Saturday 9 April 2011

A-Z blogging challenge "H" - Haven (The Cat)



Okay, so The Cat Haven in Perth (well, specifically in Shenton Park) is one of my favourite places in the city. It describes itself as "the last place of refuge for homeless, lost and abused cats", and as a cat lover it is definitely all about a cause I can get behind. My favourite thing about the Cat Haven is that a person can volunteer to foster cats and/or kittens. I first fostered kittens back in 2008, when I got a mother and her five babies. The babies were barely three weeks old and had only just opened their eyes. The mother cat was amazingly purry and affectionate - clearly desperate for lurve. She was skin and bones, so I fed her up till she put on weight. It was a delight watching the kittens learn to do all those grown-up cat things, like hiss, do grown-up poos and wees in the litter box, and wash themselves without falling over.





I wound up keeping the mother, because it had been months without contact from the Cat Haven (it was their insanely busy period, so I forgive them).

Last year I fostered some more kitties, this time requesting that I not be given a mother. In case I kept her too. Hehe. I got five "flower pot kids" who had spent their first few weeks living in a flower pot, in the soil and their own excrement. As a result, they were dirty (in spite of many baths, their fur was still stained) and their back leg muscles hadn't developed properly - they'd just been sitting still, piled on top of each other in the pot. So my instructions were to give them lots of playtime. Tough job, but someone's gotta do it, right?

The Cat Haven ladies knew these kittens as "a hissing pile of caterpillars". They were tiny and very young, but they already knew how to hiss. They were terrified. So I also had the task of stopping them hissing quite so much - socialising them! And I must say I think I did a pretty good job. By the time I took them back to the Haven at the end of five weeks, they'd all stopped hissing (even the tortoishell one who had earned herself the name Hissy Miggins).

With this second lot of kitties, I ended up feeling like I imagine a frazzled single mother might feel sometimes. It took me half an hour to get the kids to bed each night. There was also one kitten who was very clingy and constantly wanted to be patted and to snuggle. She was very gorgeous, but I'm not much into the clingy thing. LOL. I like my personal space, man! Another kitten, a beautiful little guy who was black (I've always wanted a black cat), loved to snuggle too. He was pretty irresistible. But in the end I did take them back to the Haven, and it was like a weight had been lifted. Still, I had a great time and missed them when they were gone!






In conclusion, for anyone who's heard me talk about what I do for a living, yes...I am a cat lady (with two cats - the third disappeared last year) librarian who lives alone. But I'm okay with that. :)

24 comments:

  1. These pictures are so sweet! And so are you to take such good care of little orphan kittens.

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  2. Hissy Miggins has got to be the best cat name of all time.

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  3. You can see Hissy up front in that last photo :D and what do you know! she's hissing.;)

    Not sure if you know but there is an Australian singer/songwriter called Missy Higgins, which is where the Hissy Miggins name got its inspiration. :D In my family, spoonerism is an everyday occurrence.

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  4. Wow!! Lot of cool pictures!!

    Kittens in flower pots?? I want to try too... but must take care of their back legs!!


    with warm regards
    http://becomingprince.blogspot.com

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  5. Hi AMP :D yeah, it sounds cute but they really were dirty. lol

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  6. Adorable! So cute. I'd like to foster some cats. Maybe in our next house :O)

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  7. Yay for adopted pets! We've always had dogs but I love all animals (just happen to be allergic to kitties).

    Pics are adorable and good for you owning your "cat lady".

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  8. Aww! They are all so adorable. I would love to foster some cats, but my problem would be I'd never return them...or want to return them.

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  9. Great post! Keep doing what you! I also adopt all of my pets one way or the other, be it from a shelter or off the street.

    -MJ fellow A to Z blogger
    http://creativelyspiltink.blogspot.com/

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  10. I guarantee I'm going to be a cat lady when I grow up. They're too cute. My Dad and I went to go get hamster food and ended up drooling over twin boy kittens. Long story short, we ended up adopting two other twin girl kittens who were left in the parking lot when the shelter was full. I've got a black cat. :) She likes to sit on my wrists when I type.

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  11. I love cats but am allergic. Darn it!
    so cute...love the one sitting in the dustpan!

    Sandi
    http://www.ahhsome.wordpress.com

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  12. I've always wanted a black cat as well. I had a partially black one once. His name was Ozmund.

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  13. Ahhh, what a sweet and heart-rendering post. Allergies are a factor in our family, although we did have two cats.
    Those rescued cats were so fortunate to have you.

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  14. They are so adorable. I miss my kitty. I would love to foster, but not sure I'm ready for long term commitment. Especially with a dog already in the house who thinks he's a cat. :)

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  15. @Madeleine, it really is a rewarding experience. :)

    @Lisa - sometimes I think I'm a little allergic to them too :D But not so much that I'm in danger. I just sneeze a lot and get store eyes ;)

    @Cherie - Well, for me it was REALLY hard to take the kittens back the first time, in fact I cried when I realised they were staying after their weigh-in at the Haven. :D But this time around I was more prepared. And anyway, the kittens are so cute you know they're gonna get homes - it's the adult cats that have more trouble.

    @MJ - that's great! Good on you! :)

    @Madeline - that's so cute :) I have a silver-grey cat who is just as beautiful as a black one would be, but yeah I always wanted a black one :D

    @ahhsome - that sucks! Yeah, the dustpan kitty was cute hehe

    @Brooke - Ozmund sounds cute :)

    @Susan - allergies are a pain aren't they?!

    @Ciara - well, fostering sounds like it's for you. You can often ask for either just kittens, just adults, or say "I'll take anything", and you can ask for short-term fosters instead of the longer-term ones. My first lot I had for 6 weeks I think. It's a pretty big commitment, but it's worth it!

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  16. cuteness overload! these pics are so awesome! I love kittens :)

    Nice to meet you through the A-Z challenge! Hope to see you around!

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  17. Nice to meet you too Bz :D and I agree about the kitty cuteness ;) But of course I do! I'm biased :)

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  18. I LOVE kittens but don't particularly like cats (really depends on the personality) but my son is allergic (with asthma!)- so no kittens/cats for me! I don't know if I would be able to give them back though- after spending all that energy nursing them. Good for you!

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  19. The mother cat you kept is so tiny and cute.

    Perhaps you should patent your anti-hissing method of kitten raising. I think I know a few people who could use it. You could call yourself 'The Cat Whisperer' and bait Cesar Millan into barking at furniture.

    I don't think you get to embrace the librarian/cat lady archetype until you start wearing long shapeless skirts and using the word 'whippersnapper' as an insult.

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  20. Danette, cats are my animal - I love the bitchiness. Hehe. Guess that says something about me LOL

    Jenn - she is very cute and snuggly. But she loves to "play", which can get a little vicious :O

    True, I don't have the cat lady/librarian wardrobe down, but I'm getting there in other areas - talking to my cats and to inanimate objects, that sort of thing. :D

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  21. Adorable pictures. I admire you for fostering them. I get attached so quickly, I think I would want to keep them all.

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  22. You demonstrate a real kindness to animals through your care for these kittens. That is a beautiful thing to see!! rcj

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  23. Thanks Kari and rcexam - it's very easy to get attached, BUT if you get used to it it's easier to let them go too. You know that they are so cute they'll easily get homes. :D It's the adult cats we have to worry about more.

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  24. I guess my kitty cat isn't unique afterall. I got my kitty in June and named her Hissy Miggins, too. Apparently we have good taste in names and music :)

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