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C-L-A-W-S Tula
Tula   Tula

Tula

TULA had had a wretched start in life.   She had been living rough trying to care for her kittens, when little more than a kitten herself, she was attacked by some dogs.

Eventually she was taken into care by another cat rescue but, sadly, her troubles weren’t yet over as the owner of the rescue had 5 dogs !     Her previous experience was indelibly etched on her mind so, as you can imagine, she was terrified.   She became more and more agitated and was unable to settle so she was transferred to C.L.A.W.S in the summer of 2014. She is now aged 9.

It took a long time before we saw even a hint of her relaxing.   We use the same "method” with all cats coming into care, varying it slightly to more closely fit their needs.

For instance we spotted Tula playing with a  little ball so exploited her interests in toys to persuade her to interact with us.   We sat in her pen talking quietly to her and gently pulling a fishing rod toy across the floor She watched this for what seemed like weeks until one day she stretched out her paw and touched it !   (See photo)  Since then she has become more confident which has drawn her closer to her carer.

Then her favourite toy was a silver stick at one end with a long piece of thread attached to it and at the other end a funky chicken.   The red thread fascinated her and she spent hours catching it as her carer pulled the chicken up and down.   It was particularly pleasing that she began to play with it on her own.  She also liked a fluffy  "tail” attached to a stick and clasped it in her paws whilst rolling on her back.  Wonderful !

She still enjoyed her treats but was torn between whether to play with her toys first or have some treats !

Her progress remained erratic.   Any attempt to touch her and she flinched and rushed into the corner of her pen.    

When we sadly lost the Divas Tula and Ziva joined Minstrel  and Tina in their pen and over the years have become a  well knit group.

Tula is more relaxed and, in good weather, lies in the sun.   She is more friendly with Ziva and Minstrel and Tina if she is on the ground rather than the roof.

She even comes up to the fence of the enclosure and  takes treats offered by her carers.

Remembering what a scared  cat she was when she first arrived It is great to see her so much happier now.
     
Nancy
Nancy

We were contacted by a member of staff at Cliveden when she noticed that a cat she and a colleague had been looking after came for breakfast one morning with an injured tail.   She thought it might have been attacked by a fox.

It had been resident there for several years and had been named Pussikins. When Beverley arrived with a trap the cat was there and she was able to look at the wound.    It was not a bite but a long wound which might have been made when the cat got caught on a thorny bush or entangled on barbed wire.

She set the trap and suggested they back off in the hope the cat would enter the trap.   In the meantime one of its "carers” leaned over grasped the cat in both hands and put it in the basket.   It was taken to Alma Vets for treatment.  It was a female and was micro-chipped so the first thing to do, apart from administer pain relief and antibiotics, was to contact the microchip company so her owners could be traced.  Her owner had died about 4 years ago and the contact telephone number was her daughter’s who, though unable to offer her a home, has been following her progress with keen interest.

The cat was called Bo Bo and disappeared within a few weeks of going to live with her mum who resided in Taplow so she hadn’t strayed far.  A waiver of ownership form was despatched for completion by the daughter which enabled treatment to commence.

She was sedated so a thorough examination could be carried out.   Her tail was badly damaged and had to be amputated.   Her pelvis had been fractured (probably as a result of an RTA) It had been left to self-heal as a result of which it was now crooked so that her hips were twisted (causing her to limp)   Her left back paw was causing her severe pain so it was X-rayed.  There was no physical injury  :  the vet thought it might be a touch a sciatica so she will be on pain relief for the foreseeable future.
 
She was discharged into C.L.A.W.S. care with the full support of the 2 staff who had cared for her at Cliveden.    One of them has already been to visit her.

We called her NANCY (because of the Aster connection with Cliveden).  Since taking up residence she has developed quite a personality, growling menacingly when one of theo ther cats comes to see her.    It is a case of her growl is worse than her bite !!  She comes out of her bed to greet you and sometimes sits beside you.   She has started to play with her toys – a mouse suspended on a piece of string is one of her favourites.   She is constantly "humming” to herself – it’s as if she is going up and down the scales.

She needs lots more time and intensive care so she will stay with C.L.A.W.S at least for the winter so she can regain her health and strength.