Persian Rescue Gallery Persians come to us for a variety of reasons .......... Abandoned, cruelty, abuse and neglect, or just down to a change of circumstances. With some tender loving care and our Vets expertise , where possible they are brought back to good health and are re socialised/re habilitated and found loving new homes. We have had some very sad cases, including a cat shot with an air gun because she got pregnant, a cat tied up in a plastic bag and dumped in a skip, a cat that was kicked and beaten (and will have a permanent back injury) She has 'fallen on her feet' as the person who found her and brought her to us is going to be her new 'mum' once she is well enough to be rehomed . KARA's STORY I had a text from Annette from Animals in Need on Monday 19th July 2010 ... Someone had rang to say a very pregnant Persian was in their back garden. I went to the address straight away to find NOT a Persian, but this poor Siamese that couldn’t stand because she was so big. She was skin and bone and had obviously been living as a stray for some time We managed to catch her in a trap quite easily because she was so hungry ,bless her. I stayed up with her all night she was restless and uncomfortable and I thought she would have her kittens very soon. In the morning at 8am Sheelagh (a volunteer )came in and I told her '' I’m really not sure about Kara''I just had a feeling something was wrong, but she was eating well and just sleeping We did the usual cleaning feeding and watering for all the cats and then decided we would take her to the vets. She looked so thin and we didn’t think she would have the strength to push her kittens out when the time came. When we got her to the vet he said she would need a c-section in about an hour but they needed to rehydrate her first It was touch and go but they delivered 6 healthy kittens and one dead one, but mum 'Kara' wasn’t out of the woods yet !!! She was exhausted and all her strength had gone to her babies and she had nothing left for herself. This morning (28th) Kara came home and she’s doing well, eating small meals and has shown an interest in her babies but she is far too weak to deal with them, so Sheelagh Katie and myself are ''milk maids'' for the next few weeks 'hand rearing' the babies until they can eat on their own. 2 hourly feeds are taking their toll but we are big strong girls and the kittens need us now. This is what we signed up for when we became a Cat Rescue charity :-) Please keep your fingers crossed for our babies and we will give you updates on Mum as well. The photo is of the smallest kitten we call Monkey because of how he looks but he’s still fighting so hopefully he will make it. UPDATE 29th July 2010 Kara came home last night and this morning she was shouting for her babies so we tried her to see if she would cope with them, although she hasn’t any milk to feed them, she is busy washing them and keeping them warm and we are so happy to think she has them with her and she’s very proud of her kittens and growls at us when we get them out to feed them. :-) Sheelagh and I are a couple of Zombies but the babies are well fed, contented and growing fat and round KLA HAN Kla Han is an 18m old Blue Point Apple Head Siamese. We heard from another rescue that he had been hurt in a road traffic accident and had a fractured leg/pelvis. If he wasn't 'claimed' by his owners he was going to be put to sleep, as the cost of the surgery was very expensive. We put an appeal on our site to try to raise some money to help him and today (Sunday 25th July 2010) we picked him up from Colchester ''Vets Now'' .He travelled well and will be going in to Swanspool vets in the morning and Herman is doing the operation on him. Kla Han is the name Denise and Lorraine (Rescue in Colchester) chose for him. It’s a old Siamese Cats Name meaning very brave. And we think he has been !!! We would like to thank Denise and Lorraine for helping him and for insuring he was handed over safely. We will ensure he’s giving the best possible treatment to get him back to full health and when recovered find him a super new home. Without your kind donations this wouldn’t have been possible and we are very grateful to you all for that Please keep watching the site to monitor his progress. Many Thanks Patsy xxx 28th July 2010 - UPDATE . Kla han has had his surgery and had his pelvis and leg pinned. He is still at the vets, doing really well, but because of bruising he’s struggling to 'pee' on his own yet but has improved and all the nurses have fallen in love with him. He will be back here in a couple of days 29th July 2010 Kla han has come home today bless him . He’s doing really well and able to pee on his own now. Although his scar is a big one, he’s comfortable and eating well. He’s on cage rest for 