reds

To Loki because it's been a while! Will catch up shortly with everyone - great to see you both back in action Clare!!

Am very glad I didn't miss this special day!!! HAPPY 6th GOTCHA MAX in a million Love from us all!

OK, the mums and kittens now have somewhere to go. I don't suppose there's anyone with cat catching experience in the B'ham area who could offer to help round them up ready for transporting? Transport is sorted. Thank you!

No-one has been able to help yet and there are now 2 sets of kittens by the same Dad, so 6 kittens in total. They are living in the garden shed and the owner of the house is freaking out a bit and bought a sonic cat deterrer. Also the neighbours have complained about the cats. Can anyone help at all with somewhere for the kittens to go?

The kittens are now out from under the decking, no joy from anywhere yet.

Thanks Lesley Jo has typed this up for me to post on her behalf: I live in Bartley Green, Birmingham B32. We’ve had stray cats living in and around the garden for a while now. Last year (before I started living there), they apparently moved into the garage when the door was broken and one of them had a litter of kittens. The garage door has since been fixed, but the cats still live in the garden (or at least hang out there a lot!). Between the three of us who live in the house, we’ve counted five adult cats. Two of them looked pretty poorly the other day and we thought they were dying, but they since seem to have picked up. They occasionally wander into the house when it’s a hot day and the back door is open. The situation got a bit worse this week when we realised that one of the cats has now had a litter of three kittens and they’re living under the decking just outside our patio doors. They’re extremely cute, but I’m sure our garden is not the best place for them! My housemates have tried the RSPCA and Cats Protection but apparently they do not come out to collect feral cats. One of my housemates spoke to eight different people at various organisations the other day, but the message was the same from all of them –the re-homing centres are full and there was certainly no way an organisation would come out to our house to round up the cats. One suggested that we round them up, take them to a vet to get them sexed, take them back home again, release them and then phone the organisation back to let them know whether they were male or female. I’m not sure how good we would be at rounding up cats, and some look pretty scary! The mum hisses if she sees you get too close to the kittens. We’d appreciate any advice/assistance. The housemate who owns the house is actually scared of cats, and it’s making life a bit unpleasant for her. Thanks!

Hello Posting on behalf of a work colleage who has 5 ferral cats living in the garden of the house she is sharing. One of the cats has kittens living underneath the decking. The cats are not fed as the owner of the house is scared of them. The CPL has been contacted but she was told that they no longer deal with ferral cats and cannot even offer neutering help. The RSPCA may be able to neuter free if they can be caught and taken to them, so this may be an option. Is anyone able to help in any way with rehoming the kittens though? I will post the precise details asap.

HAPPY 6th GOTCHA BEAU you very very beautiful boy

So very very sorry you've lost Willow Amaranth How is Winston coping?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8641702.stm

GREAT news Pendlewitch - and for your foot!!!! It would be something different Clare, if you haven't already been, and sounds like a good place to start getting back on track for your eventing goals. Condition of course is that you have to tell us how it goes and take some pics

HAPPY 5th GOTCH TIGGER GAWGUS!!!

Loki is stunning Clare!! He must look fabulous strutting his stuff under saddle. And he is out with play mates now? Are you getting back to fitness? Wanda should have her own comic strip! Hope she gets the all clear on Friday and a once yearly injection sounds a fair enough deal I have good news (limited to as soon as I say it so as not to alert fate!): Duke has been out for about 12 hours a day since he was turned back out a couple of weeks ago and there is noheat anymore in his white foot. Both are indeed looking much rounder now as well

How was the lesson Gooster? Am feeling very and Went out for a ride this morning to find all the corn fields dry and so the intended hack turned into an hour in the sunshine, riding round the farm tracks - didn't have to even look at a road!!! I love this time of year

The image of being relaxed and happy!

