Cat Action Trust 1977 Ayrshire Branch

Poppy was homed in February 2012

Name: Poppy / Sex: Female / Age: 1 year / Colour: Grey / Good with other cats?: Yes / Good with children?: Yes

Poppy hasn’t been with her current people for very long, but the cat who has lived there for much longer has made it clear to Poppy that she just isn’t wanted! This is such a shame as the people just love her and don’t actually want to part with her. They have had her spayed and vaccinated, this not having been done by the people who had her before. Poppy is a really pretty, friendly, good-natured little cat and would make a wonderful addition to a family. She’s only about a year old and deserves to have many years of love and stability ahead of her.

Millie found her forever home in February 2012. Thank you to her new family for giving Millie a home to call her own.

Name: Millie / Sex: Female / Age: around 2 years / Colour: Tabby and white / Good with other cats?: No / Good with children?: Older children

Millie is a young adult, probably around 2 years old, who was abandoned to fend for herself by people whose lives are probably best summed up as ‘chaotic’.

Not particularly fond of other cats, Millie would love to be an only cat in a household. She really likes people, despite having been so badly let down, and loves to be fussed and petted. When she first came into our care, Millie would play a bit rough; this is often a result of having been encouraged when they are kittens by the type of people who then consider it a problem when the cat isn’t small and cuddly any more (sort of like encouraging very young children to swear and then turning on them when they do it as they get older). She is learning, though, to play much more gently and would benefit greatly from being homed in a quiet, gentle, home rather than one with very young children. Millie’s favourite pastimes really do involve people: drag a piece of string around for her to chase and she’s a very happy girl. If Millie could talk ‘human’, and was asked what she would want most from life, I’m pretty certain the answer would be ”To find someone who loves me, and a garden to explore please.” As with all our foster cats, Millie is now fully inoculated and, being old enough, is spayed.

Name: Moriarty / Sex: Male / Age: 12 – 18 months / Colour: Black and white / Good with other cats?: Yes / Good with children?: Yes

Moriarty is a very friendly, handsome, boy aged around 12 – 18 months. He was on the streets, having been discarded by people who turned their backs on his confusion and distress and then pretended that he was a stray.  He is, of course, better off without such people, but so many who find themselves cast aside like this never do get help and are left to cope (or not!) with neither food nor shelter. He wasn’t even neutered, so his life would have been one of constantly fighting for territory and survival against other full toms, with several hundred kittens being left in his wake, themselves to suffer fear and persecution on the streets.

Having only been in our care for a couple of weeks, Moriarty has still to get his second set of injections before being fully inoculated. That will be done very shortly (mid Feb) and he has, of course, now been neutered.

This boy deserves to be happy, as do all animals born as a result of human error or neglect. His next, lifetime, home would be with kind, gentle, people and maybe a garden or other safe outdoor area that would allow him to get used to going out and about.

Cobbie was homed in February 2012

Name: Cobbie / Sex: Male / Age: 10 months / Colour: Tabby and white / Good with other cats?: Yes / Good with children?: Yes

Cobbie’s owner is leaving Scotland soon and needs to find a home for him. Although he isn’t yet in our care, our pens and foster homes being full, I have met Cobbie and found him to be a friendly and very good-natured boy. The only problem was getting him to keep still long enough to get some decent photographs! He has already been neutered, but we have yet to get him inoculated. Only ten months old, Cobbie is really still a kitten. He hasn’t been getting out much, but would enjoy access to a garden or other safe outdoor area once settled. Being pretty laid back, Cobbie could be homed with children. He is currently in a house with a dog, but would probably prefer not to be.

Age: 10 years / Sex: Female / Colour: Tortie and black / Good with other cats?: Yes / Good with children?: No; these older ladies need a quiet home

Shelley found her forever home in April 2012

Their story: Shelley and her friend Dusky had lived with just one couple since they were kittens. Their people were elderly and, unfortunately, the man died a few years ago and the woman was taken into care around June 2011. The cats, now ten years old, were put into the garden and spent several months being fed by a kind neighbour and taking shelter in the garage. This must have been so hard for them to understand as I’m told they used to sleep beside the old lady. The neighbour would have loved to have given Shelley and Dusky a home, but her dogs had other ideas and chased the cats whenever they saw them. Still, they are now lapping up the comfort of their heated pen and beds!

Although now ten, and despite having spent so long outside in the cold, both Shelley and Dusky are very healthy and fit. We’ve had them checked over by the vet and they are now fully inoculated. The girls were spayed several years ago, thankfully, so at least there was no threat of pregnancy.

Shelley, the tortoiseshell girl, is really beautiful (although I do admit to just loving torties!). She was initially very shy but is now confident and happy to be petted. Dusky is really sweet and loves to be stroked and have a fuss made of her. The fur on her back was very sparse when I first brought them in but has now grown in all thick and shiny.

These two girls have been together since kittenhood, and get along just fine, but they aren’t devoted to each other. This means they could be homed either together or separately.

The right home(s) for Shelley and Dusky would be quiet (don’t think they’d appreciate the same music as a most teenagers, really, or the attention of hyper two-year-olds!), and with a garden or other safe outdoor area to explore. They would make ideal companions for older people who don’t want to take on younger cats that could well outlive them, with all the worry that that entails.

Norman was homed in January 2012

Age: 4 1/2 months / Sex: male / Colour: black & black / Good with other cats?: yes / Good with children?: older children / Date added: 2nd August 2011

His story: Norman was living with his mother and two sisters, Nessie and Naomi, in a garden in Kilmarnock, being cared for by some really nice people. He is now about four and a half months old and is fully vaccinated. Norman and his sisters were shy at first, and still are with strangers, but he just loves to be petted and sit on my knee for a cuddle. We would prefer him to go to a home with a garden to explore and it would be great if there was another resident cat to play with. He could certainly be homed with older children (who don’t make the mad noises that young children make!)

Freddy was homed in January 2012

Age: 10 months / Sex: male / Colour: black & white Good with other cats?:yes / Good with children?:yes / Date added:2nd August 2011

His story:
Freddy was one of five kittens taken from a caravan park near Turnberry. We caught all the adults and had them neutered and spayed, leaving them in the care of the site caretaker, an elderly man  who is, without doubt, their best friend there. Understandably, Freddy was so shy when I first brought him and his sisters into our care but he is now an extremely soft, soppy, good natured boy who loves to lie on his back and get his tummy rubbed! Having said that, he is initially shy with people he doesn’t know and will need someone who understands that all he needs is a bit of time to settle and feel safe. Although very gentle, it would be best from his point of view to have a home without very young children. He really can strike some wonderful poses, with one half of his body on one piece of structure or equipment and his top half draped over another. Although only about ten months old, Freddy is a big boy – much bigger than his sisters. He has been neutered, of course, and is fully vaccinated. Access to a safe outdoor area is essential, once settled.