Chats du Quercy were call out yesterday morning to a sad situation where a mother cat and her 5 month old kitten had been abandonned at some dustbins, a sadly common story.
Roopert's mum had been run over and killed, this poor little chap was found just circling around her not knowing what to do.
He is super affectionate and will be placed for adoption very soon. We can only praise the people who found him and their speedy actions to save his life. If you find a cat in distress, please alert someone who can help and by all means contact Chats du Quercy(www.chatsduquercy.com) as even if we can't take on the cat, or may be too far away, we will always try to find a solution or help find someone who can.
Here is Roopert tucking into a meal, he was famished!
That is good news. Hope they all enjoy each others company.
We didn't think this one would stay with us long, Roopert has been adopted!
More details and photos of Roopert can now be seen in the Pet Rescue group.
This is Sarah’s Desmond, so we can better see him, he does look like Roopert, who incidently is incredibly cuddly, he is so craving affection that he can’t keep still for a minute when you are with him, such a lovely cat it is hard to imagine how anyone could throw him and his mum out when they had obviously been so much a part of a family.
Sarah, that is the best news ever!! Thank you for sharing this with us.
We too have great connections with the gendarmes and have had several of them adopt cats from us. We are currently working with them to help an elderly 80+ year old lady who has been refused help from another local cat charity, she now has upwards of 40 cats to deal with BUT the gendarmerie have been excellent, a great support!
You have done so much over the past year, especially in the face of such opposition from the mairie, you really are a great role model of what can be achieved!
A great big virtual hug from all the cats that you have saved. Let us know if you have a website so that we can link to it and share your super initiatives.
My rescue cat Desmond, who was born with serious kidney problems, was thrown off a roof in Sorèze by an uncaring landlord when his tenants left, abandoning their kitten of 2 months in the top floor flat
I have been remarking on the similarity between the two
Here is Desmond three years down the line and hoping that Roopert progesses as a well as his cousin roux!
Hi Lynn
I have been in touch with you on a personal 'cat level' but also when they threatened a cull at Sorèze last year
Le Chat du Sor, our charity, was launched and has been up and running for a year. No refuge; but we do trap, neuter and feed the abandoned and feral cats and we now have several nests around the village where our furry friends can live in quiet and calm. Our local gendarmes (those who threatened me last year) now patrol the nest areas and give treats!!! What a turn around!
You have been up and running for far longer and your network is more expansive than ours
So if you ever have any similar news coming in from the Sorèze (81 Tarn) area that we are not aware of please feel free to get in touch. We are slowly getting municipal, Bardot, 30 millions and SPA funding
We also offer 'cost price" neutering to all residents of the commune (proof of residence required) and in the past year have neutered/tatooed over a hundred domestics
Slowly but surely we progress but please let me know if you ever hear similar stories to that of Roopert in our area!
Vive le Chat!
Annie we've moved house many many times with cats...in the UK...and also brought our Siamese here. We keep them in for at least a week...and empty their litter trays around the new boundary of their new house. This not only warns local cats that there are new cats living here now...but also gives our cats their own scent to home in to...should they go too far. We also hang wind chimes in the trees...(great if you've got some that they're already in tune to... so to speak)...but hearing familiar chimes of home helps them to get their bearings should they wander too far too soon. We also open first floor windows a little where possible...(easier in the UK with quatre lights)... so that they can hear the sounds around their new home...and become familiar with them.
We started doing this years ago after we moved house...and lost one of our four cats in Cornwall. Since doing this we've never lost another one through moving...though my Monty went walk about from here 5 weeks ago...and hasn't returned yet.
Whatever you do don't give them tranquilizers from the vet...our vet gave us some when we moved our four cats from Cornwall to Norfolk...and they became terribly agitated during the journey...hyperventilating...and over heating...as they were awake ...but couldn't open their eyes...awful for them and us. Also give them sepeaate cat cages where possible...as the trauma of long journeys can make them aggressive towards each other.
