Lois Reay
September 2nd 03, 12:52 AM
Cheeky was born one of four kittens to a wild cat on a industrial estate
where my partner Ken works, they lived in the long grass and under a disused
old shed, they were very skittish and frightened of people but hunger bought
them out of hiding.
Ken would take food to work for them and also *collect* food left over from
the other workers lunch’s and smoko’s, they had a very varied diet, apart
from cat food they dined on French fries (chips to us) burgers, pies,
sandwiches’, spaghetti, you name it they ate it all, I gave him the food
that my cats had left, plus I brought the odd tin or pouch for them. Ken
would take the food out, calling for them, they were getting used to him,
they would come out of hiding, the Mum and four Kitts, he would rattle a tin
lid, the mother would run off, the kittens following her, then slowly they
would return, Ken would put the food down and then back off, Mum and the
kittens ate like it was their first and last meal.
Weeks turned to months, the kittens were getting very brave and would be
waiting for Ken when he turned up for work at 6am; he had a favourite, a
beautifully marked ginger female. We talked about seeing if we could catch
them and have them desexed and released back on the estate as they knew that
as their home (by this time other workers were chipping in with bringing
food)
When the kittens were about six or seven months old the Mum and three of the
kittens disappeared, never to be seen again, left behind was the ginger
female and a litter of kittens just a few days old, their crying alerted Ken
to their plight, he gathered them up and took them to the RSPCA, we like to
think that they were fostered and found loving forever homes.
Kens boss offered to pay for the spaying of the remaining kitten, she was
eventually trapped, spayed and released, and she was now the official
factory cat. Someone bought in a bed for her, another person a couple of
food bowls, cat biscuits and tin food is now found in the canteen, she has
become very cheeky and will wander into the factory, and has been found
reclining on the day bed in the canteen.
Cheeky (a few names were tried but because of her cheeky and outgoing nature
Cheeky she became) is now around twenty months old, she doesn’t like to be
picked up but she will jump up onto someone’s lap and settle down for a
sleep, she likes to be stroked by someone she knows, she is still suspicious
and wary of strangers and not for her now the food of her past, she has
become fussy, she demands and gets the best………….. And so she should!!
That is Cheeky’s story.
Lois
where my partner Ken works, they lived in the long grass and under a disused
old shed, they were very skittish and frightened of people but hunger bought
them out of hiding.
Ken would take food to work for them and also *collect* food left over from
the other workers lunch’s and smoko’s, they had a very varied diet, apart
from cat food they dined on French fries (chips to us) burgers, pies,
sandwiches’, spaghetti, you name it they ate it all, I gave him the food
that my cats had left, plus I brought the odd tin or pouch for them. Ken
would take the food out, calling for them, they were getting used to him,
they would come out of hiding, the Mum and four Kitts, he would rattle a tin
lid, the mother would run off, the kittens following her, then slowly they
would return, Ken would put the food down and then back off, Mum and the
kittens ate like it was their first and last meal.
Weeks turned to months, the kittens were getting very brave and would be
waiting for Ken when he turned up for work at 6am; he had a favourite, a
beautifully marked ginger female. We talked about seeing if we could catch
them and have them desexed and released back on the estate as they knew that
as their home (by this time other workers were chipping in with bringing
food)
When the kittens were about six or seven months old the Mum and three of the
kittens disappeared, never to be seen again, left behind was the ginger
female and a litter of kittens just a few days old, their crying alerted Ken
to their plight, he gathered them up and took them to the RSPCA, we like to
think that they were fostered and found loving forever homes.
Kens boss offered to pay for the spaying of the remaining kitten, she was
eventually trapped, spayed and released, and she was now the official
factory cat. Someone bought in a bed for her, another person a couple of
food bowls, cat biscuits and tin food is now found in the canteen, she has
become very cheeky and will wander into the factory, and has been found
reclining on the day bed in the canteen.
Cheeky (a few names were tried but because of her cheeky and outgoing nature
Cheeky she became) is now around twenty months old, she doesn’t like to be
picked up but she will jump up onto someone’s lap and settle down for a
sleep, she likes to be stroked by someone she knows, she is still suspicious
and wary of strangers and not for her now the food of her past, she has
become fussy, she demands and gets the best………….. And so she should!!
That is Cheeky’s story.
Lois