You've been Tango'd

It's been quite a week at RSPCA Manchester and Salford Branch. Last night I was still reeling from it all and today I'm simply knackered. There has been so much activity and some major things occurring that taking stock for the blog is a far bigger job than usual.

Stand out moments are always the rehoming of animals, but this week has been particularly special as we have found homes for some of our beloved dogs: Teebo, Kia, Lucy andBenjamin. Not all have gone yet but we will hopefully see them bark off to new horizons pretty soon. We've also found forever homes for 3 adult cats and 4 kittens and there's yet more to be viewed, including some of of our hard-to-home cats. But probably my favourite of the week was Danni the bunny being given a shot at happiness. She's been with us since November last year and finally a home has been offered to her with a wonderful lady in Selby.

After a handover at services on M62, Danni is settling in to her new home. Let's hope the bonding works with her intended works out.

One of my lasting memories of the the week was from Tuesday morning. I'd gone along to the RSPCA animal hospital to collect a mum and five kittens and ended up coming away with a bit more...an extra 4 kittens, and an adult cat and 2 guinea pigs. As I was driving along somebody did a poo. It was torrential rain so opening the windows wasn't an option. The smell was so bad that I had to pull up and clean up. It turned out to be mummy cat's poo and it had got smeared all over the kittens too. It was only 9.30am and it felt like it was going to be a very long day from thereon in!

The poo culprit, Poppy. Pictured relaxing in her foster home.

The 2 guinea pigs had been  found the day before by a member of the public. They were stray and very underweight and probably around 5-6months old. I can honestly say we've not had stray guinea pigs before. Abandoned, oh yes, but not actually running loose on a street. They've been named Ingrid and Rita and we have to keep hold of them for a good month in case they are pregnant. Quite mysteriously their genitals were swollen and it made it hard to sex them. All in all these girls are lucky, but for our sake please keep everything crossed they don't have porklets!

Rita and Ingrid have not stopped scoffing since arriving at their foster home.

This week has been memorable for other, less exciting reasons that are all part and parcel of running a branch. For example, after over 3 years of negotiating a new tenancy on our Chorlton shop/office we finally signed a new one, which meant 2 years of back rent to pay along with solicitors fees and sundries. Instantly £40k was wiped from our accounts. Obviously we'd kept the money to one side but the 'deed' was quite horrible and unsettling seeing our reserves diminish so dramatically.

We also found out this week that the kennels we use for our dogs are retiring and closing up. This means we have a few weeks to relocate. I also have a monumental secret I can't share just yet and we've found another retail unit to let and had our offer accepted. This latter bit is both incredibly exciting and colossal. Our fourth shop is going to be in the Northern Quarter next door to the Manchester Craft Centre! But very soon a whole truck load of work will be unleashed and I'm just shoving all that to one side for now until the lease is signed, and then I'll have a nervous breakdown.

So, as you can tell, there's never a quite such thing as a quiet week at the branch, but I did nearly have a full day on Thursday of peace and quiet. And do you know what? I found it boring! There's no pleasing some, is there?

Next week is starting off with the challenge of finding foster homes for 3 cats, first thing Monday morning. Again, I'm shoving that to one side and waiting for the answer to land in my lap because sometimes this management strategy works just fine. Like with the 4 kittens below.

Our Debs opened her home to the kittens, much to my relief. One has a boggley eye and might have to be removed next week. But for now they are greatly enjoying being in a home. Both pairs abandoned.

So, now time for some seriously cute pictures of some of the babies in our care....

Frankie is 6 weeks old and going to be a giant lop when he grows up.

One of Poppy's kittens captured after a feed.

Thriving babies after a week or so of worrying about their mummy Summer who was very poorly indeed.

The last thing I wanted to share was something that was sent to me this week by our foster mum Mel. For me it is a poignant tribute to the work our wonderful foster carers do and a nod to the crazy critters that bite and scratch and claw  their ways into our hearts.

Mel has Tango in her charge. Tango is one of those young cats that's just jolly hard work and to be honest I feared we might not find him a home. However, a newspaper appeal in the Salford Advertiser this weekend has come up trumps and the folks aren't in the least bit phased by his boisterous behaviour so here goes with....

The Real Write Up on Tango

"If you want your cat to be a cuddly, fluffy bundle to be held close to your heart this NOT the cat for you. If, however, you get the fact that to many cats we are simply the hired help and in Tango's mind he is a lion in his own backyard then this is the boy for you.

 

You don't get looked at sideways unless he wants something. He has no interest in the fabulous scratch post donated by my neighbour but has recently decided to try the walls...these seem to suffice.

 

If you dare to eat tinned, or heaven forbid, fresh fish you will be meowed at in the most crackly ear piercing way until defeat is admitted and you hand over the required amount.

 

Any space left warm will be jumped into and claimed for exclusive use of Tango.

 

And finally, you will continually fall for the "I'm so cute I need a tummy rub" ruse and have your fingers savaged. And yet as I sit here Tango has just strolled over, flopped down and given me the biggest purr and again I'm in love with this cheeky, naughty, little blurr of orange. Bugger I'm such a sucker!