4 cats in Kiltimagh need homes

There are four cats in Kiltimagh who need homes.  One is a gorgeous tortie girl, mainly black with a ginger patch under her chin and a small bit of white also.  I'd say she's tame, she meowed at me today when I was there. There's a black and white large tom cat and a black kitten, about five months old, and another cat who I didn't see. I couldn't say how tame they are, they kept their distance. 

Their elderly owners are in and out of hospital and want them gone asap.  Unfortunately they wouldn't let me bring the cats to the vet today for neutering as I was planning to return them tomorrow, as I haven't space right now for four more cats, though I explained I'd look for homes for them.  The cats look healthy and well fed. 

Two tabby sister cats go to Tralee

On Sunday I spent the day travelling to and from Tralee delivering two tabby sister cats to their new home.  That's them in the video along with their sister who is still here waiting for a home.

They've gone to live in the countryside and have a shed to call their own.  They're not fully tame, though one would eat from my hand, so I gave the new owner all my info on taming shy/fearful/feral cats and the food I use and hopefully she'll continue the work.  It's always good if a shy/fearful/feral cat can be tamed to the point where they'll let you pet and lift them up.  That way, putting a spot-on to treat them for fleas on a regular basis is a simple job. Also if they're unlucky enough to be injured or become ill, it's easy enough to get them into a carrier. It's true that feral cats can be trapped but they do eventually become trap smart and wont go anywhere near a trap and of course de-fleaing a feral is out of the question.  

So that's two more gone, I have to admit I miss them and so does their sister who's alone in the chalet now and "talking" a lot more when she sees me.  She's taming nicely so I'm hoping she'll become tame enough to home as a pet.  

Info on taming shy/fearful cats

Best Friends Animal Society is an organisation in Utah who have fantastic info on "Socialising very shy or fearful cats," download it from here:  http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/CatSocialization.pdf

Milly settles into her new home

Milly, rehomed last week, is settling into her new home very well. Her new owner phoned yesterday with an update to say she is doing great, making herself at home, sleeping on the bed, etc.  She hasn't met the dog yet, he's going to wait til she's fully settled and then use the dog pen to introduce them.  He's also considering getting a harness for her so he can take her for walks, not to mention bring her for weekends away in his camper van, sounds like she's going to have an exciting life, go Milly!

Injured cat in Achill needs a home.

Cat with injured leg in Achill found two days ago, she's going to the vet today, thin, she needs a home. Can anyone help?

Kitten needs help, home or foster.

Half grown white/ginger/black kitten needs a home or foster urgently, just been found in a garage in Newport, lady thought she had a rat in her garage! She's allergic to cats, her 3 children have asthma, she wants it OFF HER PROPERTY THIS EVENING!!! She has fed it, can anyone help with this poor feline?

7/8 cats on Galway/Roscommon border need help.

There are 7/8 cats on the Galway/Roscommon border who need help. I really wish I could take them but I am over-run with cats at the moment. Their elderly owner is hospitalised and very ill. Apparently the cats are not in great shape themselves, though there is someone going to the house on a regular basis to feed them. Some of the cats may have been ill/neglected for some time. I am happy to call to the house, collect the cats, bring them to a vet, have them health checked, spayed/neutered, wormed, antibiotics, operations, whatever they need, I just don't have the space to bring them here afterwards. Is there anyone in Mayo/Galway/Roscommon who could offer a home to one or two. There HAS to be people out there who have a shed who could take a couple of cats, come on people, lets help these poor creatures who sound like they could do with some TLC.

This cat is missing from Castlebar.

Any info, please contact us, her owner is desperate to have her back.

Have you seen this cat? He's missing.

The gorgeous cat is missing from the Foxford area since Sunday, March 21st.  Have you seen him, his owner would love to have him back.  Let us know.

Please microchip your cats!

Looking at all the rescue websites around the country and seeing so many lost and found cats (and dogs), wouldn't it all be so much simpler if everyone MICROCHIPPED their pets!!! Then when a cat is found, a simple scan shows up the chip number, a quick phone call and viola, owner and cat reunited in mere minutes.  It would certainly help hugely in many cases, I believe.

Instead we have a situation where a rescue takes in a friendly, healthy cat, does it best to find its owner via websites, local radio, etc and when no owner is found, spends time and effort finding a new home for it. Rescue personnel spend hundreds of man hours every year finding new homes for cats that already have a home out there somewhere if only it could be found. I'm sure the cat would prefer, in most cases, to be back home in its familiar bed, getting its favourite food, and surrounded by its loving owners instead of going to a new home. However nice that new home might be, it is still a strange new environment with a new bed, new food, new owners and a whole new set of routines to learn.

In the meantime the previous owners are probably getting a new cat to replace the lost one which is great but wouldn't it make more sense to get the lost one back?  A simple microchip solves this whole situation, yet microchipping is in its infancy in Ireland.  Vets or Rescues don't seem to push it and the public are very much guided by what rescues and vets do, suggest and recommend.

So let's go for it!   Please, please, please microchip your cats.  And if you find a stray/injured/lost cat, bring it to your local vet to have it scanned.  There may be a frantic owner trying to find it.

