ROVER

This is rover. He is 3 years old.

His name is Rover because he thinks he is a dog. He gets great enjoyment from pulling trouser legs with his teeth, he loves to attack doors with lots of gusto and he bounds along like a large black Labrador. He is sometimes nervous and jumps out of his skin when he does a leap into the air and summersaults.

When he was rescued in June 2007 he was very hungry and a bit scruffy from living by his wits. After he came into our care, the plan was to find him a home once he had been neutered but then it was obvious that there was something not quite right with him. Firstly he often falls off balance especially when he tries to jump up on to things he also falls over. Likewise he often seems not to know where he is; for example, when he first came he would wander up the lane but could not remember how to get back home. It took a month of leading him back down the lane for him to finally work out how to do it by himself!! Also he needs to be spoken to before he knows who is near him and when he gets it into his head that he does not want to move from a position he tends to get upset. Veterinary opinion is that a virus affected his brain when he was a kitten, and, that as a result some of the pathways in his brain are damaged. He does make up for it by purring very loudly when he is lying upside down and loves getting his head scratched. He has settled down to a routine and as long as he has food on his plate he is happy. Granted he would eat constantly if he were allowed so we reckon it is a side affect of the brain damage he suffered when younger. He is great with new kittens because he lets them swing off him and lets them play with him till its time to wander outside. His latest habit is to sit in the hen house when it is raining and the hens take no notice of him being there.

25th march 2008: Rover has been under the weather lately with a head cold but as he is still eating lots then apart from the sneezing and lots of sleep nothing has changed. Granted who would want to go outside with the gusty weather that we have been having lately.
13th April 2008: All is well with Rover's head cold.

If you wish to sponsor Rover it will be gratefully received.

SKIPPY

When Skippy came into our care in 2002 she had three and a half legs and three little kittens. Her left back leg was off at the “knee” and the bone was showing which often bled and became infected but this did not stop her protecting or feeding her kittens. Two of her kittens died. The third kitten lived and she raised it until it was rehomed, (it was very tame). Once Skippy was ready to be neutered it was decided that she should have the stump amputated the same day so that she no longer suffered from infection. All went well and both operations were a success.

Six years on and Skippy is still with us. She is still feral but at least now when one enters the garden shed where she sleeps she does at least stay put. She still believes that she has four legs and is often seen trying to scratch her left ear with her missing leg. Certainly the lack of a leg has not stopped her from going off out hunting.

Up to last year she had a constant companion in Bruiser and the pair were so close that they were known as Mr and Mrs. They had spent many a happy night cuddled up together and she was out of sorts. However, old age caught up with Bruiser in late September 2007 and he passed on.

13th April 2008 Skippy seems to now allow one of the new cats, Socky, to share her shed.

Skippy still won't let herself to be touched but she is well cared for and has a better life than that which she had before we rescued her.

There are many cats like her that need the chance to live a life free of pain. If you wish to give us the opportunity to help more cats like Skippy please sponsor her and make this possible.