Turkish Van Rescue

...and they all lived happily ever after - a final word

2010-12-02T09:48:00.000+11:00

10 months since we first bought the 6 girls home, I am happy to finally be able to say that they have all found their forever homes!

Far from the starved waifs I bundled into carriers and cardboard boxes back in February, just look at them now!

LUNA

I knew that Luna was mine the minute I saw her odd-coloured eyes. She was the youngest of the 6 girls, and the first to be 'rehomed' with us. Luna and my other cats bonded within two days, and she now rules the roost in our home. Luna loves to play, and will make toys out of pens, bottle lids, and anything she can get her dainty paws on. We call her Princess Luna, and we feel so lucky to have her in our lives.

ASH

Ash was rehomed with my mum Sharyne and my step-dad Steven, in Devonport. Ash has settled in well, and has my parents wrapped around her paws! She sleeps on the bed, snoozes on the dining room table, and loves my mum to bits. She loves to play with balls made of foil, and on sunny days Ash snoozes in a hammock in her especially made outdoor enclosure. When mum's not looking, Steven's been known to share the best bits of chicken with Ash - she sure is a spoilt, well loved cat!

DELILAH (was THORN)

My good friend Terri and her husband Michael are cat lovers, and when Terri met the Turkish Vans she knew that Thorn was the one for her! Terri and Michael renamed her Delilah (Della for short), and she now lives happily with their other cat, Hendrix, and more recently, puppy Sadie.

APPLE

Apple was rehomed with a lovely Launceston couple who had recently lost their cat. They tell me she has settled in well, that she is doing well, and that she makes them very happy.

WILLOW

When Jo saw the photos of Willow, she just knew she had to bring Willow home. Willow lives with Jo and her husband in Wynyard, and has made best friends with Jo's grandson Tristan - even when he gives her tail a tug! Jo tells me that Willow loves to snuggle down with her (when hubby's not home!), thinks she's a person, and has her eyes set on giving the Christmas tree a run for its money!

CHERRY

Cherry was the last of the girls to be rehomed - I think she was just waiting for Alana to come along! Alana and Cherry hit it off instantly, and Cherry has settled in well with Alana in Hobart. Alana tells me that Cherry is making friends with Alana's visitors, and although the curtains are a bit worse off, Alana loves her dearly. Cherry enjoys watching the world go by on the window sill, and when Alana's trying to get work done will laze all over the computer until she gets all the attention!

So that's it. All 6 girls survived their ordeal, grew happy and healthy, and are now with people who love them.

The only reason these girls were able to have a second shot at life was because of all the people who supported me.

A huge thank you goes out to the following people for their love, support, advice, donations, time and so much more:

Robbie and my family - for supporting me so much, for the cat enclosure, the babysitting, the reassurance, the millions of litter changes, and being a shoulder to cry on.

All the members of the Cat World forum - your advice, support, money and gifts made it possible. I never felt alone, and all that CW Magic is what helped the girls through. You guys are beyond amazing. Words cannot describe. I will forever be in your debt.

Meri-ann & Cassie - you both came around to be extra hands when I needed it most. Thank you for being such great friends!

Liz & Ann - ladies I'd never met, drove from Hobart to deliver food and blankets - thank you so much!

Kathy (SA) & Kathy (Devonport) - fellow cat rescuers whose advice was invaluable. Thanks!

Tasmanian Pagan Alliance members, Launceston Pagans in the Pub attendees - your donations of money, toys and bedding was very touching, thank you so much! You guys are the greatest of friends.

The local breeders whose reassurance, cat scratching post and medical knowledge helped me so much, and the cat association who listened to my story.

And finally, a huge thank you to the people who have given the girls forever homes, and the people who helped spread the word so the girls could find these people, and anyone I may have missed - so many people made this possible, a huge THANK YOU!!! to you all.

This is the last post - I'm so glad we could finish this story with a 'happily ever after'!

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Jess

Willow is ready and waiting for her forever home!

2010-04-27T11:48:00.000+10:00

Willow is a gorgeous 3yo desexed female black and white Turkish Van.

Willow came to be skinny, starved, matted, unloved and too terrified to leave her cage, even to eat:

It didn't take long for her to realise she was safe, and now she is the gorgeous girl you can see in the pictures below. Meeting Willow now, you would never know of her bad experience. She is the biggest of all the girls I rescued, and now weighs in at over 6kg.

