Turkish Van Rescue: March 2010

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Present for me!

When I spotted this on eBay, I just HAD to have it! And now I have to share :)

Cool huh?

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sorry its been a while since I last updated! Things have been busy but there's plenty of news to share.

Last Monday we bought Luna inside to begin the introduction process. After one day she met the other cats in the house. After 2 days she had discovered the whole house. After 3 days she was settled, the boys had accepted her, and it was like she had been here since forever.

Here she is on Tuesday:

Its a true fairy-cat tale, and I think both the boys and the girls smelling each other on me for the past few weeks meant a lot of the introducing had already taken place!

At the start of last week I sought some advice in relation to Cherry. Although she is happy, playing, and eating, her coat hadn't improved as much as the others. Sardines in Oil was the remedy suggested, so I added two cans into a meal every day.

In less positive news, Thorn escaped the cage on Tuesday. Unfortunately being on heat has made her very interested in the outside world, and silly me grabbed her when she was running around the backyard, ending with one scared cat, many scratches, and deep tissue damage to my right hand. The moral of the story is, when scared, a cat trusts no-one but herself. So, when faced with a scared cat, don't try to hold them down!

Thankfully Thorn spent the afternoon in the neighbours front yard, and came home safe and sound shortly after we returned home from work. I wont show you the photos...

In other news, I turned 24 on Friday!

Also, on the weekend we headed to the Bay of Fires for our annual Autumn Equinox camping trip. This was made possible because Cassie and Meri-ann babysat the girls for me while I was away - thank you!!

Because Robbie did most of the feeding after my injuries, and then we went away, on our return I was amazed at the difference in Cherry's coat! I am so excited that the Sardines have made such a difference, and just had to share:

I gave the pen a good sweep out, and decided to rearrange the furniture - my good friend Lauren donated me a cat tower her girls don't use any more, and the girls loved the new edition!

New arrangement

Thorn checks out the view

Willow and her game face

Willow, Queen of the Tower

The rest of the girls are looking great too!

Apple

Willow

Ash is looking great as well! Today was the first day that I have patted her, and not felt her spine. She is a very solid girl now, and seeing as she was the thinnest out of the girls, this is a very satisfying achievement!

Ash does this gorgeous paw lifting when you pat her, its as if she's trying to express how much she loves snuggles!

I tried to weigh the girls tonight, finally, but didn't have much luck getting them in the bag without them freaking out (must use treats next time).

I did weigh Thorn and Ash though, and I'm excited to say Thorn weighs 3.94kg, and Ash 4.48kg! They have nearly doubled in weight since being with me. Thorn is still very slender, but the progress is fantastic, especially seeing as today I've had them for 4 weeks exactly.

One last shot of the girls watching me clean:

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

10 things I didnt know until the girls come along

I was thinking about all the things I've learnt since owning 6 Turkish Vans, so I thought I'd make a list to share with you all!

1. I am fully capable of making crazy, rash, mad decisions on a whim when it comes to cats

2. A man who drives for 1 hour in a car full of pooing cats is a man worth hanging on to

3. Never believe someone when they tell you they are not a cat person

4. Although I dont recommend it, cat rescue is a speedy form of weight loss

5. There is something in this world that will make me want to get up at 6am in the morning

6. It is possible for a small cat to eat 5+ chicken necks in one sitting

7. White cat hair travels to places even a cat person cant imagine, and sticks there, for good

8. $100 worth of kitty litter equals 20 daily litter changes for 6 cats with a litter tray each

9. 12kg of chicken necks makes exactly 31 bags of 8

10. There is nothing more touching, more beautiful, more amazing, than the support and generosity of strangers

Also, to celebrate DAY 17, here are some photos I took today of the girls enjoying the new lovely toys Chris sent us all the way from NSW! Thanks Chris, you're a gem!!

Willow loves this squeaky toy

Willow and Thorn checking the squeak toy out

Mum! This one looks like me! - Willow (loves the black and white toy)

Thorn hunting squeaky toy

Willow and Thorn

Willow

Luna doesn't know which toy to play with first!

Luna and Willow

Even Cherry came out for a play!

Sweet Cherry

Cherry looking cheeky

Apple

Apple and Willow

Apple and Willow again

Ash is missing in these series of photos - you may spot her in the background, contently growling over some chicken necks!

Thanks to Chris again for this great prize, the girls clearly love their new toys!

Monday, March 8, 2010

What better way to spend a Sunday...

...than to improve the cat house!

The carpet on the floor in the shed is less than ideal, and has a foamy backing which doesn't dry out properly, and is all round fairly gross. Also, I've discovered that cleaning concrete is harder than you'd think.

So, a trip to the hardware store later, I've set long-suffering Robbie to work!

Some arguing, cutting and measuring later, and freaking the girls out by emptying out their shed, and voila!

'Scusting carpet gone, fancy new vinyl floor in. Once everything was back in its rightful spot, the girls have it their tick of approval!

Cheeky Willow viewed the whole thing with amusement from her pedestal, completely unfased by the whole thing! Such a good supervisor she is.

The floor will not only help with cleaning, but help provide insulation, with winter on its way. Luna has discovered that her toys fly 3 times the distance on the new floor, too!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

A wonderful gift!

I met Carol, a local British Shorthair breeder, last week, when she kindly offered her help and support after hearing about the Vans. Today, she donated a fantastic cat scratching post which she made especially for the girls! Thank you Carol, its something the girls have needed and it will definitely get plenty of use!

After moving the new post in with the girls, I took the opportunity to snap a few pics! Cherry is usually pretty shy but she was out enjoying the post, so I thought I'd get a few pics of her as well!

Someone commented that their own rescue cats went through plenty of personality changes during the time they adjusted to their new lives, and I'm noticing it with the girls as well. One day affectionate, the next day timid - I'm guessing it'll take a while for each to settle down properly.