A day in the life of C4C

Last week C4C had an email from Andrea, a holidaymaker who had been staying at a hotel in San Antonio bay. Andrea was very concerned about a feral mother cat and her kitten who she had seen on a regular basis around the pool area of the Hotel. She explained that they both looked very underweight and the kitten was scratching an awful lot.

So C4C despatched a volunteer to visit the hotel and investigate the situation. Having got permission from the 'cat loving' Hotel Director the hunt was on for the kitten and mother. One concern, however, was that the kitten was still very young and so very dependent on it's mother. The mother was described by the Hotel staff as extremely protective of the kitten and also very wary of humans so she rarely came into the pool area. She tended to sit on the wall or in a tree watching the kitten. This could make trapping her quite difficult.

This was a potential problem; we couldn't take the mother without the kitten and we didn't want her to fret if we took the kitten to the vets without the mother.

In the end the decision was made quickly when we spotted the hungry kitten.
As the mother was not around and the kitten needed to be checked over by a vet it was decided to take it quickly to the vet whilst leaving a trap, under constant observation, in case the mother returned.

Within a couple of hours the kitten had been checked over, de-flea'd, had the usual vitamin injection and antibiotic all C4C rescues have and was able to be released back in the hotel before 'mum' knew he'd gone!

Now - the next problem!
The kitten was underweight and needed feeding on a regular basis. Stuart, who managed the pool bar (where they both hung out during the day), was happy to feed them each day and supply fresh water.
The Hotel Director was more than happy to give permission for this to happen and so a hasty 'cat cafe' was set up and food provided to the Hotel so that both mum and kitten could feed in peace each day.

A return trip to the hotel by C4C confirmed all was well...and although we'd just missed the kitten at the 'cat cafe' the Hotel Director and staff confirmed he was looking much healthier.

C4C will return later in the year to try and catch 'mum' so she can be neutered and returned to the Hotel which is a lovely safe environment for her and kitten to live, as well as being full of caring staff.

Andrea very kindly wrote to the Hotel Director thanking him for his co-operation which is so important to C4C when they are operating on private land. It is also refreshing to find Hotel people who care about feral cats and are happy to have them around.

Thanks Andrea! And thanks also to Toni, the Hotel Director and Stuart!

Little Geisha

When the C4C team was out trapping in San Antonio in the early hours of a July morning they started at a derelict house that had been identified by Angela (founder of C4C) on her last visit as having a number of adult cats needing to be neutered.

We pulled up outside the house and whilst myself and Tracey unloaded the traps and cages from the car Debs went to investigate where the cats might be.

A few minutes later we looked up and there was Debs walking back to us with a raggedy little kitten which had runny eyes, acute diarrhoea and the sniffles.

This little kitten, who Deb's nicknamed Angel, had struggled forward from under some undergrowth calling out for attention as if her life depended on it...and sadly it probably did.

The photos show the before and after:

the first one shortly after she'd been found when she was on her way to the vets. Look at her sad eyes.

the second is after she'd spent a few weeks being cared for by Charlotte

She was very tame so Debs was able to cuddle her very easily so we wrapped her up in a soft towel.

'Angel' was taken to Toni the vet for a full check up whilst the wheels were put in motion to find a safe place for her to go in the short-term whilst attempts were made to re-home her either on the island or in Germany.

Luckily the kitten wasn't too bad health wise, although like many street kittens she was underweight. Also lucky was the fact that Charlotte had contacted C4C to help catch and neuter some cats living wild at the stables she used for her horse. When Charlotte heard about 'Angel' she kindly agreed to foster her short-term until we could get her to Germany.

Fast forward a few weeks and Charlotte and her husband Danny were so much in love with her that they decided to adopt her! This was fantastic news for all concerned!
If kittens can be re-homed on the island that is by far the best outcome.

So now little Angel has been re-christened Geisha which is a beautiful name for this very loving kitten. Charlotte says Gheisa is full of fun, enjoys being cuddled and loves to distract them when they're trying to work! She is also helping Charlotte's other cat Isis grow in confidence as she has always been quite a shy cat.

Charlotte has sent some lovely photos which we've scattered throughout the story...hope you enjoy them as much as we did. It is so heartwarming to see a previously unloved, unhappy kitten struggling for survival become a much loved part of someone life. This last photo is our favourite! How cute is that?!

Remember always...if you'd like to offer a cat or kitten a home, or be a short-term fosterer than do please get in touch! We'd love to hear from you.

A Very Happy Ending!

During the week care4cats spent working in San Antonio enevitably there were occasions when kittens were found. Some were motherless and others were in a dangerous situation near major roads and so needed rescuing.