She is very affectionate, and loves pats and cuddles. At first I thought Willow didn't like being picked up, but as we have gotten to know each other she is happy to be lifted into my arms from time to time. Willow also loves to play, string toys being a favourite.

Willow loves to be brushed, so I groom her every second day although she is very capable of looking after her lovely soft coat all by herself.

Her favourite spot is on top of the cat tower, where she can view the world and snooze the day away.

Willow is a very placid cat, and loves cat company - I think she is the chief face washer in the group! She has a sweet meow and a quiet purr, and is always the first to greet me in the morning.

With her lovely personality, gorgeous and low maintenance coat, big golden eyes and kitten like antics, Willow will be an exceptionally lovely pet.

Willow will need to be an indoor only cat, because she has no road sense and can suffer from sunburn on her white ears and nose. A safe outdoor cat enclosure would be ideal for Willow.

Willow will come microchipped, vet checked, vaccinated, wormed and flea treated (she is already desexed), and her adoption fee is $100 to cover these costs.

If you would like to provide Willow with the loving forever she deserves, please contact me by pm, phone 0408 486 808 or email jess@tascommodores.com.

I can deliver Willow anywhere in Tasmania, and am happy to assist with flights to an interstate home at the new owners' expense.

You can watch a video of Willow here:

The girls, now on video!

2010-04-13T10:04:00.000+10:00

Over the weekend I was able to catch a few videos of the girls to share. Enjoy!

Apple:

Ash:

Cherry:

Thorn:

Willow & Thorn play in the beds:

The girls:

Purrs:

Playing with a string toy:

More playing:

Luna playing inside:

Willow, Cherry and Ash play:

Apple is ready and waiting for her forever home!

2010-04-08T12:00:00.000+10:00

The gorgeous Apple is now ready to search for her forever home.

Apple is female, around 2 years old, and desexed. She is a tortishell.

Apple loves to play almost as much as she loves cuddles. She is a very affectionate and cheeky girl, who will gladly jump in your lap for a pat and a brush. Apple is very active but not aggressive, and will gladly live amongst other cats and children.

Apple purrs like a tractor, and happily trills when getting pats. Her big golden eyes and stripy torti tail, combined with her cheeky and loving personality make her an adorable girl and an absolute delight to be with every day.

She will require an indoor only home, as she has no road sense, and her cute white nose and ears are prone to sunburn.

Apple will be microchipped, vet checked, vaccinated, wormed and flea treated.

Her adoption fee is $100 to cover these expenses. I am able to deliver her anywhere in Tasmania, and I am happy to assist with interstate flights at her new owners' expense.

If you would like to provide Apple with the loving forever home she deserves, please contact me via pm, phone 0408 486 809 or email jess@tascommodores.com.

Apple in forground

Apple on the right, Cherry on the left

New beds and another picture heavy update!

2010-04-02T19:06:00.000+11:00

Now that the cooler weather is setting in, it was becoming more urgent that we figure out a cost effective way of getting the girls' beds up off the ground, to assist with insulation, and to protect them from the damp.

Last week it rained quite heavily, filling the floor of the cat shed with water, and soaking all the bedding, so we had to come up with something asap (Funny to note, despite everything in the cat pen being wet, the girls were bone dry, not even damp paws! How they do it, I have no idea).

After a trip to Officeworks, Bunnings and some more Robbie and Jess imagination, we now have nice snuggly beds, up off the ground. Perfect!

Here we have Apple demonstrating the new beds!

Zombie cat does not want to be photographed...

Excuse me, some PRIVACY HERE! - Apple

The archive boxes are extra strong, and can easily take the weight of a cat or two sitting on top. Also, the lids make it easy to rescue stashed toys and change bedding. The gaps in between the crates underneath make great play spots during the day.

As it gets colder, I will be able to put blankets up and over the boxes on the outside for extra warmth, and the boxes are cable tied to the board so they dont slip off.

I think they get the tick of approval so far!

The best thing about a public holiday is having more time to spend with the girls - I took the opportunity to take plenty of pictures too!

Enjoy :)

Ash - she has really filled out. When I first got her, in certain positions the spot on her back was almost impossible to see. Its great to see her looking so well, her bones now covered in a nice layer of fat!

