Kitten found on roadside stole heart of Cats Protection fosterer

Vicky is a fosterer for Wear Valley and Darlington Cats Protection. She writes the following on her website:

I would not change it for the world, but what I would love to see change is people’s attitudes… towards cruelty, towards neglect, towards abandonment and towards NEUTERING.

Saeko. Photo by Vicky

Neglect, neutering and abandonment are big issues in the cat world. I have just written about the laws bringing about change to cat ownership in Tasmania (the country where Maggie lives, a former PoCer).

Those laws are about attempts to reduce abandonment and increase neutering and responsible cat ownership.

Vicky’s experiences highlight the problem areas of cat management across the globe. They are the same problems wherever you are.

Vicky has been busy these past two years fostering cats for Cats Protection. She has cared for a good number of cats, indicating the scale of the problem. She has quite a fancy facility at home (I presume she fosters from her home). She has two enclosures, I think you might call them that. Vicky calls them “pens”.

Always of interest to me is how hard it might be to rehome a cat that you have fostered and so it happened to Vicky when she cared for a starving, dehydrated, tabby kitten who was found by the roadside – a bypass. It is probably a busy road.

Marion cared for her the first night….You’ll hear the soothing, friendly, cat-loving voice of Marion in the video…

Then Vicky took over. At first, there was a chance this kitten would not survive. Vicky writes:

She had to be given fluids and nutri cal every few hours and was very scared and tired…

Well, she survived and thrived thanks to Marion and Vicky. When adoption time came around as it inevitably does, Vicky discovered she could not do it. She had lost her heart to this kitten while saving her life and nurturing her to full-health. Vicky named her Saeko.

Associated page: Chester! He’s famous. The link goes to a search results page on the topic of “Chester” who was abuse by kids and saved by Marion at Cats Protection.

