Most people if they think of K9 Animal Refuge,  think of it as a dog shelter. With 80 dogs in their care, they are definitely that, but K9 also provide shelter for many cats in their large cattery including the fine felines shown below.

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Please call Hazel at the K9 kennels on 667 638 468 from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday to ask about the cats pictured or about the other cats.

Okay, we all know that there are cat people and there are dog people and when it comes to their favourite four legged friend never the twain shall meet. But there are those who love both – the cog or the dat people depending on which kind of furry friend was first in their household.

Much as I love dogs, I have always had cats. Even my very first feline friend gave birth to her kits in my bed when I was only three years old.

I arrived in Tenerife in 2000 from Thailand already kitted out (boom boom) with two furry friends that I brought with me. The venerable Boodle (originally Kitten Caboodle) who lived to a ripe old 22 years and Chokdi, whose name meant Lucky in Thai, but who was one of the unluckiest creatures I have ever come across.

Chokdi settling in

Chokdi and her littermates had been thrown from a three storey window on to the roof of the outside cludgie  of my Bangkok local, ‘Cheap Charlie’s’. Chokdi was perhaps the least appealing because no one had wanted her and while all the others had been spirited away by CC regulars, Chokdi was left in a cardboard box behind the bar. I took the little scrap home.

In the first week it turned out that she had in-turned eyelashes (ouch!) and a fracture in a back leg – not that it seemed to slow her down any. She got stuck behind the oven and stranded mewling at the top of the curtains on a regular basis. At first very scared and nervous, over time she became  a loud and bossy family member with a short, bright tortoiseshell coat and long legs.

Chokdi getting better (believe it or not).

When we went on holiday, the cats went into the care of a local vet. Apart from being mightily pee’d off with us for leaving her there, Boods was fine, Fergus just as fat and contented but poor Chokdi had been struck by a dreadful flesh-eating type disease.  Her beautiful soft fur was peeling off in long, raw tatters, her ears had begun to disintegrate and she was covered in gentian violet. Had we been much longer the vet would have put Chokdi down.

At home with us she recovered slowly although it took a long time  and her ears never looked right again.

Skye and Chokdi just chilling.

The two cats settled into Tenerife very quickly and neither were phased by the addition of a puppy boxer a couple of months later. Everything was great for a year or so until the night Chokdi picked up poison outside. She went into convulsion and died in pain shortly after. My poor soi baby had been through a lot in her short life but she had known love, a full belly and a warm bed which is more than many get in this life so maybe she wasn’t so unlucky after all.

Chokdi died about nine years ago so you might wonder where this trip down memory lane came from.  Well, except for the most recent addition to our family, Mia, who was given to me by a friend, every cat I have ever owned has been from a shelter or was a street stray.  Every one of them has been a wonderful family member and dearly loved friend and none have had any health problems whatsoever except for Chokdi. I just would never consider paying money for a purebred cat when there are all these fantastic waifs and strays out there just wanting someone to take them in.

The good people at K9 asked me to remind TT readers that they have a cattery which is  bursting wth great felines just  waiting for you to take them home. Please don’t miss the next post which will be all about the K9 cats….just remember not to call your new feline friend Lucky!

Even before the economic crisis Tenerife’s animal  shelters struggled to feed the animals they had in their charge. Now though, in the current economic climate things are even worse and the need for funds to care for the animals that have been abandoned or have strayed is desperate.

The shelters are already full to bursting and yet they are somehow supposed to struggle on with more animals in their care and no funding. The shelters have no more room and no more money. They need help – and they get next to none of that from the government here in Tenerife.

The shelters raise money through charity events, car boot sales and by donations. If you can help in any way, please call K9 on 608 121 081 (Eng) or 670 845 243 (Esp).

Tenerife’s abandoned dogs have their own blog which publishes news on current events, forthcoming fundraisers, etc. If you want more information on the various shelters, vets, trainers, dog kennels, Tenerife Dogs is the place to go.

Poor Tito. He hasn’t had the life of a dog since Mia, the evil attack cat arrived. It all started innocently enough with a bit of cat and mouse with Tito’s tail. At first he thought it was fun and would lay there like a big lummox flicking the end of his tail for the baby to chase:

But then unbeknownst to us, she started messing with his mind.

“You are feline very slllleeeeepy.”

Soon the evil attack cat was laying in wait for Tito all round the house. If he walked past a dining chair – pow.

If he wandered over to see if Mum was at the desk – Yaaargh!

The attacks were both vicious – Kruuuunch…

And wierd…

Inevitably, it all became a bit too much for poor Tito who started to lose his nerve. “Look out Tito, she’s behind you!”

Nooooooooooo!

Tito tried and tired to tell his people but hard as he shouted for help they could not understand.

Mia, the evil attack cat, curled up next to her human and was satisfied … for now.

 
In my previous post I mentioned having kittens in the sense of having a bad day ( I don’t think that translates to Spanish at all. At least I’ve never heard anyone say ‘Aaaagh! Tengo gatitos!’) and talking about kittens, I had another kind entirely to deal with this week. The nice fluffy kind this time. Meet Mia.
 

First day home.

Eeek! There's a dog here!

Kitten Cacciatore