Again I seem to have neglected my blog a little, as I have been SO busy on email arranging rescues and homes for more stray cats, sorting vet visits and this week fundraising! It is definitely time for another update.
Through this blog and my articles in the Euro Weekly News I have been found and contacted be several people in recent weeks from the Albox area some 40 mins from Mojacar for help with litters, and thankfully, as the PAWs cattery is completely full, by one fantastic new foster mum. In addition another couple with 6 kittens in their garden are happy to work with me to re-home them, and also to host a mobile vet clinic in their home. I have spoken to the vet, who will return to Spain from the UK in September, and it seems that AlStrays now has a satellite rescue team coming together close to Albox.
The mother and 3 kittens (pictured below) recently rescued near Albox are doing well and slowly becoming more tame. Mother cat is about to give birth again, and we have decided, because her time is so close, to let her do this. Foster Mum Tracy has room for them all and is happy to look after them, so AlStrays is about to have its first newborns! For this young mother it is her second litter in a short time, and highlights the tough life for the female, unsterilised stray. At least for this lovely cat, we will be able to stop this dreadful cycle. Once her new babies are weaned, she will be spayed and re-homed with loving parents.
I was in Mojacar on Tuesday helping out with the monthly booksale, which was also a great opportunity for me to meet Tracy and Tina from the Albox area. I was also discussing the need to try and extend our sterilisation programs for the feral females, and have subsequently written an article for Thursday’s Euro Weekly News about how much we need more help and support in achieving this.
I was contacted at the end of last week, but another distraught English lady who has been feeding a young female in her garden for months, and must now leave her and her young kittens to fend for themselves, when she urgently returns to the UK at the end of August. I am trying to find a foster home to take in these lovely tame cats, but can’t help feeling that if I had been in a position to help a few months earlier, I would only be looking for a home for one small female cat! We must somehow all work together to stop the strays who are being fed from continuing to breed. Food and sterilisation must go hand in hand.
Overall we need more people to get involved in sterilisation programs, fostering and fund-raising.
On a more positive note, I have now found a temporary foster home for the beautiful Turre litter pictured and will be collecting them on Wednesday morning, and Tracy from near Albox was also able to help a tiny ginger kitten that a kind man had rescued from the road. This lucky little chap has already got his forever home, as Tracy and her family have decide to adopt him!
Thursday was a busy trip to vet Miguel for me as, along with more injections for our current foster cats and kittens, I met up with Jean from Berja to start the vaccinations for her litter of 4, who are now on my list for re-homing in Germany.
This last week Chris and I also started the AlStrays book libraries in 5 English bars here in Almerimar (Ankara, CK Lounge, Stumble Inn, Marios & Mac Gowans), and I am hoping that this idea may also later work in the Mojacar area. Books can be borrowed for 50c and then returned to any of the participating bars. The idea is to compliment the bigger regular booksales, by making books available, particularly to holiday makers, at virtually any time, whilst maintaining a small ongoing income for AlStrays.
This next week also looks busy for me as, in addition to collecting the Turre litter, I have a beautiful Siamese and her 3 kittens to re-locate, as their foster Mum is also about to leave Spain. We are still waiting for a definite transport date to get lots of our cats to Germany, many of whom have been ready to travel for some weeks and have adoptants waiting for them in Germany.
Amazingly I am still asked if these adoptants are actually for real, and if I really believe that the girls in Germany are finding homes for our cats. Personally I trust Martina, Kerstin and the other girls completely, and continue to get fantastic feedback and photos of our adoptees. Just this week I have received new photos of 4 of our adopted cats in their new homes.
The latest fantastic news is of beautiful siam-mixJulio pictured with his new best buddy Elvis:
“here is the picture you want to see i´m sure ;o) elvis and julio in love !! it took a little time but now they are best friends !! julio loves people too ! no matther who is there : he is sitting on the knees all the time….only children he do not like..but his parents are totaly in love !! he is sleeping in the bed from the first day on ;o)
xxx martina”
AND closer to home: We have a new baby kitten, Calista, whom I pulled out from under a car a week ago today. She is tame and sweet and is doing really well with foster Mum Erika.
AND finally, the little semi-feral kitten that Jenny and I caught outside Carrefour a couple of weeks ago, will now take treats from Erika’s hand and let her touch his paws. He is learning to trust people fast, and in 2 more weeks will be ready to start his vaccinations program. I am happy that I was able to rescue him.
Once again thank you to everyone who is helping AlStrays in any way. I really appreciate all you efforts, and so do the cats and kittens. We continue to make a big difference.
Julio & Elvis
The Turre Litter
The Albox Litter
The Albox Mother