The Fur Garden

17/06/2023

Our foster, Mr Zeus is ready for his new home!

Zeus is such a sweet, loving and cuddly cat.

We can't imagine how anyone could just leave this sweet boy behind when moving, however, unfortunately, that is what happened to Zeus.

We hope he has a safe, loving and quiet home in his future, where he can rule as king of the castle ❤️

05/06/2023

As some of you will remember, 4 of our current personal cats - Lazarus, Leroy, Mittens and Tallulah - we found in our back garden December of 2022.

We knew their parents were nearby, as we had seen them living in one of the apartments on the other side of our complex outside on the balcony.

Since then, we have periodically seen one of the parents wandering the back garden.

Initially we thought this cat was their mum, however, once we caught this cat back in early May, we released he is actually their dad.

We started asking questions of some of our neighbors, and we have have reason to believe this poor boy was just abandoned when his previous owners moved out.

He did not have a collar, was not micro-chipped or neutered, and when we caught him he was covered in fleas, had worms and had an wound/infection in his foot. We think he is between 1 and 2 years old.

We have named him Zeus, and he has had a vet check up, and is now neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinations and is FIV/FELV negative. He is a hefty boy, and weighs just over 5kgs.

While outside in the garden, Zeus was quite timid and fearful, even if approached with food. We and a young family had been feeding him on an off, and he only approached us when his foot was too painful for him, and he needed some serious help.

We have come to find that Zeus is extremely cuddly, and just wants to be a house cat. He enjoys hanging out with us, sleeping in our bed and sitting on our laps, as well as playing with our other cats.

We can't understand why anyone would just leave behind this sweet, cuddly and friendly boy.

He doesn't need to worry anymore, as he has been adopted by a close friend of ours, and will stay with us until they are ready for Mr Zeus to move in.

Happy days, Zeus!

05/06/2023

A few updated pics of our little foster Peck.

She is currently settling in with our friends at Meow Sanctuary and will be waiting for her new home 🥰

05/06/2023

Hey all it's been a while.

Just a lil update, our little orange boy Link was adopted 😍

He and Peck headed over to our friends over at Meow Sanctuary to continue their journey.

Since then, Link has found his new home with his new human slaves and is thriving.

We miss him so much, and I did have a big cry for 3 days when I saw he had been adopted, but we are so happy that he's found his permanent home. He even has a fur sibling to boot!

Peck is still waiting, and has been struggling to find her place, but she is starting to figure it out and is becoming more comfortable at the rescue everyday.

We are still able to go visit Peck every now and then, but we do still miss her cute little face and her cheeky shenanigans 🥰

16/05/2023

The day we have been waiting for has come.

Our little fosters, Link and Peck have left the nest to find their furever homes.

They are currently settling in at the rescue, getting used to all the new smells and faces.

We're hoping they will find loving new homes with their new humans slaves to serve their every whim.

While finding them permanent homes was always the goal, we are still sad to see them go, as we have spent the last 10 weeks bonding with them, watching them grow and hit all their milestones and building their confidence.

We'll miss their unique personalities, and forever cherish the laughs and smiles they brought to us every day.

Link and Peck, you'll be missed so dearly, but we know you will both thrive in your new homes when you find them, and bring years of joy and laughter to your new families ❤️❤️

07/04/2023

Our little Peckling is now weighing in at 950grams 😱

This chunky little baby is around 9-10 weeks old now, and as soon as she hits 1kg, she will be ready for spaying, microchipping and her first juvenile vaccinations 😍

Once Peck has healed from her surgery, she will be on her way to the rescue to find her furever home and human slaves.

She's been such a little treasure, and has a truly nice personality and temperament. It's been a joy to watch her grow and find her place in our home. She's a fiery little thing, but a big cuddler too, loving to sleep in the bed with myself and CatDad, and with our own tribe of cats.

While we are sad that eventually she will no longer be with us, and we will truly miss having her little face around, we know she will find her family that will love her and give her a life she deserves, and that fills us with so much joy, and is the whole point of fostering little babies like her.

17/03/2023

Many of you may not know, but small kittens have trouble regulating their body heat to keep warm.

We've all seen the "kitten cuddle puddle", when small kittens all cuddle up on top of each other when sleeping or hanging out. Even adult cats will do this, as cats in general prefer to be warm and toasty.

This isn't just a cute quirk, it serves the purpose of helping kittens to maintain their body heat and stay warm.