One of the lucky kittens rescued was little 'Toni' a beautiful siamese kitten that had been found by a lady shopkeeper in a compound at the rear of her shop. Toni was motherless, hungry and trapped in the compound, as it was impossible for him to escape to get food as the walls were too high for a kitten to get over.

The lady was feeding him when he was discovered but of course didn't want to continue too long with the responsibility. Also, the shop was closed all day Sunday which was far too long for a kitten of his age to be left without food, water or company.

It was very likely that if he was left in this situation he might not get any food and starve.

Thankfully a home was found with Sabine and Klaus in Cala Llonga and little Toni was rescued from a hard life fraught with difficulties and taken to a home full of warmth and love.

Beforehand he was checked out by our vet Toni in Puig d'en Valls (who he is now named after!) who confirmed he was a boy, about 8 weeks old and a little too thin for his age. We worried a little about his big tummy but all was well after a few days when he settled down into a routine on kitten food.

This little chap is now on the way to full health and is loving his new home! Sabine tells us he is very intelligent, affectionate and enjoys being carried around resting on her shoulder. As he's a siamese he's also enjoying having a chat too!

We've included lots of photos as we think he's such a cute kitten! Enjoy them...especially this one where he's taking a nap!

And remember - get in touch with us if you feel you can give a cat or kitten a home, it really is So rewarding. Contact Jaki via email

URGENT APPEAL!

Care4cats has come across three abandoned cats that are living in empty houses in San Antonio...obviously left behind when the tenants moved out. Now they wait for their owners to return, which sadly will probably be never.
Two of these cats are so loving that it's a tragedy to see them without a caring owner so we're desperately searching for a home on Ibiza for them. All they want is a lap to sit on and an owner to cuddle up to. Can you help them?

We call two of them Big Bertha and Princess.
Big Bertha is most definately the boss and is always first in line for snuggles and tickles. In fact she'd rather have an ear rub than food!
Princess, a beautiful long haired black and white cats, definitely likes her food, but is always there for hugs too. She was spayed in May when we discovered her and was pregnant - so thankfully we prevented kittens being born.
Bertha is older and we reckon has been spayed. She's most defintely the boss and keeps all the other 'feral' cats that visit her 'patch' in line.

The third cat is a shy and slightly nervous Siamese. He's a boy...and very sad.
He loves tuna (which Bertha has decided she doesn't like) but never pops next door to say hello to the lively twosome. He would need a very patient owner to bring him back to the loving cat he was.

If you feel you can help give one, both or all of these cats a loving home please contact Jaki who would love to introduce you to them. Or leave a note on the blog and she'll get in touch with you.

We've posted a photo here of Bertha looking very enigmatic! I think she's wondering why we're taking her photo and not tickling her ears!

Well Hello Dolly!!!

BREAKING NEWS:
NOBBY IN NAME AND SEX CHANGE SCANDAL!

You'll remember our story of Nobby - the kitten found in the drain (see it earlier on in the blog) well it looks like there's been a recent shocking development!
Warren, owner of 'nobby', told us:
We took the kitten formerly known as Nobby to the vet again yesterday. The first thing we asked the vet was what sex is it? He declared the kitten is a "Senorita"
This is several weeks after he told Judy that he could tell its "a chico by its face" and pointing at its non existant male genitals after she had told him she thought it was a girl. The kitten is now called Dolly.

And here she is...looking very girly!

Preparation for the visit

The week has been busy preparing for the visit to the island of Debs and Tracey who are giving up a week of their holidays to trap, neuter and return (TNR) cats in San Antonio town. Angela is also arriving to help for 5 days inbetween fund raising activites she's inolved with in the UK.

Supplies needed to be gathered so off I set to collect at least 10 transportation cages from the store-room at the Zodiac Apartments in Es Cana that Bonnie kindly allows the charity to use. As you may or may not know Ibiza was in the grip of a major heatwave...just the weather for humping heavy cages from storeroom to car! Still I lost plenty of calories..so all was well!

Next it was over to the newspaper pressing factory that allows us to take mis-printed newspapers. These are vital to put inside the cages so that the cats are comfortable and clean during their captivity. They often have to spend 24+ hours in the cage as being feral they can't be handled.

Then covers for the cages had to be sourced and organised. These covers are important as they're used to put over the cages immedietely the cats are caught in the trap. It helps to calm them down - so the cages are always kept in darkness.

Finally it was off to buy some food supplies: dried food for feeding the colonies of cats, tuna for trapping and tins of meat for the tame cats living on the street.

Tracey and Debs arrived Saturday night and we all met up on Sunday afternoon to plan our assent on San Antonio. Just with our rudimentary knowledge we reckon there are at least 10 colonies of stray/feral cats in the town...so a lot of work to do over the coming months.