Queen and Latifa

Welcome to the third Q&L guest post. I'm really pleased about this post because, as an enthusiastic supporter of my local RSPCA branch, I want to be able to do everything that I possibly can to help them out. I can rarely afford to give them actual money, but I can give them my time by doing visits for them, give them spare clothes for their charity shop, and shamelessly plug them on my website!

This is a guest post from Susie Hughes from the Manchester and Salford branch of the RSPCA. I've only known Susie for about 9 months (funnily enough since I adopted 'Tifa), but she is a strong and passionate advocate of animal rights and protection which I respect a lot. Susie is the kind of animal lover that I could never be: she doesn't have favourites and is a vegan. I can't imagine a life without bacon butties, and am unashamedly biased in favour of cats.

So thanks go out to Susie, and if anyone else would like to write a guest post, please get in touch.

Have fun,

M x

*****

When Mark called our office to ask if we had any house cats he wasn't given much choice. With more and more people living in apartments these days the demand for indoor kitties is really high, so there was only one option and that was 'Tifa.

Since this encounter, as you will all know, Mark's life has changed unequivocally, and some might even say for the better. Our lives at RSPCA Mcr & Salford have also been enriched as we now have a wonderful supporter and volunteer in Mark whom we dispatch off on a weekly basis to check out potential homes for our cats - a role that Mark was undoubtedly made for.

However, 'Tifa really is one of the lucky ones as all too commonly this year animals have been discarded like the rubbish and left to fend for themselves. I'll give you some examples - in September I was contacted by our regional press office saying that an animal sanctuary in Liverpool was overrun with abandoned rabbits and were we experiencing the same. I just laughed and said this was the worst year ever for rabbit abandonments - I counted up and 18 out of 22 were as a result of being callously abandoned in boxes, hutches or set loose to fend for themselves. This prompted radio coverage on BBC GMR and reporters coming round to my house to marvel at the number of bunnies bunking down with me (actually, it's more me bunking down with them).

This last week or so has been gut wrenchingly depressing because of the number of cats we have as a result of abandonment, the fact that Christmas is seeing off potential new homes, and the reality of what it means when we turn animals away. Currently we have 33 kitties, with the capacity in our cattery for just 11. And out of 33 a whopping 30 are as a result of owners abandoning their animals. Many have been found as ill or injured strays, the others left in properties where the occupant has done a runner.

Tabs

Tabs is just one of these felines. His owner lived in a swanky apartment in town. He was a foreign student that ran up heaps of debt and when he got into trouble he went running back to China, but left poor Tabs behind without any due care or consideration as to what would happen to him.

Dogs aren't exempt from any of this either. We currently have 4 out of 9 dogs that have befallen the same fate, including Prince, whose owner tied him up outside Asda in Sth Mcr and never returned, and we have Henry and Sasha - 2 of 4 dogs whose owner left them behind when they moved out. Admittedly our dogs have usually come from more neglect and cruelty complaints but it just goes to show that nothing is sacred anymore in these terrible times.

I could go on and on and on, but I won't cos I'm depressing myself, but just to say that if you adopt an animal from the RSPCA you can be sure they will come neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, which generally means you will save a whole heap of money than doing it yourself. For example, to adopt a cat from us the fee is £50 but in reality it costs our branch an average of £290 per animal to 'rehabilitate' them ready for adoption, the adoption fee doesn't go far but it helps us and has to be better than lining the pockets of a 'business'.

So, I will leave you with this thought....pets are not a commodity they a family member; just like children they are vulnerable and dependent upon us to have their needs met; they are characterful bundles of joy that enrich our lives beyond measure. Please don't get an animal on a whim, they are there to be treasured, respected and obeyed, not thrown out with the rubbish when you have tired of their ways.

Susie Hughes

I may not always agree with his politics, but Steve Tierney is a friend and I enjoy reading his lively blog. He is a fellow geek and Conservative Councillor. The focus of his blog is politics, but he also indulges in other topics (such as geekery). He is also a particularly brave chap inasmuch as he asked a Liberal Democrat to write a guest post on his Conservative blog. I thought that this was admirable, and an interesting concept. Guests posts are an interesting idea at the best of times, but guest posts from someone that isn't obvious is a great idea. 

This got me thinking, I'd like the occassional guest poster too - both obvious choices and more unusual choices like the Liberal Democrat on Steve's blog. Perhaps someone who is a 'dog person'? Or a self-confessed cat hater? Maybe someone who works with cats or other animals?

Any guest post would have to be loosely linked (and it can be very loose) to either kitties or gayness, but if you're up for it, why not get in touch? Please contact me with your concept for a guest post if you're interested.  

Cheers,

M x

I'm dead chuffed!

It's something that I've wanted to do for a while, but this was my first opportunity to attend the training: I am now officially an RSPCA Volunteer Home Visitor. I have a certificate, and everything!

My new volunteer work isa vital part of the adoption process for rescue cats from the RSPCA. I have opted not to do other animals as I'm not really aware of the issues involved with animals other than cats, but it is possible to be a home visitor for any rescue animals. I am responsible for going to potential new owners' homes and assessing whether they'll be appropriate owners for the cat that they want. I remember Beth, the Home Visitor who came to my flat, being particularly lovely: you're there not to just check that everything is appropriate there for the people to become pet owners, but also to offer advice that the potential new owners might need. If the people pass, you then subsequently do a second visit to check that the kitty has settle in and that everything is okay for both the people and the kitty.

It's an opportunity for me to give something back to the wonderful people whom I got 'Tifa from. It's also an opportunity for me to meet many, many kitties! Hooray!

If anything interesting arises from any of my home visits, I'll be sure to post something on Q&L!

M x

This cute kitty is my friend Alex's cat called Zaney:

Now, we won't be renaming this blog 'Queen and Zaney' any time soon, but I did feel like I'd 'cheated' on 'Tifa the other day!

Let me explain...

When I wake up in the morning, almost without exception 'Tifa will have settled herself either in my lap, on my feet, or nuzzled up to my leg. It's lovely to wake up next to my princess, and to get early morning cuddles while I struggle into consciousness.

So while I was in London, it wasn't so much the strange bed(s) that I was sleeping in that bothered me, but the fact that there was no diva kitty there when I woke up. I really missed having my kitty there when I woke up. All except for Thursday where, yes - you've guessed it, I was staying at Alex's and I awoke with Zaney in my lap. Now, as much as I adore Zaney, she is not the diva kitty and as such, I couldn't help feeling guilty: like I'd cheated on my princess.

All was fine Monday morning though, I awoke with 'Tifa on my lap and she was particularly affectionate. So I reckon I got away with it!

M x