Toys?! - Ash

Ash in front, Thorn behind - you can see the difference in their coats. For some reason Ash's is very short (shorter than my short haired tabbies) - I suspect this will lengthen in time, I'm guessing all the old stuff fell out and is now regrowing since she's been on a much better diet.

Ash and Willow - the smallest and the biggest of the bunch

Willow

Look into my eeeeeyes..... - Willow

Pfft, you were already under my spell - Willow

The cutest ears

Apple whispers secrets to Willow

A full tummy really is bliss - Apple

I love this pic of Apple, it really shows her cheeky personality

Heh, I'm not cheeky! - Apple

Apple and Cherry

Cherry has really come a long way the past few weeks - her coat is looking lovely. She's a vocal girl, loves a chat and doesn't hesitate to tell me off when I'm doing something that displeases her!

Cherry has really filled out in the face too

My favourite photo. Cherry is going to make a beautiful pet for someone out there.

Thorn has the longest tail out of everyone, its very cute

Thorn

And finally a few group shots:

Its still heartwarming to see the girls tucking into food

Bath time for Willow! - Apple

More bath time.

That's it for now!

In the meantime, I'd love to set up a profile page for each of the girls that I can link to the blog - I'm not very blog-savvy so if anyone out there can help me do it, please let me know! :)

Present for me!

2010-03-24T08:50:00.002+11:00

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

Cool huh?

Happy cats heal the soul

2010-03-22T22:00:00.000+11:00

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:

10 things I didnt know until the girls come along

2010-03-10T21:29:00.000+11:00

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!

What better way to spend a Sunday...

2010-03-08T10:48:00.000+11:00

...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!

A wonderful gift!

2010-03-04T20:00:00.001+11:00

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.

Willow loves chicken necks

Thorn, queen of the cat post!

Thorn, listening intently to me telling her all about her new home

This is Luna's favourite toy

Luna's beautiful eyes

Apple, and her gorgeous tail

Apple again

Apple thinks the post is pretty good!

Apple

Apple and Thorn

I love this pic of Cherry - its so good to see her out and about

Sweet Cherry

Cherry and Apple

Cherry and Apple again

Cherry

Cherry

Cherry and Apple

All that posing is hard work, so Cherry snuggled down for a snooze

And finally, here is a full shot of the post!

The one down side about having 6 cats to look after is dealing with the litter every day! Check out this, a sea of trays, argh!...

Celebrating Day 10!

2010-03-03T21:31:00.000+11:00

Day 10! Is it really? Have I only been looking after the girls for 10 whole days?! The time has gone quick, but it also seems like I've had them for longer than that. Its amazing to see what 10 days worth of love and care and food can do.

To celebrate, I want to make a couple of announcements!

Firstly, I feel like a bit of a dill, but it turns out that BOTH Apple and Cherry are desexed, according to the tattoos in their ears. This means that only Thorn and Ash need to be desexed - yay!

Also, when they are ready, two of the girls have new homes to go to! This is definitely something worth celebrating.

Ash has wrapped Mum and Steven around her little paws, so much so that the anti-cat lady has turned into cat-nan, soon to be cat-mum, and Steven, cat-dad!

I think Ash has had the deal sealed for a while:

Who could resist this face?!

Also, my friend Terri, and her husband Michael, have fallen in love with Thorn! They already have a beautiful Devon Hendrix, who will no doubt love the company of a fluffy Turkish Van!

I'm sure they will fall in love with her even more when they meet her in person.

In other news, Willow is still eating well, and is proving to be a very but unfortunately has plenty of matts in her gorgeous coat, which she has started to pull out. Thankfully someone is coming on the weekend to clip her on the weekend, in the meantime she has some unattractive bald patches! I tried to get a photo, but had no luck. The good news is, there doesn't appear to be any irritation on the skin, which means its just the matts which are the problem, not a skin condition or ringworm.

Ash is a bit matty, and so is Cherry, so hopefully with a bit of a trim they will be feeling much better.

Here are some pics from today of Willow for her fans

Hey, why are you interrupting my chicken neck? - Willow

See, I eat. Dunno what all the fuss was about - Willow

You are NOT taking photos of my bald patches, no siree! - Willow

Willow and Thorn

The new set up Mum and Steven set up is working a treat, I'm so grateful for it, its making day to day life so much easier!

Also, after not having much luck with the kitchen scales, I've ordered a fish hook style scale of eBay, where I'll be able to pop a cat in a bag, then hang it off the hook. Hopefully then I can get some more acurate weights!

