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Our Work 

Whenever we are asked for help, we always take all details of the situation. We complete a site visit, take photographic evidence to ensure a full assessment can be made which includes how many cats are at the site, how many kittens, could we relocate or rehome, or tame? If kittens need taming which fosterer is available / has the experience to deal with specific needs. How many adults needed neutering and can the vets accommodate them.

 

Ferals at a block of flats

 

On one occasion we went along to assess a site (the Industrial size bin area of a block of flats) The cats and kittens had been seen eating scraps from the bins and clambering over the rear wall to an inaccessible side. We went along as soon as it was daylight, armed with cameras, food and traps. Knowing the area had a reputation for ‘antifreeze poisoning’, shootings, and disappearing cats (3 from one garden on the same evening) we knew that time was not on our side to entice and record any possible sightings of the litter. What we found was 3, possibly 4 litters of kittens, and various adults living in the inaccessible area behind the waste bins. Their food source was the dregs in the bottom of the bins, surrounded by rat poison and traps.

 We knew that we had our work cut out so wasted no time in setting out the traps. We visited the people whose gardens ran along the inaccessible area and enlisted their help by setting a trap up in their garden. They filled the trap with food every morning and called us as soon as it went off. We also enlisted the help of a cat-loving resident (unofficially of course as the housing association didn’t allow pets and had put the rat poison and traps down). They bought a chain and padlock and set the trap up behind the bins (out of official sight) every morning and removed it overnight and on bin day.  Between us we spent many hours with the sweet aroma of the fresh pilchards wafting through the air, to entice the hungry kittens out. One evening I turned up to find a number of blue lights everywhere and the police surrounding a van. It turned out that the vehicle contained 2 dogs stolen from Berkshire. Another evening I turned up and set the manual trap up as usual and sat and waited. I could hear faint cries coming from the back of the bin area. I looked under and behind the bins, the area behind the bins and the inaccessible area. Try as I might I couldn’t find the owner of the pitiful cries. A resident came out with a bundle of overflowing black bin bags, opened one of the bins, and tossed the rubbish inside. The terrified kitten must have been inside as I could hear its terrified screams and the desperate scratches as it tried to escape up the steep, grungy sides which were just too high. I opened the industrial size bin to find the most beautiful, petrified kitten cowering in the farthest corner.  The problem was how do you get a feral kitten out of an industrial size bin? Being feral it wasn’t going to hop into a carrier for me was it! The only option was for me to pop another bin on its side, use it as a step, throw the trap in and climb in myself. Not an easy task for a small, 50 something-year-old blob such as myself. So there I sat in the bottom of the bin amongst the fatty, putrid, sludge that smelt like nothing on earth waiting until Madam decided to crawl into the trap and a safe new life.

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One by one we caught the kittens, and the adults.  In total we trapped, neutered, de-flead and wormed 8 adults. 6 of the adults were found fabulous country homes in stables and farms where they could live in ‘sheltered freedom’. Another was a lovely friendly middle-aged boy who had made himself homeless to escape from his abusive owners. He had been living at the site for 3 years. He has now been found a lovely domestic home with a family who adores him. The last adult was another semi-friendly male- Monty. After a few months of TLC he too was ready to find a family. He has now found a loving home and family where he can come round in his own time.  The 12 kittens, all in a terrible condition with infestations of ear mites, worms and fleas and poorly tummies needed a lot of tender loving care. I drafted in Fosterers from anywhere and everywhere- work colleagues, neighbours anyone who had a spare room and time and was willing to help tame the kittens. This fabulous team of volunteers worked tirelessly in the weeks up to Christmas taming, nursing and loving the kittens back to health and finding them the most fabulous new homes. The kittens, all 12 of them were Beautiful, longhaired, polydactyls. With the help of all our volunteers and their new families, the kittens now have proved that even the most downtrodden ferals can make the most fabulous Cats.

 

 

Stray cat and kittens

Another case was a beautiful mum and her two litters of kittens. Mum was a beautiful Black longhaired girl, one set of kittens were a week old the other set 12 weeks. The older kittens were neutered and came round very quickly. The babies however became poorly with ringworm within a week of being in care. This of course passed from one kitten to the other and to Mum too.

 

Another stray cat and her kittens

 

Early September I took a call from a member of the public who was not from our area who lived further afield in sheltered accommodation. She had a feral cat living in her back garden with a kitten from a previous litter and 3 new kittens. No other charities covered the area that dealt with feral cats so she had not received any help thus far. I agreed to visit with a view to help neuter and return the mum and older kitten and taming the kittens if they were young enough.  When I turned up the mum had a serious eye injury and walked straight into the trap within the first few minutes. The kittens were right little hooligans and had other ideas, which did not include going in the trap. It took a good number of hours and countless sardines to catch 2 of them and the older kitten. As I had mum and older Kitten booked in at the vets for neutering I had no option but to leave one of the kittens with the garden owner promising me that she would catch him and bring him to me……heard that one before haven’t we !!  I dropped the two cats at the vets and left to take the kitten’s home.  A short time later, I received a call from the vet; mum’s eye injury was so severe the infection had spread to both eyes. The vet had put her to sleep to end her suffering. The next morning I had a call “I’ve caught the kitten, I’m on my way to you”. Well, there’s a turn up for the books. Shortly afterwards a car pulled up outside with 4 old dears from the sheltered housing looking pleased as punch as they handed me the smallest of the little hooligans. I went to the vets to pick up Kitty from her neuter and while I was there the receptionist asked me “will you take this little feral for us too? He’s just been found on a building site”.  What could I say?  Morgan came and joined the gang.  The kittens as always were adorable and have found homes with families who adore them. Kitty, the older kitten has taken up residence in my kitchen and shows no signs of moving anywhere-not even out of the back door into the garden.  

 

Stray cats at a railway.

 

During the lockdown, we were asked to help out at a railway station where a number of stray cats had decided to take up residence, settle down and have their kittens. Clearly, this was not a safe environment for the kittens to grow up in as when lockdown ceased the trains would resume running through the station. The adults were all trapped and found lovely country residences where they would be fed and watered in exchange for mousing duties. The kittens came to us to be tamed in order for them to have new domestic homes.