Yesterday, both my fostered cats were to be either released back into the wild or rehomed and I was looking forward to finally giving their living quarters a thoroughly good clean out. But no sooner had I started to empty the first litter box the telephone rang and I was told that a pregnant cat which had been roaming the streets for some time, had finally been caught and was on its way to me. I told the driver to drive slowly as my other cat was not due to be collected for another 30 minutes and so it happened that I only had 10 minutes to clear up after the one guest left and the next one arrived.
Actually, I was quite happy to have a pregnant cat again. TNR is all very well but one doesn't have much time to get to know these unfortunate creatures and sometimes it breaks my heart to see cats, which quite obviously could be domesticated if only one had at least 6 months to spend on each individual, released to fend for themselves.
But now I have a different problem. At the moment we refer to our new guest as "Palette". We live in Germany so this is pronounced "Paletta" which doesn't sound quite as harsh as the English pronunciation. She is a rather messy tricolour, hence the reference to an artist's palette. She could be quite attractive if only her ears were not torn, one eye was not injured and her tail had not been cut off quite short. She is a bit timid but not an unfriendly cat. Unfortunately, one doesn`t feel like touching her, a dirty cat with ugly injuries. I think she senses this, feels insecure and her ears go back though she hasn't hurt anyone yet. The best vet in town is on holiday and although the other veterinaries are good for routine matters, the Cat Rescue would rather wait and not risk a faulty diagnosis or treatment. Palette has been walking around in this condition for several weeks and, although her tail Looks dreadful, it is obviously not a new injury. She sneezed this morning so her eye condition could be made worse by cat flu.
I spent this evening with her - putting blankets on the floor in the cellar in the corners where she seems to like to sit. Although, we do not expect an imminent birth, she already has a washing basket, under a desk, as a possible birthing box. Tomorrow, I will add another one under the shelves. She is an active kitty - plays with the cat-toys - has already lost 2 table-tennis balls; eats well.
It's such a shame that her appearance is so off-putting. Next week, I'll take her to the vet and perhaps I'll find out a bit more about the causes of her injuries and if anything can be done. Hopefully, her kittens will be healthy. Wish us luck and ideas for a better name than Palette will be appreciated (but nothing derogatory - like Stumpy - she deserves something better after her ordeals).
Actually, I was quite happy to have a pregnant cat again. TNR is all very well but one doesn't have much time to get to know these unfortunate creatures and sometimes it breaks my heart to see cats, which quite obviously could be domesticated if only one had at least 6 months to spend on each individual, released to fend for themselves.
But now I have a different problem. At the moment we refer to our new guest as "Palette". We live in Germany so this is pronounced "Paletta" which doesn't sound quite as harsh as the English pronunciation. She is a rather messy tricolour, hence the reference to an artist's palette. She could be quite attractive if only her ears were not torn, one eye was not injured and her tail had not been cut off quite short. She is a bit timid but not an unfriendly cat. Unfortunately, one doesn`t feel like touching her, a dirty cat with ugly injuries. I think she senses this, feels insecure and her ears go back though she hasn't hurt anyone yet. The best vet in town is on holiday and although the other veterinaries are good for routine matters, the Cat Rescue would rather wait and not risk a faulty diagnosis or treatment. Palette has been walking around in this condition for several weeks and, although her tail Looks dreadful, it is obviously not a new injury. She sneezed this morning so her eye condition could be made worse by cat flu.
I spent this evening with her - putting blankets on the floor in the cellar in the corners where she seems to like to sit. Although, we do not expect an imminent birth, she already has a washing basket, under a desk, as a possible birthing box. Tomorrow, I will add another one under the shelves. She is an active kitty - plays with the cat-toys - has already lost 2 table-tennis balls; eats well.
It's such a shame that her appearance is so off-putting. Next week, I'll take her to the vet and perhaps I'll find out a bit more about the causes of her injuries and if anything can be done. Hopefully, her kittens will be healthy. Wish us luck and ideas for a better name than Palette will be appreciated (but nothing derogatory - like Stumpy - she deserves something better after her ordeals).