusing to get involved in that side of things, otherwise I would

be down there every day.

But people like Vicki coming in and hand feeding the kittens is a godsend.

I wish more people would do it. They could also do with a team of hand

rearers/foster mums and better advertising for volunteers.

Ho hum - I am not getting involved - you heard it here first. *ahem*

Sue

[Guest guest]

> I do sympathise, Sue - I think calling the lady who runs the sanctuary

dippy

> is something of an understatement, and I would find it very hard to resist

> becoming involved if I lived so close by. I seem to remember that there

was

> a neutering fund set up last time I was there - certainly, as well as

> putting a handful of cash in the usual collection box I have a memory of

> giving her some money directly, following a conversation about neutering.

> As you say, ho hum. I shall look forward to further stories of your

> non-involvement

Er hmmm... took Kitty (black and white) back today for the vet run. Met the

lady who runs it again () and my non involvement now consists of

fostering two kittens and taking photos of them. (tabby and white) is

now sponsored by the english family who found her, and their little girl is

called . I imagine I will also write a little note about how she is

getting on and enclose a photo. I have a rather sneaky feeling I may

eventually be taking photos of all the cats for the records and my non

involvement may also go as far as to show how to use her digital camera

and how to transfer the pics onto her computer - she dropped some

non-too-subtle hints. But I should imagine my non-involvement will probably

include doing it for her.

Aaargh! As long as I doin't have to go down every day to muck out I'll be

fine. It was mighty hard not to stay today. Problem is I know if I do that

then a) we will always have at least 2 foster kittens, and I'll burn

myself out in 6 months.

And horror of horrors I found out today that they have a committee

.

If anyone wants to sponsor a kitten, let me know. Not that I'm getting

involved or anything.

Sue

[Guest guest]

We got our first cats from a cat sanctuary, back in 1973. It was also

run by a dippy lady - I think it goes with the territory!! She bred

pedigrees and took in strays. Two of our cats came from an old lady

who'd gone into care and so Miss Hathaway (Hathwaite? Its so long

ago!) had taken them all in. We went back the following week and took

a third cat, Butch. He had been there the longest and was really a

pretty unprepossessing animal. He was old, had thin fur that was oily

like a dog's, couldn't retract his claws, had permanent hay fever and

generally smelt like the inside of a dustbin. But he was a lovely

character, very friendly. We had him for around three years before he

died.

Lesley

-------------

From: Sieue

The Sanctuary itself is run by one lady, who relies on volunteers and

donations. The building are horrible and fly infested but they are

saving

money to build a new sanctuary in Fassouri (although to b honest the

lady

running it is dippy so I can't say when that will happen).

B

[Guest guest]

We got our first cats from a cat sanctuary, back in 1973. It was also

run by a dippy lady - I think it goes with the territory!! She bred

pedigrees and took in strays. Two of our cats came from an old lady

who'd gone into care and so Miss Hathaway (Hathwaite? Its so long

ago!) had taken them all in. We went back the following week and took

a third cat, Butch. He had been there the longest and was really a

pretty unprepossessing animal. He was old, had thin fur that was oily

like a dog's, couldn't retract his claws, had permanent hay fever and

generally smelt like the inside of a dustbin. But he was a lovely

character, very friendly. We had him for around three years before he

died.

Lesley

-------------

From: Sieue

The Sanctuary itself is run by one lady, who relies on volunteers and

donations. The building are horrible and fly infested but they are

saving

money to build a new sanctuary in Fassouri (although to b honest the

lady

running it is dippy so I can't say when that will happen).

B

[Guest guest]

Likewise will look forward to stories ... of non-involvement. I was

inspired by a friend who used to round up all the male cats in

Shurdington and have them neutered at her own expense before releasing

them, to take action when my cat was calling. She had various suitors

(but I did manage to arrange the marriage with the ginger by the

simple ploy of locking him into our house with her, not a lot of sleep

was had that night though, but she did have two kittens) one of which

looked very badly fed and hardly left our house for two weeks. I

carted him off to the RSPCA and did the kind thing. Wasn't able to

look after him for more than four days after collecting him so let him

out from his convalescence suite....a neighbour showed me some weeks

later a newspaper cutting about a woman who took her cat to the vet

for something, who then said that the cat was doing very well,

considering.....

But Micauber used to visit us periodically for years afterwards, so he

can't really have held much of a grudge....

Caro

PS My grandmother used to put out saucers of milk to keep up the

strength of her queen's suitors....

PPS If anyone hears of GINGER kittens please let me know!!! We are

collecting a kitten in two weeks and I want her to have a

companion....don't mind travelling....thanks....

[Guest guest]

Likewise will look forward to stories ... of non-involvement. I was

inspired by a friend who used to round up all the male cats in

Shurdington and have them neutered at her own expense before releasing

them, to take action when my cat was calling. She had various suitors

(but I did manage to arrange the marriage with the ginger by the

simple ploy of locking him into our house with her, not a lot of sleep

was had that night though, but she did have two kittens) one of which

looked very badly fed and hardly left our house for two weeks. I

carted him off to the RSPCA and did the kind thing. Wasn't able to

look after him for more than four days after collecting him so let him

out from his convalescence suite....a neighbour showed me some weeks

later a newspaper cutting about a woman who took her cat to the vet

for something, who then said that the cat was doing very well,

considering.....

