First of the telephone calls to start the day off was a lady whose neighbours cat was annoying her so she wanted us to pick it up for rehoming!
Secondly, the family who adopted Milo(1 an) and Kimiko (2ans) just over a week ago, bought them back as her husband didn’t like them and would have them in the house, even though she thinks they are adorable and have been playing and are super cats! In her words – “tout va bien pour Kimiko et Milo, ils mangent, dorment, jouent seuls ou entre eux, Milo aime bien jouer avec les plumes de tourterelle, et ils adorent courir dans la maison. Mais Pierre n'accepte absolument pas à la maison Kimiko et Milo. Pourquoi ? il ne leur fera aucun mal mais il les ignore et depuis samedi il me fait également la tête en disant que je devais prendre 1 chat et pas 2 et un chat jeune. »
Thirdly, whilst halfway through our cleaning procedures we received a call from a lady in a nearby village who adopted from us a while ago. Her young daughter was desperate for the toilet, so they visited the local WC publics only to find what you see in the photo, a mother cat in a cardboard box with 5 newborn kittens.
We had no space before all of this but now we are at crisis point.
We need more genuine people to adopt and more people to take their cat ownership seriously.
Thank you Shirley and everyone else, since I wrote this we have had many others abandonned in boxes at the top of our drive, and at the door of vet clinics that we work with locally.
The cat in the photo, Frankie and her little ones are doing great, she is a very protective mum and her kittens are growing well, here is a new photo of her, you'll see her eyes are stunning!
You are wrong Rachael, the UK is at crisis point too, but there are multi million pound organisiations to pick up the pieces over there, even though, in the last month they have announced that they are at saturation point.
If you think of it logically, if we brits are so 'good' there would be no need for the RSPCA, Cats Protection, Blue cross, etc etc to even exist.
:-( no wonder you are bl**dy annoyed at the human race Lynn. I'm sorry I cannot help you. We already have 3. Its a heart-breaking story. I get the impression that this sort of thing happens more in France than in UK, its what I have heard. Maybe I'm wrong. Bon courage! x
Thanks Kirsten - All Chats du Quercy cats and kittens are sterilised(from 2 months of age - http://chatsduquercy.fr/en/cat-care-and-welfare-behaviour-advice/early-age-neutering-in-cats/), vaccinated and microchipped - a legal obligation in France and an act that will save their lives, so yes, they will all go off to their new homes knowing that at least this littel group will have a better life.
I would advise anyone taking on a cat or kitten to make sure it is sterilised BEFORE you take the kittens, otherwise the mother cats misery will continue. Cats will start to reproduce from roughly 4 months of age, so consider the cost implications of caring for a cat properly. If it is a stray cat, you'd be best advised to know whether it is FIV/FeLV positive BEFORE even thinking of taking kittens from her and/or mixing the mother cat and kittens with other cats.
Nora(or anyone else!), if you would like our fact sheet on integrating new cats to a household, drop me an email at chatsduquercy@gmail.com. There is also an awful lot of advice on our website on how to find the owners of a stray cat, as it may actually be lost!
I wish I could adopt every animal I see, but alas, I cannot, further I live in the States. All that being said, amongst the animal rights groups to which I belong, there is an ongoing campaign to spay and neuter our furry friends! Don't worry, there will always be those people who think that it's mean, so there will always be enough of the cute little beasties to add to our families. Please, whoever adopts them, please spay and neuter your pets. It's also good for their health, and 1 fun fact: reduces mammalian cancer by 80% in females. Don't take my word for it, do your own research. I never get on a soap box like this, but animal rights are close to my heart <3
Don't despair Lynn, there are always people like all of us to redress the balance a little. Though I do despair at people sometimes. But they do it with children so what hope animals? I am afraid if Paul said it was him or Tobycat, I would be sending Paul to you for adoption!!! Friends of ours have been adopted by the tiniest little cat who has had six kittens (three weeks after moving in with them). She is probably under one year old and how she managed I cannot imagine. She is friendly and sweet and not feral so it looks as though she was thrown out once it was realized she was pregnant. They are going to keep her but now need homes for six kittens (looks like it may be the SPA)!! We are considering taking two little girls. We would probably have to keep them away from Toby for a couple of weeks but as they will be young and female hopefully my super-territorial little beast (Toby not Paul) will not have one of his hissy fits and accept them - what do you think?
Lynne,they are gorgeous, hope that some loving people will give them a loving home.
We have acquired another 3 and I think our dogs will pack up and leave if we had anymore!!
As for the couple who returned those dear little cats,makes my blood boil.
They both visited together Suzy, this is what makes me so angry! We always insist that as far as possible, all family members come along. I believe that something else happened between them and he is taking it out on the cats and I'd rather have them back than they were abandonned elsewhere.
The lady with the neighbours cat is angry that it is allowed outside! She just doesn't want it in her garden and thought that was good reason enough for us to take it in.
I feel for you Lynn,I'd be so angry especially with the family whose husband didnt want the cats,shouldnt she have checked with him first? Is he just being put out cos the cats are probably getting more attention.As for the neighbours cat,why doesnt she go and talk to her neighbour? I can't take another cat as I have already 2,even though I'd love to. You do an amazing job,I couldnt do what you do.
Kind of you to ask Kate, money is always hard to come by for any charity, Chats du Quercy is no diferent. We have a paypal button on our website, www.chatsduquercy.fr or cheques made payable to Chats du Quercy and sent to us at Caussados, 82190 Miramont de Quercy.
I appreciate that not everyone can make a financial contribution but everyone can encourage people with cats to have the sterilised and microchipped. Always encourage those looking to adopt a cat to visit their local refuge too, the animals there have been family pets and through no fault of their own end up in cages with very insecure futures.
At Chats du Quercy, our cats and kittens leave us Sterilised, we practise early age neutering from 2 months of age. They are also microchipped and vaccinated, have received the best vet care with weekly vet visits, and our adoptants receive ongoing cat behaviour advice whenever they need it. Our committment to the cats in our care is second to none.
AS I say the more i know humans, the more i like my dog.
If there is somehow I could donate some money to you, i can do that, but I am unable to adopt an animal. Is there another way other than money we could help?