10 days until his stitches come out. MAISIE's Story Maisie is about 18 months old and recently had kittens. She is a domestic shorthair (Moggie) She started limping about 10 days ago and had a small swelling on her right front leg . Chris (her fosterer) took her to the vets and she was given a Metacam injection and the limping stopped, but last weekend Chris rang to say the swelling had got bigger and Maisie wasn’t putting her foot to the ground. She was taken to the vets again and she went in to have xrays . In the afternoon we got a phone call and Chris and I were told the diagnosis which was bone cancer. We realised straight away that her leg would have to come off but needed to be sure that she hadn’t any secondaries in her lungs so she went in the next day for further examinations It was a very long morning for us - especially for Chris ,she had rang me that morning to say “I never thought I would be wishing for a cat to come home with 3 legs before “because we knew that if it had spread she would not be coming home. Happily , Maisie came home later that evening, although she was disorientated she was doing well. She’s currently on cage rest for a week because she needs to learn that the leg has gone and also for the stitches to heal. Please all keep your fingers crossed for her because she is a little fighter and deserves to have a lovely life. RAFA's Story Part 1 Photo of Rafa at Rushden Persian Rescue Sept 09 On Sept 9th 2009 I received a telephone call from the PDSA asking if Rushden Persian Rescue could take a Turkish Van from them. He was a 1 year old neutered male known by them because they had re-homed him 8 months ago as a 16 week old kitten. Rafa was originally taken to the PDSA with a crushed toe and his then owners couldn’t afford to pay the bill so he was signed over to them for re-homing. His toe was removed and he was neutered and re-homed 8 months later he was brought back to the PDSA because he was attacking everybody and everything, and the owners couldn’t get near him. He was placed in one of the PDSA's little cages in the Kennel area with dogs and cats in the same room but on a different side; his stress levels must have been through the roof and he had stayed there for a week. I collected him within 25mins of the phone call. I arrived to be taken through to this noisy kennel area with dogs barking and whining and at the bottom was this beautiful Turkish Van boy snarling, spitting and shaking with fear, with huge eyes looking at me. The nurse put on her gauntlets and grabbed a few towels, threw them over him and dropped him into my carrier. I signed the relevant paperwork and carried him out to the van. As I put him in he came to the front of the carrier I pushed my finger in and touched his face – that was the last time I could touch him for a week – he was a nightmare, nipping my ankles and spitting and swearing at me as soon as he set eyes on me. I would go into his pen with a broom just to push him back gently to change his litter tray and take him food and clean water, it was draining … I was really so worried he would spend the rest of his life like this. I had Feliway plugin spray, Zylkene capsules, Rescue Remedy and all sorts, just trying to cut down his stress. One vet suggested Valium for him – wouldn’t have minded some for myself !! I was getting nowhere and I needed some help. I rang Jenny Eales who bred Turkish Vans . She wasn’t in at the time but her husband said she would ring when she returned. I poured my heart out to her explaining what he was like and could she suggest where I go from here. After putting the phone down I felt relieved that he would come right in time. I spent hours with him and didn’t seem to get anywhere but one day I was on my hands and knees washing the floor in his pen and he licked my hair – a breakthrough, what do I do – I stupidly went to stroke him back and he flew at me biting my arm and hand. I could have kicked myself. The next day I went in talking away to him as I was washing the floor, he licked my hair again! This time I just carried on but still talking to him. Then he jumped down next to me (I froze thinking this is it, he could rip me to shreds!); but instead he rubbed his bottom against my arm and walked over my legs and rubbed his head on my arm; still talking to him I tried to move my hand but he was ducking and snarling; I was on my hands and knees and he was mad at me everytime I moved he went to attack. I slowly shuffled out of his cabin and into the run. He wasn’t happy when I finally got to my feet but he wasn’t attacking so I decided I was going to sit with him most of the day everyday until he would accept that I wasn’t going to hurt him. It was one evening when my son came home from work and was round the pens replacing a bolt for