Staying warm keeps a kitten happy and healthy, and helps maintain body functioning, such as their digestion, sleep patterns and waste elimination.

Unfortunately for small kittens, typically under 6-8 weeks old, getting cold can mean death, so staying warm is top priority for survival.

Sometimes a kitten cuddle puddle isn't an option, as is the case with solo kittens.

Kittens on their own need to be provided a heat source they can snuggle up too, but also something they can easily move away from so they don't overheat.

Our go to has been a microwavable wheat pillow, but there are plenty of other options too.

And honestly, with kittens so small like our master survivor Link, sometimes being a pocket kitten is unavoidable.

However, this can be good bonding time, particularly for sick and solo kittens, as they will have a constant heat source, as well as a strong heart beat to make them feel safe and calm.

As with adult cats, kittens should be provided comfortable and warm bedding to sleep and hang out in.

Come winter time, your cat or kitten may want to come sleep in your bed to keep warm.

If your cat or kitten cannot sleep in your bed, providing a heat source such as a microwavable wheat pillow or a hot water bottle will help your fur baby stay warm.

10/03/2023

Link has returned to The Fur Garden!

After having similar symptoms to little Zelda, he stayed with our friends at Meow Sanctuary to recieve treatment and to recuperate.

He is now back to his mischievous and bouncy self, and has now made friends with Lady Peck.

Peck herself was taken to the vet after we had seen blood in her urine. Tests were run, and were inconclusive, however she was started on a course of antibiotics and pain relief, and already seems to be much happier, and most of all we have seen cessation of blood in her urine.

We did discover however she had worms, which have now been treated.

It did take Peck a while to warm up to Link, but they now sleep and eat together.

Peck has also started to be more active and comfortable in her surroundings, and no longer hisses at us when we walk past, or pick her up to check on her and cuddle her.

Link, of course, is his obnoxious self and demands to be held al the time.

07/03/2023

We have been bathed, fed, watered, wormed, and now safe and secure in our snuggle bed.

We've called this little furbaby Peck, and she weighs in at 610grams, making her about 6 weeks old.

07/03/2023

Around 9am this morning while I was getting ready for work, and CatDad was on his way to an appointment, he found this tiny baby at the end of our street being attacked by birds.

CatDad jumped into kitten catching action, jumped out of his car and collected this poor baby.

He then rang me to come downstairs to help him, as in fear she had hidden under the seats of his car.

After a quick check over for wounds, she was placed in a carrier with a blanket, food and some water.

She is quite dirty, and will receive a bath to treat for fleas and fungus, and will be given worming tablets also.

07/03/2023

Unfortunately over the weekend, we lost little Zelda.

We aren't entirely sure what happened, and we did what we could to preserve her life, however we had to make the decision to let her go. We believed it wasn't fair to her to keep her hanging on and suffering.

We then had an emergency with Link and Chip, who started having the same symptoms as Zelda.

We managed to save them, and they appear to have recovered, however we are still continuing treatment to ensure they don't start to get sick again.

Unfortunately, due to being so small, little kittens like this can get sick very easily, and deteriorate very quickly.

We try all we can to keep these babies alive and healthy.

Hug your furbabies, and hold them close, as the unexpected can happen at anytime.

01/03/2023

Little update.

We've now been named Zelda (cream/orange) and Link (orange).

We're big eaters, and have started exploring the play pen.

We love to sleep and play on our heatpillow in our cat cave.

We aren't yet toilet trained, but we are learning.

01/03/2023

We've been a bit quiet here due to having no fosters.

However, our friends at Meow Sanctuary messaged us last night about 11 kittens who were brought into our local vet.

Meow Sanctuary were able to take 4, and of those 4 we are fostering 2 until they are ready for their furever homes.

Our new fosters are teeny tiny babies, probably somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks old judging by their weight and development.

Ideally they should still be with their mum, however, life doesn't always go to plan.

Their eyes are open, they are taking tentative, wobbly steps, are super talkative, and are eating quite well.

While we have been bottle feeding, they do have some teeth and are likely ready to start on solids.

We believe the cream/orange kitten is a girl, and she is weighing in at 246grams, while the orange kitten we think is a boy, and he is weighing in at around 310grams.

Our resident cats are in various states of processing the new additions, however Joey is taking it quite well, and snuck in to have a look and a lick.

24/01/2023

While cats can do well in a single cat household, cats thrive in a multi-cat household.

Contrary to popular belief, cats are highly social creatures, and engage in many social traditions and rituals throughout their day.