But Micauber used to visit us periodically for years afterwards, so he

can't really have held much of a grudge....

Caro

PS My grandmother used to put out saucers of milk to keep up the

strength of her queen's suitors....

PPS If anyone hears of GINGER kittens please let me know!!! We are

collecting a kitten in two weeks and I want her to have a

companion....don't mind travelling....thanks....

[Guest guest]

DH says how much?

(Not that he ever gets involved or anything..)

Caro

>

> If anyone wants to sponsor a kitten, let me know. Not that I'm

getting

> involved or anything.

>

> Sue

[Guest guest]

DH says how much?

(Not that he ever gets involved or anything..)

Caro

>

> If anyone wants to sponsor a kitten, let me know. Not that I'm

getting

> involved or anything.

>

> Sue

[Guest guest]

Re: Kittens

> DH says how much?

> (Not that he ever gets involved or anything..)

> Caro

Oh good grief never thought anyone would take me up on it... ooooh shall I

find out? I think it is discretionary though. The cats get looked after

regardless, so any amount is gratefully received.

BTW the little black and white kitten aint so little any more. She was at

the vets today to have her eyedrops done (ew horrible manky eyes), and I

double checked with him about her large rotund stomach. Thinking it may be

worms we wormed her on Friday but has made absolutely no difference. He

sighed and after checking her over came to the conclusion that she's just

fat. Amazing considering three weeks ago she was a tiny scrap, covered in

nasty stuff and we weren't sure whether she was going to make it. She is

now twice the size of the other kitten and apart from her eyes jumping with

health. Must tell the vet to stop giving her vitamin injections - she looks

too well on it

Now if only I can get the other one gaining weight... she's perfectly

healthy but very thin, thinner than she was when she came to us. So she is

now on double rations of kitten food and kitten milk. Oh and by mistake she

had coco pops this morning (blame my Emma).

Ho hum. They are sleeping now, which I am very grateful for - the little

one was crying for cuddles all morning, but when you pick her up she insists

on sitting on my head. Not conducive for hoovering. Seperation anxiety I

think, after being seperated from the fat cat this morning.

I quite like not being involved in this.

Sue

oh and Kitty and say hi

[Guest guest]

Re: Kittens

> DH says how much?

> (Not that he ever gets involved or anything..)

> Caro

Oh good grief never thought anyone would take me up on it... ooooh shall I

find out? I think it is discretionary though. The cats get looked after

regardless, so any amount is gratefully received.

BTW the little black and white kitten aint so little any more. She was at

the vets today to have her eyedrops done (ew horrible manky eyes), and I

double checked with him about her large rotund stomach. Thinking it may be

worms we wormed her on Friday but has made absolutely no difference. He

sighed and after checking her over came to the conclusion that she's just

fat. Amazing considering three weeks ago she was a tiny scrap, covered in

nasty stuff and we weren't sure whether she was going to make it. She is

now twice the size of the other kitten and apart from her eyes jumping with

health. Must tell the vet to stop giving her vitamin injections - she looks

too well on it

Now if only I can get the other one gaining weight... she's perfectly

healthy but very thin, thinner than she was when she came to us. So she is

now on double rations of kitten food and kitten milk. Oh and by mistake she

had coco pops this morning (blame my Emma).

Ho hum. They are sleeping now, which I am very grateful for - the little

one was crying for cuddles all morning, but when you pick her up she insists

on sitting on my head. Not conducive for hoovering. Seperation anxiety I

think, after being seperated from the fat cat this morning.

I quite like not being involved in this.

Sue

oh and Kitty and say hi

[Guest guest]

LOL- I just had this wonderful image pop into my head

Yonks ago I used to work in a hotel and the resident cat would drape himself

around my neck like a black furry scarf when I was on reception or serving in

the bar

Caroline

Jersey

> ** Original Subject: Re: Kittens

> ** >

> Ho hum. They are sleeping now, which I am very grateful for - the little

> one was crying for cuddles all morning, but when you pick her up she insists

> on sitting on my head. Not conducive for hoovering. Seperation anxiety I

> think, after being seperated from the fat cat this morning.

>

> I quite like not being involved in this.

>

> Sue

> oh and Kitty and say hi

[Guest guest]

LOL- I just had this wonderful image pop into my head

Yonks ago I used to work in a hotel and the resident cat would drape himself

around my neck like a black furry scarf when I was on reception or serving in

the bar

Caroline

Jersey

> ** Original Subject: Re: Kittens

> ** >

> Ho hum. They are sleeping now, which I am very grateful for - the little

> one was crying for cuddles all morning, but when you pick her up she insists

> on sitting on my head. Not conducive for hoovering. Seperation anxiety I

> think, after being seperated from the fat cat this morning.

>

> I quite like not being involved in this.

>

> Sue

> oh and Kitty and say hi