me on one of the doors – he then came into the house and said that big white cat with the ginger spot on his head - isn’t he lovely and fussy!!!!! “You what! ....which cat” ?? I said” …. “The one in the end pen”. We both went back round there to see him and lo and behold Rafa liked Aaron stroking him and making a big fuss. Bingo a turning point at last but what was he going to be like with me. I joined my son and we stayed with him rolling and stroking him it was great. I rang Jenny to let her know he had finally turned the corner and would be looking for a home very soon …. she had someone in mind already . On the 7th October Pippa arrived to meet Rafa I prayed he would be on his best behaviour. He needed to move on with his life and start with a loving home and someone who understood the breed as well and could be patient with him when he was stressed and unsure of himself . They loved him and understood what he had been through and were willing to give him time to settle. I was so pleased because he was going home but deep down I would miss him because he had been a big part of every day for the last month. Rafa was truly a beautiful cat and yes he was hard work but one of the most rewarding cats we have had come in to our rescue. Patsy (Rushden Persian Rescue) Rafa's Story - Part 2 Our two elderly cats (both came to us via the CTVCA (Classic Turkish Van Rescue Association) as rescues) had relaxed into a pleasant and calm routine after the sad demise of ‘boss cat’, our ginger Tom. Lots of snoozing, eating and pottering about shedding white fur filled their days. Then the phone call came; we have a rescue cat in need of a home with other cats and plenty of space. How could we resist? We had the ‘vacancy’, the space and the required feline company and soft hearts. Little did we know who and what lay in store. Off we went to the wonderful Rushden Persian Rescue in Northampton and met Rafa whose story you have just read. He was so friendly and clearly in need of the home we could provide. His sad story, clear need and our experience of rescue cats only served to encourage us to ‘do the right thing’ and offer to adopt him. After all we were veteran Turk owners and knew all about them and their needs; or so we thought. Patsy and her team at Rushden had done a lot to calm Rafa down and build up trust but the journey to London and the new environment rattled him and our first few days were marked by some savage attacks and a number of painful bites. The two old ladies went in to shock and made their displeasure felt by retreating huffily to their favourite lairs and occasionally making a foray to show this young upstart who is boss. It is amazing what a pint size old lady with 3 teeth can do to assert herself. And the fur flew. But the days went by and everyone calmed down. With persistent reprimands for bad behaviour and rewards and cuddles for good, Rafa learned to trust us, then love us, and is now a super, affectionate member of our feline family. He’s not ‘cured’ yet though; he is still nervous and on the defensive if too many people are around and moving around a lot. And for some reason he’s nervous of strange men; “my, what a fine cat…” a male visitor will say as he bends down to stroke him. “No, stop, don’t do that…” we cry, sometimes too late before the teeth have sunk in to hand or ankle. And other visitors we find with Rafa on their lap purring like an engine, soaking up the affection – more typical Turk behaviour. Weird. The old ladies are now more tolerant of the teenager, but our oldest cat who is half Rafa’s size is definitely the boss and can bring him into line with a well placed cuff of the paw. I’m not sure we will ever get rid of Rafa’s nervous lashing out and inability to know where the behaviour boundaries lie but in the main he’s settled down well and is a much loved member of our family and a fitting successor to our late lamented Tom. We and he are proud to have been selected as Classic Turkish Van Cat Association Rescue Cat of the year 2009 . As you can see from the photographs he likes his trophy very much. On Rafa’s behalf, thank you. A settled Rafa with his new owner and his trophy :-) BELLA'S STORY This dear little mite came in to our care on Wednesday 21st Jan 2010 after travelling with 8 other cats (all youngsters and some 8/10 week old kittens ) that came from a BREEDER in the Doncaster area and were turned into a Northern Rescue and eventually found their way to us Her eye was so painful and had been for most of her short life of 14 weeks. :-( I took her straight to the vets and she had her eye removed first thing Thursday morning. She's on cage rest although she comes out to play when someone can sit with her (because we then allow her to be without her 'bucket collar') . She is the most