Use Rescue Remedy in their water before and during the journey.
I think your aviary idea is good...they'd certainly get to know the sights... sounds... and smells of their new territory...before they ventured too far.
Best of luck...where are you moving to?
Especially for Ian - thinking outside the box!
Tray emptying is essential, especially last week when Ann was back in the UK and I was here on my own with all three of them. We all lost a bit of weight so that was a bonus as the portions all round were smaller and there was less pampering on the go. A peg? Have to think about that one but I think the clearance policy is the best bet.
try emptying the tray Ian, or placing a clothes peg on your nose!
With regard to "is them coming in to use their toilet such a bad thing?" It is for me as their tray has been positioned quite deliberately by "her who must be obeyed" right behind my chair and computer in an attempt to keep me off the computer for to long a time by gassing me out. LOL
This cat in particular was rather portly and very laid back and I doubt she moved much all the way down from Paris to the Charente Maritime unless on a lead for a toilet break. This may annoy you but the cat we had in the Flat in London used to travel down to Cornwall sprawled across the top of my shoulders most of the way. When we moved to Reading it was into a big old Victorian Terrace house with a walled garden so she adapted to that quite well. In the flat we used to buy little trays of grass, which she used to sit in as well as nibble. I am fully aware of the danger but we also had a huge ginger tom that we could not contain and he just used to stand up and peer out of the car window all of the time or again have a snooze on the parcel shelf. The three we have now Mother and two daughters we usually put in their carriers but it is guaranteed that Amber, the mother, will either be sick or pooh in the box as she hates the car. She will however jump in quite happily and peer out of the window if I'm driving to the barn to get firewood etc., so it seems being confined is the problem with her.
It is where they feel safe Ian, you could place a litter tray nearer and nearer to the door then move it outside over a period of a few weeks, but so long as they go in the litter tray, is them coming in to use their toilet such a bad thing?
Every cat is different and i would not want to risk losing one of mine after moving house, I'd rather follow the guidlines and keep them for the recommended time. Having a cat roam freely in a car is not only illegal but highly dangerous for the cat and the people, if he were to be spooked and lodge under pedals a serious accident can occur.
Cats can adapt very well to apartment life as I know from the 60's in a London Flat. Recently we had guests stay from Paris in 2012 and they brought their cat with them on holiday. I had discussed this with them beforehand as we are surrounded by open fields and our own cat at the time (thrown from a car at the end of our lane at about 6 weeks old, but that is another story) was very territorial. They turned up with her sprawled across the parcel shelf and she spent most of the time indoors with the father watching the Olympics on TV. Only one face to face occurred and after a bit of hissing from our mog she retreated indoors. Nothing to do with the foregoing but our three cats now refuse to go to the toilet outdoors and no matter how long they have been out come indoors to do their business in the litter box. Any ideas on how to discourage this and get them to go outside?
I can't see that there would be any point as they need to progress slowly at their own pace and if they will have outside access eventually, this should be done as advised above.
Some may be more confident than others, but the advise should be followed making sure that they are all microchipped and their new address up to date, just in case!
We had thought of building an aviary type structure which covers the back door, so they can be outside but not go away, leaving it there for a few months, what do think?
Moving them will have to be in cages, perhaps a couple of dog cages so that you can place litter and food in with them. Never never open the cages en route though unless all doors are firmly closed to the camper, we hear of so many being lost this way at aires on the autoroutes.
When you get to the other end, the advice would be the same as for adopting a cat, place in a smaller room for a day or so to enable them to get their bearings and get used to hearing different noises/smell different odours. Obver a period of 3/4 weeks slowly let them explore the new house until you are confident that they know where they are and watch them outside at first, they should be naturally wary. if you are not confident (this can take longer for nervous cats) then don't let them outside and definitely never force them if they don't want to go. You can always reach me, call Chats du Quercy on 05 63 94 73 97
Best of luck with the move!
