By Danielle from Ark on the Edge (3rd December 2013)
Hi guys, Sorry it has taken me so long to write back to you all; but to say we have been busy is an understatement – we have had the biggest increase in cats coming into our care ever!! Just recently we had 2 mum cats Lily and Leah come to us after being left in a house when the owners moved. They also had 11 baby kittens; thankfully the new owners of the house helped look after the cats and babies until we could fit them in – our self styled nursery is certainly in use!!!
Blitzen, Comet, Dasher and Dancer
This is just four of them – little black and white at the top left is Blitzen – oh she is such a character; she runs for you when she hears you open the door and loves to fall asleep in the palm of your hand. The tabby is Comet (one of only 3 boys in the whole litters) next up is Dasher and Dancer and we think they could be longhaired as much fluffier than their siblings.
They are only just 4 weeks old but already have a taste for kitten food. Blitzen says:
“When I eats my kitten food, I like to sit in the whole bowl – I may spit a bit on the blanket or on my sister, but I’m still only lickle”.
Suzie and Mazie
We also had a breakthrough with another 2 cats called Suzie and Mazey: These 2 cats are only about 1 year old and were found dumped in a persons stable/shed. We haven’t been able to get near them for months and months but last week we had a breakthrough with the aid of catnip and dreamies (I swear the amount we go through I should buy shares in the company!) they will now come towards me and I can even touch Suzie; which if you valued your hand would have impossible a few months back – they didn’t even flinch when I got this close to take the picture of them.
Sorry about the wire in picture but this is the closet they came to me in months and didn’t want to push it by poking a camera through the wire – Mazey is mostly white and Suzie is the tabby. Sometimes, I think people may underestimate how much time, cats like Suzie and Mazey take up; I mean I could never dream about rehoming these two until they are comfortable around people; I just hope that there is that special someone out there, who can also help them regain their faith in human beings again as they so desperately do want to be your friend. Finally, I’ll share a special story with you about a cat called Tabitha.
Tabitha
Tabitha was living rough in a lady’s garden for approximately 2 years, she was petrified of people apart from the lady who fed her. She also had a friend called Tom, and 4 little kittens. Well one day, someone came and took Tom away to another centre, but left Tabitha and her babies behind. The lady who looked after them was in poor health and didn’t want Tabitha and her babies to be left if anything happened to her. We instantly wanted to help but knew it wouldn’t be easy – you see Tabitha had never known human kindness, except from this one lady and her 4 kittens had turned completely feral.
We collected Tabitha and instantly realised she was again heavily pregnant, so we put her up in the warm and quiet cattery away from everyone else, her four babies we arranged for them be neutered, chipped etc and one of our volunteers offered them a home; she lived in the middle of nowhere and they could simply come and go as they pleased. Tabitha on the other hand was NOT feral, so we worked slowly trying to build her trust up in us for when she gave birth – this was not easy and she still didn’t completely trust us.
Tabitha gave birth to 7 kittens at the beginning of October, but sadly, one after the other 4 of them died, we would sit for hours beside Tabitha and the babies helping her to nurse them but in the end it was too much for them and she lost 4 of her children. However, this is where the story turns, you see I don’t know whether Tabitha realised we were fighting just as hard to save her babies as she was and she began to trust us – no more running away and hiding and even let us pick her up and would purr when we touched her. She managed to raise 3 of her babies to 9 weeks old with no trouble whatsoever and because they had fought from day one we felt they deserve god like names – so we had Ares, Artemis and Athena.
Ares and Athena are ready to go to their new home in a week or so; but Tabitha and her remaining daughter are still waiting for the right family to come along. People look at Tabitha and often says she looks sad; If you had had Tabitha’s life up until now – I think you would have some shadows in your eyes.
But I know that the right person will come along for Tabitha and give her the life that she has always deserved – but until then – she will always have me! This is just a couple of stories I wanted to share with you all that has happened recently. So guys, please keep supporting your local animal rescue organisations because without kind people such as yourselves we would not be able to help cats like Tabitha, her 4 original babies, and her 3 new ones, the 2 mums and their 11 kittens and the many more that come into our care.
Thank you
Danielle
Xxxx
And MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Such a lovely article and photos, thank you Danielle, I do love reading your stories.
I hope Tabitha finds a wonderful forever home with someone who will love and care for her as she deserves to be and that the kittens get good homes too.
It must break your heart at times doing this rescue work, it touches mine just reading about it! x
It was really interesting to read the stories of all these cats and kittens that have ended up in your care, if they did but know it was their lucky day. I hope they all end up with loving homes and a fireplace of their own, and before Christmas would be nice.
Same here xx
Hi Danielle. Thanks a lot for updating us and taking the time to write it. Excellent article. No need to apologise. I enjoyed reading it a lot.
These are adorable cats. I shouldn’t favour any individual cat but Blitzen has stolen my heart ;)!
You gave her a great name too. Comet has a superb tabby coat which is half way between spotted and mackerel (stripes). Very distinct markings almost like a Bengal cat.
And Tabitha. Oh, what great work you did! There is always a silver lining. As you say she learnt to trust you through the tough days of trying to save and losing four kittens.
Blitzen is superb lol such a little character already she is going to be a funny little character
Tabitha broke my heart with what she went through I’m just hoping someone will give her achance xxx
Comet has a twin sister as well
Comet is beautiful – they all are, Tabitha’s babies are stunning too. Sounds like you are doing so many good things for these cats – THANK you!