adorable kitten and has a wonderful home to go to. I wanted you all to know that this is the life of "some" pedigree cats !! It is very plain to see that these poor kittens were not worth anything to this breeder and that she/he just allowed them to suffer . Our vet told us this was an 'hereditary' condition , and that Bellas suffering could have been prevented and her eye SAVED by early veterinary intervention. Some of the other kittens also have the same eye problem that will require the same surgery :-( Rather than pay for veterinary treatment these babies were dumped into rescue, where WE have to pick up the very expensive bill caused by the BREEDERS neglect !!!! I would also like to mention out of these 8 cats, there was Bella with her bad eye, one was put to sleep with F.I.P (she was only about 10 mths old) and the other a 2 yrs old had pyometra (a life threatening womb infection) While ANY breeder can have the above problems happen to their cats, most reputable breeders do their utmost for their cats/kittens welfare, and seek veterinary attention as soon as a problem is noticed ! There are 'good ' and 'bad' breeders , and it is VERY important that when buying a pedigree cat, you do your research, ask questions, take up references (your local CATS Protection League or Rescue will 'know' some of the local breeders to avoid ! Bella is now looking great and is enjoying her painfree life at last Watch out for her updates as she progresses FEBRUARY 2010 .... Bella is now healed and the fur has grown back over the operation site. Here is a photo of Bella taken at her first day in her new home :-) Bella as she is now as an adult OLIVER'S STORY Some of you will remember Oliver the Big White boy with the poorly purple ears Oliver aged 6 yrs old, came to us from Whittering Quarantine Cattery in Peterborough. He had arrived in England from Dubai and had completed 6 months Quarantine and came to us because 5 months into his stay there, his owner was posted aboard again and felt it wasn't fair on Oliver to travel again. On the day of his arrival 4th April, I noticed he had purple ears and they were very swollen so booked him in to see David our Vet to be told there were polyps in both ears and he could be deaf. Oliver was coping well and his ears didn't bother him, so it was decided to try and rehome him and if he needed the surgery later on we would pay for the operations. A few weeks later he went home with Pat and Jim and settled well and for about 2 months enjoyed life. Then he started shaking his head and finding it very uncomfortable so they took him back to David to see if it was time to operate. His first ear was stripped of the polyps and 6 weeks later the other ear was done and Oliver coped very well because it must have been very painful for him. Although he looks the same from a distance he has now a little hole in the side of his head just below his ears on both sides. The bill was a bit scary at the time around £400 per ear but that's rescue and him being only six years old we had to help him as he has the rest of his long life ahead of him. A few weeks later I get a call from Pat and Jim to say " Oliver can hear at last " :-) David our vet felt that the heat in Dubai and the long flight was the cause of his polyps so he is not going to fly again but Oliver's travels haven't stopped . He is at present travelling France and Spain for 6 months in a motor home and is living the life of a King, and will be back in England in March 2010 and we all look forward to seeing him for his regular bath and groom. We will always be grateful to Pat and Jim Beresford for falling in love with him and spoiling him rotten WOOLIE'S Story This poor girl was brought to the Rescue very badly matted and very smelly as her owner was ill and could no longer look after her. We started to shave her down and then found the cause of the smell. She was infested with maggots!!! We all know that Persians need regular grooming to keep them ''looking nice'' and of course for the cats comfort , but it is also CRUCIAL so that the skin has air circulating around it and can breathe. If the fur becomes matted to the skin or 'poo' gets stuck in the fur, the skin becomes smelly and 'sweats' . These moist smelly conditions are just what flies look for to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch and the maggots eat their way into the cats body!!! Woolie is now healed and has gone to her new home Woolie is now called 'Jasmine' by her new owners Wayne & Wendy. She is still a 'madam' when it comes to being groomed, but not suprising after what she has been through, but they are doing a great job and we are very grateful to them for giving Jasmine a new life with them. These are some of our past Rescues - they have now been placed in new homes