Wanda - but she always looks so mature and sensible in her photos - I sense a con Thank you for the reassurance They are certainly making the most of the fresh good stuff! The last few days of rugless activity and evidential remains leads me to conclude that C and D have been engaging in mutual grooming Am so pleased about that because Duke and Squeak used to groom every day and I felt sad for Duke to lose that bond. I think we do indeed have friends So Cabbagepatch - what was the damage? ;)

Incredibly sorry Wishing Duncan comfort too.

Sounds good Clare!!! Spot on about them being back out together, it's a sight for sore eyes and especially to see them eating all that lovely grass again. Duke still comes in overnight and I linger till the last minute so they can carry on stuffing before C takes up position at the gate for the night They were looking very belly satisfied tonight. I do have a pic from Duke's first day out, but it shows how skinny they are (. C's history was dropping weight in winter but with so many weeks of not grazing properly or eating hay, we've got some building up to do. Both need muscling up so a good excuse to get Duke out once he's shod. I daren't feed him conditioning feed though now we have grass back but I might be being a little bit paranoid

Earl You and he are very lucky and I was thinking his weight looked good before I saw your comment!! Glad everyone is doing well and being brave! C and D have been rugless this last week or two on and off and last night Duke even went without a stable rug . Agree to the flyrug suggestion but make it a very fine mesh as even with that on they can sweat when it's hot. Grit your teeth (literally I know) and enjoy the rug free months whilst they last Once the moult is over and with dry ground, the grooming's not bad. Duke went out after two weeks box rest for the first time last week and loved it and was fine on his plastic shoes, I was worried he'd slip but all ok (touch wood). Need to get some weight on both of them but at least the grass is back now, thank goodness! I mucked the field out in a T-shirt today )

Thanks Gooster, he was a brilliant boy for his feet and has been a happy patient. You should get someone to video you - see the efforts of your hard work! Hope the move goes well tomorrow Clare

As far as I'm aware I'm not diabetic so am 'assuming' this is "normal" - this is where Fugees come in!! If I haven't eaten properly, say gone without lunch or dinner for whatever reason then after a few hours I feel very sick, hot, physically shake and feel like I'm about to pass out. I feel fine after I've eaten but feels awful at the time. Is this what people mean (in general not specifically referring to diabetics) by saying their blood sugar is low? Thank you!

Nope, can't see why he'd pull his shoes off He looks fantastic! Good question about Cornish, thank you for asking Clare. He's basically just hanging by the gate and refusing to go to the bottom of the field and eat, just pecking at the grass around him now and again. Hence he's on three big feeds a day to try and stop him from losing any more weight than he already has. He only picks at hay/haylage as well so it's not an easy task! Any weight gain tips/advice very much appreciated. Going through bags of food at quite a rate so forage that he would eat would be nice otherwise he's pretty much only eating when he gets a bucket.

Lessons sound great Jayne and you seem much more confident!! Good news that the chipped bone is hopefully not a chipped bone too - owners must be very relieved to put it mildly. Clare You're not self-pitying - you are just airing your very justified anguish, just a plan to go to plan is all that you're asking for!! GreatBrilliant that Loki is otherwise well though (I whispered that too). Duke had his imprint shoes fitted today and by all accounts was a total star - the vet said she thought he was wonderful because he was so well behaved and cuddly - Duke and cuddly made me but he can be a big soppy boy when he wants to be and does look quite cute with his winter coat. He's been really good in his stable whereas in his youth he'd have been banging to go out within about 1.5 days! I think he's quietly enjoying his home comforts and has gone all pipe and slippers ;). Good news was that, apart from his one foot, she said his joints were in excellent condition and that there were NO signs of arthritis That's wonky legs for you but I'm so pleased to know that. Bad news is that he has another 2 weeks of box rest and then daily turn out if the ground is dry. They could see from the xray that at one point of his foot there was only quarter of an inch of sole and ater paring the foot to fit the shoe she could see the bruisng . Explains why he couldn't cope with stones when ridden barefoot. The technician was telling my Dad about a horse they had been caring for who passed away aged 43! I told Duke I'm expecting him to be around for another 15 years at least