Newsletter May 2023

We gratefully acknowledge the enormous generosity of our sponsor, Robert Tinsey, Solicitor (ABN 18 633 166 743) who since our charity was established in April 2020, has to date donated to us a total of $15,000.00.

BMD services towns and villages within the Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Bathurst, and beyond.

Emergency Cat Rescue - Hoarder Situation - Lucky

We are absolutely broken-hearted to let you know that beautiful little Lucky has passed away. Lucky was the first of the kittens to be rescued from the hoarder situation in January.

During a procedure at the vets last week, Lucy went into cardiac arrest. They tried their absolute best to get her back, but unfortunately, she didn’t make it.

We cannot thank Hartley Valley Vets enough for their compassion, incredible care, and kindness. We know that they felt her loss as deeply as we have, and we appreciate all their work throughout Lucky’s life to keep her as healthy as they possibly could.

We have all admired the tenacity of little Lucky’s spirit, her incredible ability to overcome obstacles, and her absolute sweetness in the face of the horrible things that she had faced. She was our special girl, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking to say goodbye to her. Any funds donated to Lucky’s ongoing care will be used to help her siblings and other cats in care, as every cent given to us goes towards the care of the cats and kittens. We hope all those who have followed Lucky’s journey and contributed to her ongoing care find some peace in how much you all loved her, and how much we all loved her.

Fly high little Lucky, know how loved you are, and rest easy.

Update:

The last four months have left us reeling both emotionally and financially, but we have hung in there by the skin of our teeth thanks to the support of so many wonderful people. We are so grateful and cannot thank everyone enough.

All the cats and kittens rescued from the hoarder situation in January have been desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and flea and worm treated. Below are updates on Smiley, Roger Ramjet and Wee Willie.

Smiley:

Smiley recently saw a specialist as he was having difficulty seeing. He had tests and an x-ray and he has trauma to the brain because of injuries he suffered prior to coming into our care. This has caused slight brain damage which impairs his vision at certain times. The specialist said he was not in any pain, but bright lights cause him discomfort. Other than this he is a very healthy kitten and so sweet and affectionate.

Smiley is a special needs kitten and needs someone special to adopt him. He would be best suited with another cat who is not aggressive.

Smiley is approximately 5 months old, desexed, microchipped, first vaccination and flea and worm treated.

Microchip number 991003002147364.

Roger Ramjet:

Wee Willie:

Roger Ramjet and Wee Willie are Smiley’s brothers. They are a bonded pair, and both are special needs kittens who, like Smiley, had a very tough start and deserve a loving home. They must be adopted together – they cannot be separated.

They are slightly cross-eyed and have a peculiar walk, but this doesn’t hold them back. They are the two most affectionate kittens and just purr and purr.

They are approximately five months old, desexed, microchipped, first vaccination, and flea and worm treated.

Microchip number: Roger Ramjet: 991003002147373; Wee Willie: 991003002147377

Now up for adoption, Roger Ramjet and Wee Willie also need someone special to adopt them.

Happy Endings:

Mango: Remember the three ginger kittens featured in our November Newsletter, Archie, Chillie and Mango. They were all adopted. This is Mango.  Doesn’t she look so happy and contented.

Maverick: He is such a character. He wants to go shopping with Karen

Jazman: is the little grey girl above. She is so happy in her new home.

Pixel: enjoying a snooze. He is such a lucky boy to have been adopted by Rozlyn.

Pixel: with his new pal.

It is wonderful to get updated photos of the cats and kittens who have been adopted and to see how happy they are in their new homes.

Who knows what sort of life these cats and kittens would have had if they had not been rescued and then adopted by such wonderful people.

Possum:

This is Possum. Last Monday we were contacted by Tania asking if we could help her as she had rescued a pregnant cat who was hanging around some shops in the Lower Mountains. She had taken Possum to a vet and been advised that Possum would probably give birth in around 2 weeks.  As no other groups were able to help her, she brought the cat to us.

Possum gave birth very early the following morning to 3 kittens but sadly 2 were dead and the third only survived a few minutes.

As Possum was in distress and, as Christine believed she had another kitten inside her, she was taken to the vet for an x-ray and ultrasound. There was another kitten which was also dead.

Possum had a very bad infection and was treated with antibiotics and pain relief. She was also skin and bones.

She is doing very well. Thank you to Tania who didn’t just ignore her and leave her where she was. Who knows what would have happened to the poor little thing if Tania hadn’t stepped in.

Possum is such a sweetie despite everything she has been through. We hope to find her a loving home once she is desexed which will be in approximately six weeks. Possum is around 9 months old.

Once again Hartley Valley Vets was there for us when Possum needed urgent vet treatment.

Thank you also to the Pet Health Hub at Lawson for their continued support in allowing us to place our cats and kittens in the Hub for adoption and caring for them while they are with them. Many adoptions have come through the Pet Health Hub.

Make sure you visit the Pet Health Hub at Lawson and meet the kittens who are currently up for adoption.

Foster Carers URGENGLY NEEDED:

We are still in urgent need of foster carers.

There are always more cats to come into care, and we need your help to keep going.

If you would be able to house one or more cats in foster care, please contact Suzanne on 0414 953 992.

We would assist by providing food and litter.

We would be so grateful to hear from you.

Emergency Rescue of Six Kittens – Update

Below are the six kittens found in a plastic bag in a Plumpton park in February. They were just two weeks old when rescued. Look at them now. They have all been desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, flea and worm treated and are looking for their forever homes.

“When the kittens arrived at my home, I examined them (a few were dehydrated) weighed them all, checked their temperatures, sterilized their teets and bottles, and promptly made them a bottle of milk. I then gave them some worming kitten medicine and then bottle fed them. 

Once fed, I sprayed some frontline kitten flea spray on them as they were absolutely covered in fleas and eggs.

I then made a comfy bed and turned on a heat pad to keep them warm. The biggest killer in kittens is dehydration and the cold (kittens under 4 weeks of age cannot maintain a steady internal body temperature and therefore rely on an external heat source to keep their body at an appropriate temperature. Typically, kittens will rely on their mothers for bodily warmth but when orphaned they must have an alternate heat source at all times. The kittens were then bathed and combed with a flea brush for a few consecutive days and then dried with a hair dryer.

These kittens are the friendliest I have ever raised. They follow you around like puppies and meow meow to pick them up”.                

Lindi

We are so grateful to Lindi for fostering these tiny kitten. Not only did she take on these 6 kittens, but Lindi also cared for two other litters of tiny kittens who had lost their mothers at around two weeks of age.

Our Katoomba Op Shop

Don’t forget to come to our Op Shop at 114 Bathurst Road next time you are in Katoomba. We have lots of winter scarves, hats, and gloves if you are feeling a bit chilly. We also have so much to choose from, you never know what treasures you might find.

Thank you to Janet, who has again made her lovely hand-knitted dog coats for sale at the shop. You must be quick, so you don’t miss out as they are always snapped up.

To All our Supporters:

We would like to express our enormous gratitude for the support you have given us in these especially tough times. In the circumstances we hesitate to ask but should you be able to further help us in any way, shape or form it would be greatly appreciated and enormously helpful.

Become a Member and Join Us at BMD Cat Welfare:

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*This newsletter is printed free of charge thanks to a kind supporter