Animals and Shelters

Nick-H

This one?

Maybe even this one.

This one could be pretty nasty, and you would be very well advised to stay fare away from these guys.




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birds

Seems like this thread is really alive now, that is good.

From project experience I have learned to ask the following questions:

- How can this continue when I am not here
- Will this be sustainable even without care/interest
- How can it be build so it will require the least maintenance
- If repairs are necessary, can they be done cheaply

Perhaps this can also be applicable on the cattery.

One more thing on toys, one thing which seems very resistant are cricket balls (heavy, red, tennis ball size, you can buy them in many Indian shops). We have had one for two years now and six dogs have not been able to chew it to pieces.

Prashant.M

The wet one was really pissed off. Thanks Nick, that made my day.

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capt_mahajan

Reservoir cats

Nick-H

I'm afraid that some of the LOLcat and even LOLwalrus stuff (I was muttering to Mrs N about having had my bucket stolen in the night) has even been taking my mind off IM recently.

The difference between small cats and big cats is, at least in attitude, not so much.

Cats tend to play rough with me... People say they never see their cats like that with other people. I used to have permanently scratched hands. Someone suggested that cats recognise the kitten in me... I wouldn't want that to happen with a tiger!

Here's a way to keep the more intellectual cat amused for hours

And anyone would be seriously crazy to take on this one

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Noodle

That wet cat looks like it's melting or something. They must have used a conditioner

But Nick, I'm disappointed in you! That gang is in a very friendly mood, indicated by the tails that are held high! Cats that want to attack you crouch and keep their tails low. Or: cats that want to impress and scare you will have fur that stands up, including their tails, so they look bigger.

The last picture is more like it ...

Exactly birds, that's what I'm thinking about. I know that that shelter is under-financed and under-staffed, so I try to make it as easy as possible for them.

Toys shouldn't break/dissolve or be a hazard that needs to be watched. Material should be rinse-able. Etc.

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Noodle

Well, it seems at the moment that we won't do the cat enclosure after all, or maybe will have to do donate it to another animal shelter.

10 days ago the fabricator had all the stuff ready prepared (fence parts ready to be welded together, all painted, rods cut etc etc). So we called Jeev Raksha to agree a day to start putting the thing into place. The following Monday was agreed - and then Lila called and cancelled it. She wouldn't really say why, she was vague. So I waited a few days and contacted her again. She asked if we could come and talk with her about everything 4pm the next day was agreed.

When I arrived the following day (that was last Saturday) with the fabricator she was in the bath and let us wait half an hour. Then she came out and said she has to leave now and doesn't have time. I tried to get her to tell me what is there to talk about, surely all had been agreed on? No, she said, she wants to have the whole area tiled first, trees felled, all levelled out etc, and then we could build the cat enlcosure "later". Her tone was like she's giving orders.

First of all, she doesn't have money to do this, she actually asked me if I could pay for it (I can't), and second that would take much more time, and the fabricator can't store the stuff indefinitely. From mid-August I will also be very busy, so it was quite important that the cat enclosure should be finished fairly soon. But most important, I didn't want the cats to have to wait even longer in their tiny cages. We can build the enclosure now and tile around it later on.

She would have none of it, in fact she suddenly became really weird and unfriendly with me. Even though she had been the one who had asked us to come and see her, she now said "come back later" and "come back on Monday" etc. Her whole demeanor said "Leave me alone, I'm not interested". I almost begged her to let us get on with the job, but she then turned and drove away in the car.

The fabricator and I were very puzzled and annoyed. Others who had been standing by said she was very disrespectful.

Someone also told us that she has plans to put partitions into the enclosure, to make several small cages out of it - which is not at all what we intended it to be! I and the people who donated the money wanted it to be a large cage, or at least larger than the ones the cats are in now, so that they have more space to run and play.

