Orpington Cat Rescue

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Happy Endings

Lucy

Dear Foster Parents Peitra and Garry

Apparently I am now old enough to write my own updates, so here I go.
I have had a really good week, I was frisking and frolicking about on Monday and knocked all my new Mum's mugs off the tree, smashed them all - bulls eye.
When she was out on Tuesday I smashed her jardinière in the hall and trod wet earth from the plant pot all over the hall and up the stairs, great fun.
Yesterday when she was on the phone I smashed her nail varnish pot and it has set hard on the the kitchen floor, they are now having a meeting about how best to remove it. I heard her say to my new Dad that she has had some naughty kittens in her time but I take the biscuit. Well that must be good because I love biscuits.
The big ginger cat, Jasper, my new brother, let me sleep on the bed with him last night but the big fat grey cat, my new sister Jemima, wouldn't come on with us. Never mind, one down, one to go!! Can't win them all.

Having a simply smashing time

With love from Lucy xx

Josie
The story of Josie we first had a call from a builder’s yard in Orpington saying that they had seen a cat around in a terrible condition and was not sure how long it had to live. I tried to help and get a better picture of when the cat was around for food they was leaving out so that I could take the trap round. Two days passed and the person at the yard said they had not seen the cat lately but would call when they did. A week later I had a call from a lady who lived a couple of streets away but had seen the cat herself and what poor condition it was in. Emaciated, dirty under nourished and in desperate need of treatment. The lady had made calls to various charities (including the RSPCA) involved an explanation from them that they had no room for the cat should I be able to catch it, and what would I do with it if I was able to catch it.
This kind lady was willing to help trap this poor creature so we took the trap to her and she began a feeding routine. In the meantime another resident said that her dog caught the cat when she was scavenging in her dustbin.
Celia Hammond Animal Trust became involved and finally helped to trap the cat as it was decided that a manual trap would be better which Celia Hammond has, she is now in the care of Celia Hammond Animal Trust with the fosterer who trapped her.
What a marvellous job by not only the lady who spent hours on the phone trying to find a charity to help her but also to Celia Hammond Trust for helping and finally trapping poor old Josie. A happy ending and a lucky little cat to be saved at last!

Richie's Appeal

PLEASE READ THIS STORY AND GIVE A HOME TO A CAT THAT HAS FINALLY BEEN SAVED FROM A LIFE OF MISERY AND NOW LOOKING FOR A HOME TO CALL HIS OWN

Richie

Richie had been around as a stray for many years People had said that he had been seen around locally for over 8 years, sleeping in bushes and eating off the street. Until one day he turned up on a kind mans front door step very thin and bedraggled. You can see by the picture his neck was red raw, he walked with a limp and could hardly chew the food he gave him. He used to come late at night to scavenge for food which they left for him in the bushes as he would not go near anyone he was so nervous and terrified of people. He would often be seen waiting on the other side of the busy road for a break in the traffic so that he could cross over. He also was often seen being bullied by a group of stable yard cats cornering him this must have been how he got all his injuries.
He disappeared for a few days and the man assumed he had gone or even worse something had happened to him. Then one night he re-appeared looking in a more dreadful state sad it was then they realised other animals had been taking the food that had been left out for him. Because he could hardly move about we managed to give him some food, and then suddenly from that day on it became a daily thing.
Trying to build his trust and strength up the man finally managed to get a charity to help him that’s when we stepped in and tried to set the trap for Ritchie to go into so we could get him to the vets but it took them several attempts & days. Then we are glad to say that the man managed to gain his trust get him indoors and coax him into a cat carrier with food where he nearly escaped forcing and breaking the door. He taped up the door with brown tape and tied it with string and rushed Ritchie to the vets they treated him for his skin, sore neck, injured leg, pain relief, his teeth were rotten hence his trouble to eat so they removed all of them except 2 he was also neutered, given worm & flea treatment and micro-chipped. Unfortunately because he was a feral he was un-home able so he went to a friend of ours who runs another cat charity and has a lot of land for the ferals to roam & be free but get plenty of food & gain veterinary treatment when needed via using a human trap.
Ritchie had been there for several months, Then one of the volunteers notice Ritchie’s eye was weeping so they kept note of it but then in just a few days he became very quiet and lethargic and not wanting to eat it was then noticed his eye had got infected and puss was coming out. Unfortunately for Ritchie because he had always had to fend for himself for so many years fighting became a way of life to him thinking he always had to try and fend not just for himself but also his food. Amazingly they actually managed to get him in the cat carrier with no bother because he was so weak, once at the vets he was given sedation and was diagnosed with an eye ulcer on his third eye lid. The only treatment for this is to either remove the third eye lid make a fresh one using excess tissue inside the eye or removal of the eye. So it was decided to try and save his eye have the new third eye lid made and stitched but it would take over two weeks to know if it was a success and he could have the stitches removed. So I collected him from the vets and it was decided he needed a more one to one care to recover and he came back to Orpington Cat Rescue to convalesce. To my amazement every day I just did a little more with him keeping his eye clean. Fussing his head and chin but as he was wearing a buster collar this did make things easier as it was not so easy for him to attack me. . Which gave me more confidence to try my luck more and more with him I can now stroke his back, tail, he lets me fuss him all the time he chats to me and craves my attention and company. He gets onto my lap now and even lets me kiss his head and wet nose.
Obviously it had helped Ritchie being with people coming & going and trying to socialise him at the other cat sanctuary but they could never get more than a couple of strokes on his head.
We then realised this poor little fella just wanted to be an only cat not to be threatened anymore or fight and was making up for all the lost years of TLC he was now so craving and loved. It has brought tears to my eyes every day seeing him blossom and looking forward to every new stage in his remaining years of his life and all what he has missed out on.
Ritchie has now had the all clear with his eye he has improved even more now and we can now pick him up & cuddle him. Ritchie is about 12 we think he just needs a kind loving home, an experience cat owner as an only pet, if you would like to be that person please gives us a call we would love to hear from you.
Please give our Ritchie a chance of a home he is a very special boy and would make an ideal companion.