That's all the news for now, all is well at the Crazy Van House :)

It takes a family to nurse 6 cats to health

2010-03-01T22:10:00.000+11:00

A pre-booked weekend to Melbourne meant we had to call in the family this weekend, to feed and look after the girls. I'm happy to report that my sister Mel, and her two kids Max and Ebony, and Mum and Steven, did a fantastic job!

On Friday a lovely lady donated 6 brand new donut beds for the cats for us, so Mel and the kids removed the cat carriers out of the pen and set up these beds and some cardboard box beds as well.

Cherry and Apple

Ash

Willow, loving the igloo donated by Pagans in the Pub

Ash, thinking the rug donated by Debbie is pretty cozy!

Donut beds get the snuggle of approval

Amazingly, getting Willow out of the carrier has made all the difference! In just one day, with a lot of love and attention from the kids, she is out and about, and eating.

Steven, pleased as punch at Willow's progress

Willow loves weetbix and cat milk!

See, I'm not a scaredy cat! - Willow

Let me do the dishes - Willow

Willow the lump doesn't like cordless drills

Mel also introduced the girls to chicken necks, which has gone down a treat!

Ash is in love with the necks, reportedly hoarding 6 in the corner, happily growling away, eating 5 in a row but not being able to finish the 6th! Understandably, a 3 hour sleep afterward was required.

Mum and Steven worked hard over the weekend too, upgrading the pen's accommodation!

Steven cutting decking to length

Steven laying fancy new decking

Voila! Flash new flooring to look after soft white feet

Mum has been busy as well! This lean-to was originally a storage space for junk, but look at it now!

With a sink, washing line, shelf for plates and plenty of room for food, this area will save me time, and leg work, and make the day to day chores a breeze. My mum, the amazing organiser! This wouldn't have been possible without Mum and Steven's resourcefulness. Thanks guys!

With the work area sorted, mum was free to do as she pleased:

Mum and Luna

Come and play cat-nan! - Luna

Feeding time is no longer the crazy feral ordeal it was - now, we're able to feed the cats without locking them into cages, and they just munch away like normal cats! Horah!

Luna loves to play

Cherry is munching away on the great kitten dry Heather donated - maybe one day she'll think grooming is a good idea too!

Apple shows us her naughty torti tail

Weighing these kitties wasn't as easy as expected however. It seems they have an average weight of around 2.5kg. The weighing basket is about double the size of this one, which is actually the toy holder, but it seemed Thorn likes this one better:

I couldn't believe the huge change I noticed in the girls when we got back on the weekend - every day we're seeing improvement, and its so good to see Willow out and about. Her new favourite spot is at the very top of the tower, taking in the views.

Today (Monday, can you believe its been a week already?!) is Day 8, another good day. The girls had visitors today - Sara from the RSPCA called in, as did Liz Bird from Hobart, fellow cat rescuer, and Liz's friend Ann. All 3 gave the tick of approval to the space and treatment of the girls, which means we don't have to split them up any time soon! This is good news, however we will be working on extending the cage area to include a second cage underneath the greengage tree.

Liz and Ann also bought up plenty of cat food, and two great big bags of bedding as well.

My good friend Rose also called in over the weekend with some donations - thanks Rose!

Also, I can confirm that Willow is desexed, and Apple or Cherry is also desexed. This means only 3 to get done, once they are ready!

It seems Thorn is feeling better now with food in her belly, and her affectionate behaviour indicates she's coming on heat soon. As one of thinner of the brood, I doubt she is ready to be desexed, but at the same time I dont have anywhere to seperate her, and I also dont want a yard full of the neighbourhood toms! So tomorrow's job is looking into a drug option to halt the calling process, to give me enough time to get her up to weight to be desexed.

I think that's all for now, I'm hoping to have some photos of Mel and the kids to share soon!

As the sun set on Day 3...

2010-02-25T09:02:00.000+11:00

The family came to visit last night, to learn the ropes and check out the girls. All the girls are now wormed, and Willow, our previous non-eater, is still munching away on her wet food servings.

When we gave them their final feed for the day, we refilled the dry food bowls. After their normal food only some of them showed interest in the dry, happily munching it like normal cats, rather than their normal starving routine!

We snuck out in the dark with a torch a half hour later, to discover some dry food remaining.

