Crazy Cat Lady of Kangarilla

24/04/2025

I’ve read about compassion fatigue and rescue burnout but, until recently, had never put two and two together and figured out that’s what is going on with me. It's characterized by emotional exhaustion, reduced empathy, and physical symptoms like fatigue and headaches. Burnout can also lead to feelings of guilt, anger, and cynicism. It’s been just over 12 years since I took in my first two foster babies, Simon and Garfunkel, closely followed by CJ and Rocky. Another 250 or so cats and kittens have passed through our house since then. I’ve learned a lot about cat illnesses and behaviours, kept a few along the way and met some amazing like minded people. On the down side I’ve spoken to some awful people, people that try to guilt you into taking on their cats, people that threaten to kill cats if you don’t take them, people that beg you to take them before their partner kills them, people that have started out with a couple of cats and before they knew it they had 20 and had no idea what to do. It is heartbreaking to know that people still treat cats as a throw away commodity, that people still refuse to desex and contain their cats, to vaccinate and parasite treat them and that they are still left on the side of a country road tied up in a shopping bag or taped up in a box. It is heartbreaking to beg local government and large, well funded rescues for help with hoarding situations only to be turned away. And the thing that finally broke me, some unsupported young people that started out with some cute giveaway kittens and ended up with an out of control number of cats and kittens, some dying, some needing desperate vet work and all needing to be desexed. Late night text messages telling me that another kitten had died and knowing that I could only do so much to help. I’ve absolutely loved fostering kittens and seeing them into their forever homes but I feel the time has come for me to step away. I’ll keep this page as a way to remember all of the cats that have passed through and to share the occasional photo of the cats that remain with me. Thanks for following along with my foster journey.

Photo is Simon, Garfunkel and CJ (now Lily)

26/03/2025

Miss Mawson was diagnosed with wet FIP 3 weeks ago and has been on antivirals for 18 days. We realised something was wrong when she started peeing outside of her litter box, she was off her food, less social and quieter than normal. I took her to the vet thinking she had a UTI but a quick ultrasound revealed fluid in her abdomen and we sent bloods off for testing. She has improved so much since taking the antivirals, her appetite has returned and she has gained weight, she is enjoying our company again, wanting to spend (safe) time outside and even a little playful. Very thankful for our wonderful vets.

22/03/2025

I was lucky enough to pop over to Sydney for a weekend and even luckier to be able to catch up with a lifelong friend and her gorgeous chonk, Max.

12/03/2025

We had to say goodbye to Milo last week, we are heart broken, she was only 5 and such a great cat. The first sign something wasn't right was when she stopped coming out to greet visitors in early December. She then stopped sleeping with her humans and was tucking herself away. Multiple tests all came back negative, we tried different medications which only helped with her appetite. She gradually got weaker, lost some of her coordination and her last couple of weeks were spent living in a bedroom away from everyone else. Turns out she had lesions and fluid on her brain, something we just couldn't fix.

10/02/2025

It's been a year since we snatched Mawson from a local paddock, she has grown into the sweetest cat.

28/11/2024

These two were found in a carport a couple of weeks ago, meet James and Jessie.

18/10/2024

Miss Kibble is still untouchable other than a boop on her nose. She is happy to be close to me, loves watching me cook and will sneakily play with my feet when I'm sitting at my desk.

18/10/2024

Miss Mawson

18/10/2024

Know anyone in the Yank council area, cheap desexing is available.

🌟 Attention District Council of Yankalilla residents! 🌟

Keep you feline friends 🐱✨ healthy and happy by desexing them for only $50
Share this message and help us manage the cat population! 🐾

If you have an undesexed family cat, surprise litter or have adopted a stray, we’ve got pawsome news for you! 🙌

Thanks to District Council of Yankalilla and Yankalilla Veterinary Clinic, you can get your cat desexed for just $50! 🎉

📞 Call NDN on 1300 368 992 to secure your desexing voucher NOW! ⌚️

🏠Available to District Council of Yankalilla Residents only
✔️Eligibility criteria: Pension / Concession cardholders, Low Incomes, Adopting a Stray 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
💲 Available while funding lasts

18/10/2024

Since we have cat proofed our outdoor entertaining area some of our braver cats have taken up bird watching. Mawson and Milo will sleep well for the rest of the day and the birds are oblivious to them.

29/09/2024

🙏🏼 HELP US HELP THEM 🙏🏼

While kitten season sounds like heaven. Sweet and cuddly kittens everywhere, toe beans for days and purrs that calm your soul. For rescues, it can be nothing but hell. 🥹

Call after call asking for help, not enough hands to help, not enough funds to pay the bills. Sick, injured and vulnerable kittens needing a safe place. Abandoned pregnant mums, newborns without mothers, kittens found in sheds, backyards, industrial sites, on main roads! The list goes on! 💔

As our foster carers prepare for the sleepless nights feeding neonatal kittens, the constant litter changes, the endless cleaning, the hours of rehabilitating scared kittens, the vet runs and sadly, the abuse from the public when we just don't have the space to help, we are asking for your help. 🤞🏼

To help prepare for this kitten season, we need the following items to help us help these vulnerable cats and kittens.

Any donations are appreciated beyond belief. Without the support of our followers and supporters, we wouldn't be here.

Secure PayPal donations can be made by clicking on either of the links below or directly to our account:

Purrfect Paws Rescue Inc.
BSB: 325 185
Account: 003 717 317

PayPal.me/purrfectpawsrescue

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UDV84FD9PX2BA&source=url

We understand that times are tough for a lot of people. By simply sharing this post and our content is also another way to help spread awareness of our rescue and what we do 💜

Again, thank you for supporting our small rescue and helping us help as many felines as we can. 💕

LIKE our page and share our posts 💞
Be a part of the solution 💗
Share our mission 🐾

27/09/2024

On the couch tonight (front to back) Minnie, Kibble, Otis and Gingy.