I have talked with several people here and have also mailed all the donors in Germany, almost 20 people. Most of them say I should decide whatever feels right for me since I can judge the situation best. Six have immediatley said, there are other animal shelters, why don't you donate to one where people appreciate it better.

I'm now thinking about that.

Right now I'm just giving it a bit time to digest. I'm pretty surprised at how she talked to me (as if I'm some kind of irritating insect?), I don't really get it. People who work there said she is often so moody and unfriendly, so it can't be only me.

Well, anyway, am quite disappointed now, I was really looking forward to this. Feel really really sorry for her cats who will probably be staying where they are and live a miserable life ...

birds

Oh Noodle, I am so sorry to hear this! This is certainly not what you deserved after all your hard work and enthusiasm!

I wish there was something I could suggest but I guess you tried already various things.

Is it possible that initially she never believed the cattery would happen and now it does she becomes greedy? Or is it that she has a different concept of what a cattery is? Or is she just an utter bitch?

Don't despair, often in India such situation turn out for the better in a strange way. Just wait a few more days and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

shashank.aggarwal

Even I would say so...give it some time..just cool down for few days and see how the things progress...

But you should not approach her now..let her come back to you..maybe give it a week from now..if she comes back discuss everything in detail and tell her how exactly you want things to be done before you part with the money (I hope you are the custodian)...

Or else work with some other shelter...

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Prashant.M

Her attitude seems to be ungrateful and dis-respectful. There is also more to it than what meets the eye. I don't want to jump to hasty conclusions because she is also taking care of a lot of homeless and abused animals. Maybe you can approach her some other time when she is feeling more friendly or you can ask the people who work for her to find out what changed her mind.

Noodle

Maybe both. Certainly the second, so it seems. And that is the point some of the donors find really unacceptable. They asked me to get a 'guarantee' or a definite promise from her that she will not alter the enclosure and put partitions in. And I'm trying to explain to people who have never been to India that there are no guarantees in this country and that promises are not neccessarily meant to be kept

Maybe she just had a really bad day? But this tiling job she seems to have been planning for the past few weeks. Why didn't she tell me? Why can't we talk about it and find a solution? On Saturday her attitude was "It's my way or the highway".

Yes, I will wait a little. The fabricator has said he can keep the things for another week in his shed. After that I will have to find another storage place.

My vet knows her. He was laughing when he heard this, in the sense "I'm not surprised". She seems to have a reputation for being moody. But I have never seen her like that. She has always been polite with me in the past.

My vet immediately came up with three other shelters here in Pune: Noah's Ark, The Kitty Club, and Beauty Without Cruelty (he wasn't sure if the latter actually shelters animals though).

If you happen to know of any others let me know. Thanks for offering help! Sadly you're far away. I could use someone who supports me here, goes there with me and talks with her. I'm not very good at sorting out crazy problems

Was thinking of your Swiss friend ... if I had the space I would now keep the enclosure and open my own animal shelter, and do what she does! But I don't have any space at all.

Noodle

That was exactly my thought. I can't bring myself to call her now. I mean it's absurd, like I'm begging to donate something? So I decided to wait a week and see if she contacts me. Somehow I have the feeling she won't.

Yes, all the money is with me. I have paid part to the fabricator so he could buy and prepare all the material.

Prashant, what do you mean by that?

Noodle

Actually I have an inkling why she seems so opposed suddenly.

The truth is she's getting really old and frail, and I can very well imagine that her authority is starting to slip out of her hands. People might start making decisions without her, things are not done in the way she wanted them to be done etc. And now the next generation comes (in form of me) with new, modern ideas and a lot of energy ... so there might be some jealousy mixed with fear of losing her place? (Although I certainly don't intend to take over the place! )

Prashant.M

Do it for the cats not for her.

I think that she has changed her mind for some reason but she is not telling you. Maybe as birds mentioned she now wants more.

Noodle

The question is will the cats really have a better life once I put up the thing?

The other thing is that she didn't even want me to build it. She wants this tiling job first ...