What this means is, we've finally managed to fill them! Yay! The whole family is very happy with this sign of progress.

My wonderful Mum is staying for a day, and her plan is to spend some time refining the system to make things as easy as possible, so I'm looking forward to seeing what she's come up with by the end of the day.

A huge thanks needs to go out to the lovely people from the Launceston Pagans in the Pub, who donated food, bedding and money to the girl's cause - thank you!!

Day 3 - morning update

2010-02-24T09:13:00.000+11:00

I was stoked to see 5 little faces looking out at me from the kitchen window this morning, some in the new cat tower.

But while I was getting ready for work, Robbie called out to tell me he could see 6 little faces! I thought he was mistaken at first, but no, there was Willow up on the coffee table, taking in the view.

I've been really worried about Willow, because she hasn't eaten, I hadn't seen her drink, and she wont come out of her cage. I decided this morning that if she didn't improve today, I'd take her to the vet.

But seeing her (even just for a few moments) out in the cage with the others was a sign of progress to me!

We headed out for the morning feed, and Willow was back in one of the carriers. After feeding the rest, I put some food down in her carrier, which she wasn't interested in. Mum suggested to me to dip her paw in it, thinking she'd lick her paw, but she wouldn't let me have a paw from under her. Then I put some food on my finger, and wiped it on her mouth. She tried to get away, but then stopped, licked her chops, bent down AND STARTED TO EAT! Although not the starving chomping the rest do, she ate some, had a rest, then ate some more. You have no idea how excited, relieved and more excited I felt at this point!!! It was worth getting cat hair all over my work clothes, that's for sure. I put some water in the pen with her, left the door closed but not clipped in, and I'm hoping she will eat more at lunch time.

Also, I put down some dry food for the rest in two bowls, as suggested by Cat World cat-aunties. The girls scoffed into this straight away after their normal morning meal, I'm hoping that there are no up chucks when I come home at lunch.

Phew, it feels like its been a big day already, and its only 9am!

Thanks again to everyone for your supportive messages and more - it means the world to me and these gorgeous girls.

Creating cat furniture.... for free!

2010-02-24T09:00:00.001+11:00

The next priority for the girls has been getting them some furniture to climb on, sleep on and generally get high, which cats love.

So I put the call out for anything that might be of use, and my friend Abbie came to the rescue! So Robbie collected 10 milk crates from her on Tuesday - time to get creative.

How exactly do you turn crates into cat condos?

The same way a car enthusiast will tell you all car problems can be solved, of course - cable ties! And if anyone knows how to use them, its my partner Robbie (in his best attire :P)

Then we moved them into the pen, and filled them up with rugs and pillows donated by fellow Crazy Cat Lady Meri-ann (who also helped with lunch feeding, and food, and her mum gave me a donation as well - thank you!)

Apple checking out the new steps

Luna also checking it all out

Apple thinks they smell good

Hmmm, which one should I move into? - Luna

Might just have them all! - Luna

Ash and Luna (I think!) checking out the tower

Ash enjoying the view

Ash's tick of approval

And here are a heap more pics because who could possibly see too much of these ladies!

Ash on the outside of the steps

Thorn looking about

Luna and Thorn. Sometimes they are friends, sometimes not - typical sisters!

Thorn inspecting Robbie's handiwork

Thorn thinks she looks best on the top floor

Thorn, giving me her best startled look

Apple, and her gorgeous tail

Apple. I took this pic to show you all that she is a litter flicker! I had only just cleaned up, turned around, and look at that mess!

Thorn again, she's really come out of her shell the last day or so

Luna, cute as always

Hey mum, I have the swishiest tail! - Luna

I know you're feeding me, but I still insist on chewing all the grass I can get to - Luna

How dare you call me a litter flicker! - Apple

Willow - this is how she sits all day, although I find her in a different pen regularly, so I'm hoping she's getting out and having a drink in the night

Our last girl to be named, I'm thinking of calling her Cherry. She didn't like us bringing in new furniture. Get that camera out of my face!

Plenty of people have commented that because of the fluffiness of these cats, they dont look that skinny. I'm sure you're taking my word for it, but when Ash jumped in my lap for a smooch (and she is the cutest, smoochiest head butter I've ever met!) I took these pics to try and show how thin they are:

The story so far

2010-02-23T11:41:00.003+11:00

On Sunday, I went to view a cat I was thinking about buying. Within 10 minutes I walked away with 6. How exactly does that happen?

