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Calendar GiveAway - Here's your chance to give a calendar to someone who would love one but can't afford it at the moment. Just send their name and address to Pip - RobertCalendar23@gmail.com  and she will send them one. This has been suggested by a very kind follower who has donated the cost of the calendars and postage. 5 calendars are available, first come first served.

Poor Felix

Felix is dead.

He was found in a side road next to the allotments by a person on their way to work.  He was staggering round in circles and at first it was thought he had been hit by a car.  He was taken to the PDSA by the person who found him and the vet discovered  that he had a tumour on the side of his head.  There was no hope for him and he had to be put to sleep.

He had lived with us for three years and was the first cat to be re-homed to us. He didn't enjoy living indoors so it was decided that he should be an 'outdoor' cat. He joined our group of feral cats and lived quite happily with them, especially Triangle and Janet.

Felix was quite friendly with people he liked and would jump up onto their lap for a fuss.  He especially loved Ken and would follow him everywhere and check out Ken's shed for treats.

He was a real little character and will be missed.

The cats have their own shed now

We have been a bit worried about the cats not having anywhere warm to shelter during bad weather but one of our plot holders came up the good idea of putting up a shed which would be solely for the cats to use.

We bought a small 6' x 4' shed and put it up in a sheltered area at the back of our meeting room where the cats were used to being fed.

We've cut a space for a cat flap in the door but we haven't fitted one yet.  It might be best if they get the hang of going in and out first.

Psycho didn't have a problem knowing how to get out, but she is a very clever cat.



Their food will be put inside the shed from now on - this is Psycho and Felix tucking in this morning.

Cats Protection very kindly donated some 'Cat Castles' for them to sleep in.

Just in case anyone doubts that because we feed our feral cats they won't be interested in catching rodents - here's Psycho with her latest snack.









 She played with it for a time,

and then she picked it up and started to eat it. The crunching sound was not very pleasant!

No need for posh beds

Felix doesn't seem to care where he sleeps. I'm not sure what this was originally, it is made of a perspex type of material so probably gets nice and warm.

He also likes this upside-down cardboard box

A dry shelter

I used to feed the cats on my plot inside the polytunnel in bad weather. Unfortunately the polytunnel disintegrated in the recent bad weather which meant the cats had no shelter for their food.

I searched around my plot and found an old school table frame. I covered it with some advertising banners (from a local supermarket). I know it looks very tatty but the cats don't care.

E.T. went in straight away and started eating but Wanda decided to wait outside and watch me.


This is what it looks like from the side

When Wanda had finished watching me she did go inside for her breakfast.

Sad news

Sad news - we found Keith, my lovely plot cat, dead inside a water butt this week. We don't know how or why he climbed in it but once in he must have been unable to get out and he drowned.

I had been looking for him because I hadn't seen him for three days and it was a terrible shock to find him there. I have been making sure that all water butts have a top on, or are emptied and turned upside-down. Easy to be wise after the event, I know.

An old bread crate makes a good cover and will not come off accidentally.

The three Plot Cats, Keith at the front with Wanda and E.T. behind him.

Some people are very brave

I am still quite wary of letting Psycho get too close to me, even though she seems desperate to do so. She has scratched me a few times, and because I am not used to cats and their behaviour, I don't feel very safe around her.

However, one of the plot holders at the allotments does not feel the same way about her.

I had a shock when I looked over to where Psycho was feeding and saw Shirley bending over and stroking her.

Amazingly, Psycho just carried on eating and didn't attack Shirley.

I really will have to overcome my nervousness about touching her. And have a First Aid kit ready for when I do!

Felix's new friend

I was so glad that I had the camera handy today. Felix was fast asleep on the scarecrow and didn't even hear me take the photo.

Waiting for me

The four plot cats come to meet me every morning when I pull up in my car in front of the plot.

Wanda and Psycho have a quick rollover in the road while E.T. and Keith head towards the path.

E.T. comes back to check that Wanda is alright.

On the plot, Wanda decides she will get a better view from on top of my old desk.

I gave her a few treats, she loves them!

Janet

Janet is getting more confident and runs over to me every morning.

She seems to want attention and loves me to stroke her. Janet was such a shy kitten and would run away as soon as people went anywhere near her but she has changed recently. I try picking her up every day but she still isn't too happy about it. She never tries to scratch or bite me though, thank goodness!

Sometimes she lies on her back, purring.

Keith and E.T. like this shelter

I covered a small frame with netting to use as protection from cats on some vegetables. I left it on its side while I got the seed bed ready and when I looked at it again, Keith and E.T. had made themselves at home in it.

The plot cats love to go inside or underneath things that I put down to protect the crops I am trying to grow.

Keith and E.T. loved this bread tray.

Triangle is dead

A very sad day today as Triangle was found dead in a pile of logs. She had been involved in a road accident outside the allotments and had managed to get back inside but then died.

Triangle was the kitten who I found in Felix's cage when we first had him last August. She became the tamest of all our ferals and was my absolute favourite.

We are not sure why she left the allotments unless she was being chased or was frightened of someone. The allotments are set well back from the road and she never went near the fence.

I will really miss her. She used to come to me for a fuss every morning and loved me to pick her up.

Psycho has started jumping up onto the table while I am potting plants.

She seems to want to be as close as possible to me, which is a bit worrying!

She's a real allotment cat

Although Psycho still occasionally swipes at me, she is starting to behave more like a 'normal' cat. I had cats as a child, but never as an adult so my knowledge and experience of them is limited to our allotment ferals.

Psycho follows me everywhere. Sometimes it is impossible to walk down the path because she will fling herself down just in front of me.

I had to laugh today when I saw where she had settled for a sleep - inside a seed tray!

Helpful Psycho

Psycho decided to help me plant some strawberries today. I was just about to dig a hole for one when she plonked herself down and stuck her paw under the covering.

I thought it would be best to wait till she moved before I continued planting.

Wanda and Keith are such lovely cats and really friendly with each other.

E.T. is quite nasty with the other cats. She doesn't seem to like any of them to go close to her.

Wanda is getting friendly

Wanda seems to becoming more friendly since she's been neutered. While I prepare her food she actually rubs against my legs, just like a 'tame' cat would do.

Most people wouldn't be happy to be covered in cat hairs but I think it's fantastic that she trusts me enough to do it.

Welcome back E.T.!

E.T. is back! She suddenly appeared a few days ago and has been back every morning since. She will happily share her food with Keith and Wanda, but none of them will tolerate Psycho coming near them.

Being neutered has not changed Psycho's behaviour for the better!

Still no E.T.

Nobody has seen E.T. since she was returned to us just over a week ago. I am getting quite worried about her now. It could be that she is just keeping out of my way and goes to the plot for food once I have left, but I don't know. She was always the most timid of the cats so maybe the experience of being trapped and then going to the vet has made her worse.

We managed to trap E.T. last Thursday and she was taken to the vet for her op. The poor thing was absolutely terrified in the trap but calmed down slightly when I covered it with a blanket. She came back to us the same afternoon but I haven't seen her since.

So all seven allotment cats are neutered now. It wouldn't have been possible without the help of the North Birmingham Cats Protection and especially Jenny, who is a volunteer for them. Jenny took the cats to the vet and brought them back again afterwards, nothing was too much trouble for her.
It's such a lovely feeling to know that there will be no more unwanted kittens and our allotment cats can enjoy their lives with us.