How to tame feral kittens/cats

So many people have feral kittens or cats and want advice on taming them so here it is, how to tame feral kittens or cats (some adult feral cats never tame or take months, sometimes years but it's no harm to try.).

First, confine the kittens/cats somewhere.  A shed/bathroom, or large dog pen. The dog pen above shows the typical layout for kits-in-taming.  Have bedding, litter trays, toys in the shed/bathroom/dog pen and feed as normal morning and evening.  The importance of confining is so that the kittens/cats can't run away from you, though it is essential they have somewhere to hide such as cardboard boxes. Out in the open they have the space to run from you, the idea is to get them to run towards you.  How to do that?  Treats!  

Begin with bits of cooked chicken, fish, meat and for the first few days, just throw it in their general direction.  Throw it towards them and then walk away, don't wait around to see if they come to it or eat it,  just leave them to it.  Do this once a day until they begin to tentatively come towards you when they see you coming. 

At this point, you switch to a different type of food.  Tesco's tuna in mayonnaise fish paste or chicken paste or Primula cheese spread in the tube (also at Tesco's) are all fantastic, cats seem to love them!  At this point also, you begin to sit on the floor of the shed or bathroom, legs stretched out in front of you or crouch at the door of the dogpen.  Scoop out some fish/chicken paste with a teaspoon, throw some in the direction of the kittens, leave some on the spoon and place it a bit away from you, then stay perfectly still, make very little eye contact (cats perceive prolonged eye contact as a threat), just glance occasionally and wait.  No matter how close the kittens/cats get, DO NOT reach out to touch them or they will run away.  You MUST have patience. Throw the fish/chicken paste/cheese spread to them a few times during each session. You may find that one cat is more confident than the others and comes closer to you, great!  Let them lick the paste off the spoon while you hold it in your hand. 

Follow this routine for a few days/week, then try putting some paste/spread on each of your fingertips, stretch out your hand, rest it on the floor, fingers splayed and stay still.  Let the cats come and lick the paste/spread off your fingertips.  Usually if one does it, the rest will follow. Again DO NOT try to touch them, it's way too soon.  And only make brief eye contact.  You'll see yourself they'll back away if you look at them too much.  So keep it to a minimum for now, you can build this up later.  Repeat putting the paste/spread on your fingertips and reaching out your hand to them a few times per session. You may find at this point the kittens become curious and start sniffing your shoes/clothes, this is great!  They may start playing with your shoes, let them.  The more you stay still the more they will approach to investigate you which is the object of the exercise.

After a few days/week, bring your hand with the paste/spread on the fingertips nearer to your lap while you're sitting, you may find they begin clamouring across you legs to get at the food, this is great.  It shows they are getting comfortable being close to you.  Eventually rest your hand on your lap with the food in it and while the most confident cat is eating, try stroking it gently down its back with your other hand.  Hopefully it won't jump away, if it does, then keep going with the eating out of your hand and try physical contact again a few days later. Stick with it, even if it takes a couple of weeks or longer. Some days it may seem like two steps back, one step forward but don't give up. Eventually you will be able to stroke the cats while they eat from your hand. Introduce more eye contact at this point, but don't stare. 

It's soooo tempting at this stage to try to grab them for a cuddle, but it is too soon. At this point, let them dictate the pace, you will find as they become more used to being stroked and petted down the back, they begin nudging your shoes or legs with their heads and eventually will nudge your hand.  Or they may sit on your legs.  It's all progress! At this point, incorporate physical contact, stroking, petting at feeding times morning and evening and when emptying the litter tray so they don't just associate it with treats. 

At some point when you feel they are totally relaxed with being petted, try lifting one cat up slightly off the ground for a second and immediately leave them back down again. Give them a treat.  The next day lift up a little higher and for a little longer. Reward with a treat. Progress slowly with this, they must feel comfortable, if they are wriggling to get free, you are moving too fast. Go back a few steps.

And then one day, you will be able to lift them up, hold them close and give them the cuddle you've been waiting to give them for a long time.  And yes, it's worth the wait!  All the work and patience is so worth it.  

To summarise:  Confine.  Use treats.  Brief eye contact.  Take it slowly. Resist the urge to touch too soon.  Have patience.  Don't give up. Enjoy the success!   

One more to a new home!

Milly, a lovely cat belonging to a friend who for health reasons can no longer care for her, went to her new home today.  Milly was born in 2000 so a millennium cat, hence her name and so 10 years old.  It is so difficult to find homes for older cats. 80% of the people who call want kittens, it's such a shame when there are so many gorgeous fabulous cats of all ages looking for homes who would be the most loving pets.  But really anything over 2 years old and it's a struggle.  Of course people want a cat who will live for years but there's no guarantee with cats and kittens of any age.  I've rehomed young kittens who've got killed on the road after a few months.

So when a man phoned looking for a cat and said the famous words: "I don't care what age it is." Well, I did a little dance and thought of Milly immediately. So off she went today to a lovely home in the countryside to one adoring owner. The only question mark is whether she and the dog-next-door will get on but we're doing all we can to ensure that they will.  They'll be introduced via a dog pen over a period of time so fingers crossed all goes well.