The popular image of the aloof moggie that swipes at their humans can definitely be true in some cases.

Like humans, cats have very distinct personalities, and many likes and dislikes; some cats just aren't all that interested in their human companions, or even in other cats.

In other cases, this reluctance, or even fear of humans, can be due to abuse, neglect and lack of socialisation throughout their life.

However, many cats are very socialable, and crave the attention of their humans and/or other cats or pets in the household, and can express their love and affection for you in many ways.

This can range from staring at you from across the room, to meowing and chirping to get your attention, or to rubbing against your leg or jumping into bed with you at night time.
Our 1 year old girl Sprinkles isn't very into having a cuddle, but she will bring her mouse to us so we can throw it for her to chase, a favourite game of hers (and ours) to play.

If you are considering adopting a kitten, please consider adopting at least 2, particularly if you aren't able to be home most of the day to hang out with them.
Kittens are highly energetic, and need lots of attention from you to maintain their mental and physical health.

Lonely cats and kittens can get bored and destroy things, and can also develop anxiety when left on their own for long periods of time. Having a friend to hang out with when you arent home will be highly beneficial to your cat or kitten.

Please also consider adopting and older cat. Yes, they may have some health issues that may add some cost to your monthly bill, but older cats are still able to love, play and hang out with you just as much as a young kitten.

Our current clan of cats range in age from 12 weeks, up to 11 years old.

Our young kittens are of course highly socialable, and want to play and hang out with our other cats.

Even our 11 year old boy who we are minding for a friend has become far more socialable since being with us, and is a lot more comfortable around our other cats, and also us.

23/01/2023

Well, after having every intention of fostering these 4, we've ended up with our first foster fails 😅

These 4 beauties will be joining our current gang, and will live out their days in comfort, with plenty of food, toys and more love and affection than they could ask for.

Welcome to our family little ones, you are already so loved ❤️

20/01/2023

Some beautiful babies ready for their new homes.

Contact Meow Sanctuary for more information.

10/01/2023

You may thinks cats and kittens are all the same, but like humans, cats and kittens all have very distinct and different personalities, temperaments, likes and dislikes.

Our 4 fosters love to hangout with each other in their playpen, and also on our laps for a cuddle.

But they all have very specific spots they like to hang out also.

Princess Tallulah loves her cat cave, and we can often find her having a snooze, or just watching us from her lair.

Cheeky Lazarus particularly likes to snooze on Cat Dad's lap, and will purr and purr and purr.

Little Miss Mittens enjoys sitting on the windowsills and watching the world outside, waiting for people and other animals to walk past.

Adventurous Leroy enjoys jumping on our bed to hide behind our pillows, or soak up some sunshine through the bedroom window.

Providing safe spaces to sleep, play, and investigate is one of the best ways to nurture your cat and kitten, and ensure they are stimulated and happy.

07/01/2023

~Mittens and Tallulah~

After finding another kitten in our garden Thursday night, we were starting to get suspicious.

Where are these kittens coming from?

Why are they so friendly for 'feral' kittens.

Well, around 8pm last night, we found yet another kitten.

This time we saw a person dropping this little bubba over his fence and into our garden.

We raced down and confronted him, asking him what was going on.

As it turns out, Leroy and Lazarus are apart of a litter of 4 (maybe even more) kittens who had been falling off a second floor balcony and into peoples yards, and then finding their way into our garden.

So far, we have 4 kittens we will be fostering until they are big enough, and there is space for them, at a local cat sanctuary.

Here are our two newest additions to The Fur Garden, Mittens (Tuxie) and Tallulah (white and grey spots).

06/01/2023

~Leroy and Lazarus~

These are two of the three little munchkins we are currently fostering.

Leroy (skinny white patch on face) and Lazarus (wide white patch on face) were found in our back garden just after Christmas 2022.

We just happened to look out our bedroom window at the right time to see these two little darlings hiding and crying underneath all the plants.

After gaining their trust by feeding them some delicious wet food, they hopped into our cat carrier and were inside, fed, watered, safe and cool in our spare room.

These two handsome fellas are somewhere between 7 and 9 weeks old, and weigh under 1kg. They are truly tiny!

Their little squeaks bring us loads of joy, and they are absolutely full of energy and s***k!

Hopefully soon they will have a spot at a local cat sanctuary, where they can begin their journey towards adoption 💖

06/01/2023

🥰

Spay and neuter your pets people! 👍💙