An update is long overdue. I have been away in the UK for 2 weeks, with at times patchy internet access, and this week my priority has been getting the cats sorted over updating my blog. However I hope to be back on track soon, as I have lots of great photos to post and updates from the last transport of cats to Germany.
On October 8th Mimi & Luki, Lutz, Snoopy & Luke, Goldie and Gizmo all travelled to new homes in Germany, along with 3 of the cats that we were looking after from the dog sanctuary (protectora). Reports on all of them are great and I have already posted pictures of Lutz and of Mimi & Luki in their news homes. Please search or click on their names in the Tag cloud for more about each of these Almerimar cats.
The last week, since I have been back in Spain, has been extremely busy as we are getting ready for transports to Germany next week and in November and hopefully December.
Yesterday Pam and I were at the dog sanctuary with vet Miguel and 7 of our cats for various vaccinations and one sterilisation. All went fine but we have decided that 5 cat boxes in one go is too many, particularly as we have to run the gauntlet of the dogs who show a very unhealthy interest in the contents of our boxes. Poor Elka who works up there carried the boxes through individually and became so hassled by the dogs jumping at one point that she dropped Britta and babes! Thankfully the box stayed shut and disaster was averted!!!
Next week will be another busy one, so look out for the re-start of my phlogs for regular updates from Monday.
We have slightly extended our work recently in partnership with the animal protectora. Jos runs it principally as a dog rescue, but recently more and more cats and kittens have also been left there. As there are no proper facilities for cats, they end up in small cages in the surgery room while Jos, Lisa and Karin try to find homes for them. Jos and his vet Miguel are a huge part of what we already do, providing at cost veterinary treatment for me, and transport for our cats to Germany. We however are much better able to foster and find homes for abandoned cats, so I am trying to reciprocate effort and take as many of their cats as possible.
This puts further strain on our foster homes, but as most of these cats are from homes and are lovely tame creatures, it is also very rewarding. It also make our relationship with Jos and the protectora much more of a partnership which I like, so we will continue to do all we can. Little Elsa, who will feature on the blog on Monday, is our latest rescue from Jos, and I think you will understand why we couldn’t leave her up there all on her own!
Meanwhile on the fund-raising front, look out for posters from Monday. Saturday 31st is the next booksale, and as Pam tells me her customers are always asking her where the money goes and what we have achieved, I thought I’d give a quick update on Almerimar Strays’s success since we started about 18 months ago.
To date we have found homes for 62 cats and kittens, 11 locally and 51 in Germany. 2 of them are still waiting for a permanent home, but they are enjoying life with their foster mum, and who knows, maybe she will decide to keep them in the end.
In addition we have sterilised 6 other cats and 3 dogs, and have rescued another 4 dogs, the last not being too shabby for a group of cat lovers. SO I’m already up to 75 animals helped, and that is without counting the 17 additional cats and kittens that we are currently fostering, which brings it up to 92!!! I am even impressing myself here. It is a lot of work but I for one love it, and to anyone who still thinks that we are not making a difference to the overall problem, then I would say: check out the happy re-homed faces on the success page on this blog.
To each of those lovely cats we HAVE made a huge difference, and we will continue to do so for as many others as we can. SO please support the book sale next weekend, and if anyone thinks they could help with fostering, I would love to hear from you.
For more background and information about our work, please read the Al Strays 2009 article at the top of the home page. Thank you for your support so far!!!
On my rounds feeding the stray cats in the Port this morning I was pleased to see that the little grey female from by the Nautico was doing very well after her operation on Friday. She spent a ‘recovery’ night in Erica’s flat and they judged her well enough to be released yesterday afternoon. Her 2 tabby kittens were with her this morning and they will be picked up this week and neutered.That just leaves big daddy tabby to be captured and snipped – he will prove difficult as I have never been able to get near to him but hopefully greed with entice him into the catch cage.!!
So that is yet another female spayed and no more kittens around the Nautico.
Impressive numbers!