Its what happens when a cat lover discovers that they have been forgotten - skin and bones, with no food, litter trays, beds or toys, their original owner no longer in their lives, left with someone who doesn't have the time or want to care for them properly.

I barely thought about what the hell we were going to do with them as we put all 6 in carriers and trays, piled them in the car, and took them to my sister Mel's house.

Firstly, we visited Mel's neighbour, who kindly borrowed us some cat carriers so each cat could have its own pen.

Then, I called in the family to help me save the day. My dad dropped everything and came down, took me to the hardware store (right on closing time) and helped me figure out how much wood and wire we would need to make them a pen - after all, I didn't already have the room for 6 cats at home! Thankfully Dad is a builder, and with nail gun in hand, with help from my brother-in-law Shaun, my partner Robbie and my step-dad Steven, within hours they created a 1.2m x 1.8m x 1.8m cat cage, big enough to stand in, small enough to fit on the back of the ute, with a door and everything!

In the meantime my mum is spoon feeding small amounts of kitten food to each cat.

Unfortunately the black and white girl is shitty with me for putting her in a box, and refusing to eat or drink, the rest quite happy to gulp down as much as they can get (which unfortunately, on good advice, is not very much because of their condition).

Did I mention that both my mum and my dad are not cat people? Dad's a native animal lover, and regularly traps cats on his rural property. Mum has always been a no-pet zone, calling my cats (somewhat affectionately, I must say) "fuzz balls", and can regularly be seen wandering in my house mumbling about the smell of cat food and how I need an outdoor cage... these same people are the ones who dropped everything to help me out. Even non-cat lovers hate to see animals in strife.

Scared, nameless and hungry, these girls had no idea what was going on.

Loading them up in the car, the cage on the back, we made the 100km / 1 hour trip home. Did you know that its supposed to be a character trait of Turkish Vans to get car sick? We soon did. Poor suffering Robbie didn't look like he'd appreciate the "poo-and-spew-mobil" jokes I was thinking about cracking.

At home, in the dark, we quickly emptied out the contents of one of our garden sheds, then I harrassed the neighbours to come give us a lift with the cage. An hour or so later, the cats are out, the blankets are down, and at 10pm I'm scrubbing out pooy spewy carriers. Phew. At this point I still cant believe its all really happening, and a quiet voice in the back of my head is asking me, what the hell have you taken on?

DAY 1

At 6am there was already one cat up and about, crying out across the back yard. The first feed was ravenous, except for the black and white one who is still unimpressed with me.

I spent the majority of the day on the phone - I've quickly made friends all over the place, people who do similar rescues and they have been so very helpful in giving me advice, encouragement and more. Most importantly, has been the love and support of my online friends on the Cat World forum. Words cannot describe how much their support means to me!

I wanted to spend time in the pen with the girls, but unfortunately they fight when I'm in there because I'm the 'bringer of the food' and they are all so very hungry.

The vet called in at 2pm, and said that two of the cats are emeciated, the rest are just skinny. The black and white girl should come around, and he'll get me some worm drops. He told me that the living quarters are too small for 6 cats, and to think about making more space.

The cats are so hungry its almost impossible to feed them alone - a friend called around to help, arms loaded with blankets. The call out on Facebook was more successful than expected, thanks to all those who have replied, you know who you are!

The girls are getting better with every feed, the last feed at supper had them happy and purring. We're slowly giving them names too!

The black and white girl who we referred to as grumpy, is now called Willow. She is currently out of her cage, now hiding under a rug. I'm being positive and calling it progress.

The grey and white girl who is one of the emaciated ones, is now called Ash.

Luna is red (or may be cream?), with one gold eye and one blue.

Apple is a tortie with a cute black dot on her head.

The remaining two will have names as soon as I can tell them apart!

And here is their new home, which I'm calling Crazy Cat Lady Jess' Turkish Van Centre

At this point I would like to thank my family for all their efforts, which are continuing. I knew my family rocked, but this is just unreal. I'd also like to thank the people who have donated money. I hardly know you yet you're happy to reach into your wallets for the sake of these beautiful girls. Also, those who have helped and pledged to help with bedding, food, help with feeding, and more. All your generosity is so very much appreciated!! The best cat aunties and uncles around.

That's it for me for now, I will update this reguarly with all the details. Thanks for reading!