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Comments

Kitten found on roadside stole heart of Cats Protection fosterer — 33 Comments

Barbara on September 30, 2013 at 2:43 pm said:
oh Saeko is gorgeous, I love the close up one of her little face and little brown nose I’m so glad she found a loving home with you Vicky, I love Cats Protection, I love the way every cat is equal no matter where they come from or what problems they have to face.
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- Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 2:50 pm said:
  I love being a part of this branch, Marion is a fantastic co-ordinator and has taught me a lot. I will get some pics of my newest foster for you all. Mum and four kittens, irresponsible owners again who had help from us on more than one occasion yet this poor girl still ended up pregnant again 🙁
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  - Michael on September 30, 2013 at 5:09 pm said:
    I don’t know Marion but she seems to be an “earth mother”.
    Reply ↓
Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 1:33 pm said:
This is her the day Marion brought her here wrapped in a towel getting warmth from me, this is my favourite pic of her and the instant I fell in love with her.
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- Ruth aka Kattaddorra on September 30, 2013 at 1:36 pm said:
  What a lovely photo 🙂
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- Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:07 pm said:
  Sweet, charming and pretty female cat. Large eyes. Beautiful tabby coat. I can see how you lost your heart. That said you are susceptible to losing your heart to a cat 😉 Because you care.
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  - Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 2:26 pm said:
    She is a total sweetheart, BUT still has moments when she remembers her feral roots and acts completely crazy.
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    - Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:34 pm said:
      Cats are cats and she’ll probably never lose that – perhaps when she is old and tired she will. There always a “degree of separation” between the domestic cat and the human (who is also domestic ;))
      Degree of separation = different species. We can never escape that and we should love it actually. It is what makes the relationship interesting and what it is.
      Reply ↓
      - Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 2:41 pm said:
        Marion thinks that because of where she was found she likely comes from a long generation of ferals, I love that side of her to be honest. I do have a feral that lives in my garden shed, Will Feral, he was relocated her from a feral colony, but after a year of me feeding him and being patient he is now Will not so Feral with me, comes to me for affection now.
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        Dee (Florida) on September 30, 2013 at 3:33 pm said:
        Darling little baby girl!
        Any tiered feral is the best in my book.
        My tiers are semi-feral, feral, true feral.
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        Michael on September 30, 2013 at 5:06 pm said:
        Nice thought. You like the feral side because it is raw cat, the true cat. I understand that. I am the same.
        It is very pleasurable too, to make friends with a feral cat. To gain trust. It is like connecting with the wild.
        Reply ↓
Ruth aka Kattaddorra on September 30, 2013 at 1:25 pm said:
Saeko is gorgeous! I do admire Marion and Vicky and the other CP fosterers, it’s something Babz and I would have loved to do but haven’t been able to with living in rented property and only on 6 month leases at a time, so we have to content ourselves helping in other ways.
I think I’d find it very hard to part with any cat or kitten though so maybe it’s just as well lol
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Marion on September 30, 2013 at 12:49 pm said:
http://youtu.be/th9hGYrONHg she was hungry ;-0
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Marion on September 30, 2013 at 12:48 pm said:
oh I remember that little one I had to get her our of here quick smart else wouldn’t have been able to part with her either 🙂
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- Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 12:56 pm said:
  Haha yes I remember how misty eyed you were when you brought her here.
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Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 12:43 pm said:
Thank you Marc, she really is a lovely cat. There was no way I could have ever parted with her, I did intend to but once the time came I couldn’t do it.
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- Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:21 pm said:
  Vicky, can you post a picture of yourself in a comment? I’d like to put a face to the good work.
  Reply ↓
  - Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 2:25 pm said:
    One of my rare profile pics of myself from FB, I prefer pictures of cats haha.
    Reply ↓
    - Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:30 pm said:
      Great, Vicky. You’re an attractive woman and a kind woman. Top notch. Thanks for having the courage to do that.
      Reply ↓
- Marc on September 30, 2013 at 3:31 pm said:
  Wow Vicky I’m dead jealous of your setup. Where I live there isn’t much use for me since there aren’t really any stray cats around to begin with. I wish I could foster and take care of cats who need it – all the time! I’d give up my job anyday for full time cat work/care 🙂
  It must be hard giving them away when the time comes. I know that I find it really hard to say goodbye to kittens I’ve gotten to know over time. But I have never fostered or anything and I think it would be the hardest part for me.
  You gave her a really nice name. She must be wonderful to spend time with 🙂
  Reply ↓
  - Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 6:48 pm said:
    It is hard to say goodbye, especially to cats you have been fostering for a while, or to kittens you have had born in your care, but knowing cats are going to good homes when they have very often had terrible starts in life or have been abandoned or neglected by their owners makes it easier.
    Reply ↓
    - Marc on October 1, 2013 at 11:11 am said:
      Yeah I can imagine – but I can also imagine myself worrying about how they will be looked after and if the new owners will do a good job. I ‘tend’ to kittens every year – 2 litters a year from 2 cats – so 4 in total – and I get very attached and sometimes worried about the people adopting them. They aren’t my kittens so its not my place to make rules. I just bring them proper food and try to help without intruding – i mainly spend time with them andplay with them alot of bring them toys and food – the owner only gives them dry food and the mum cats get so thin so I bring them good wet food and they munch it down right away. But when it comes time for them to go I know they won’t have me to bring them the things they love and sometimes I just don’t like the adopters so I have to just deal with it.
      But a home is always better than no home or a bad home – so in that sense its all good obviously. It’s perfect you could keep Saeko. I am sure I would have done the same 🙂 – now she will never have to face the unknown again and she will always have you and thats as good as it can be for her I reckon.
      Reply ↓
Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 12:39 pm said:
The outside of one of the single pens.
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- Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:10 pm said:
  I am totally in awe of your set up. It looks very professional. I didn’t realise how professional and organised Cats Protection fosterers are.
  I thought they just had a couple of cats in the house. Are you an exception (to the average fosterer) or are you the standard for a Cats Protection fosterer.
  Reply ↓
  - Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 2:23 pm said:
    Some foster in a spare room in their home, but they have to adhere to Cats Protection rules regarding the room, while some like me and the other fosterers at Wear Valley and Darlington have pens like these ones. They are connected to the electricity supply too, so have lighting and wall heaters in the “bedroom” areas.
    Reply ↓
    - Michael on September 30, 2013 at 4:58 pm said:
      What can I say except that I am impressed. Very impressed. The more I know and understand about Cats Protection the more impressed I am. Thanks for the information, Vicky.
      Reply ↓
Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 12:37 pm said:
This is one of my cat pens, taken when I first started fostering, will post a pic of the outside. I do have two now, there are double pens that fosterers can get, but I got the second single one when another of our fosterers left the branch as she was moving to a different part of the country.
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Marc on September 30, 2013 at 12:34 pm said:
These stories always make me happy – for the fosterer but mainly for the cat/kitten involved. A cat who comes from a very hard situation and is saved by somebody and fostered by them – is going to have the easier time staying with the first person they learned to trust – their fosterer. There’s something so ideal if the fosterer can keep the cat. Obviously this is impossible except on rare occasions such as this. I’m so happy for the little one who now won’t have to move to another home and go through all kinds of fear again of strange new people and things. It’s ideal for Saeko to stay right where she is. She’s a beautiful little one isn’t she.
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- Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:15 pm said:
  I am totally on your wavelength here. The single story of a kitten saved from disease, discomfort and death to health and happiness, loved by a carer is worth so much. It is a beautiful event. Positive and constructive. There is bags of love, kindness and caring. It is almost the antithesis of what we often read about in the newspapers. It makes me feel better. It represents what life should be like.
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Ruth (Monty's Mom) on September 30, 2013 at 11:41 am said:
I love that little meow!
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- Vicky on September 30, 2013 at 1:30 pm said:
  Her meow is still tiny, and she rarely uses it 🙂
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- Michael on September 30, 2013 at 2:28 pm said:
  I love the little meow, Marion’s northern accent that oozes tenderness and practicality and my heart melts at the vulnerability of this lost and found little kitten.
  Reply ↓
- Marc on September 30, 2013 at 3:16 pm said:
  Me too 🙂 – what a sweet kitten – she doesn’t look to scared all things considered.
  Reply ↓

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Kitten found on roadside stole heart of Cats Protection fosterer

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Kitten found on roadside stole heart of Cats Protection fosterer — 33 Comments

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