Cozy (mostly white) and Can-Can (with more black splodges)came to SHUA in January 2005. 2 adult cats and 6 kittens had been dumped on farmland in Pendoylan. It took several days and a lot of patience, but eventually we managed to catch or trap all 8.
Unfortunately, both adults and 1 of the kittens were too feral to work with. We had them neutered, de-fleaed and wormed and then released them back to the farm. The farm owners had agreed to care for them (in exchange for some rat-catching!).
We named the 5 remaining kittens Cadwaulder, Cozy, Carnaby, Coney-Bear and Can-Can. Collectively, they became known as the Cozy-Wannabes. All but one of the kittens was approx. 14-18 weeks old but Can-Can was pregant so must have been at least a bit older. Can-Can may even have been the other kittens' mother - we'll never know. Tragically, Can-Can was so badly traumatised that she miscarried.
Cadwaulder was a very outgoing kitten from the start and we rehomed him in March 2005. The other 4 were much more timid and stayed on at SHUA as permanent residents.
It took many months of love, patience, kindness and interaction to persuade these 4 little cats that they could trust humans again. They all blossomed over time and settled into life here, making lots of feline friends, finding their own favourite haunts, forging their own routines. All but Coney-Bear eventually decided that cuddles were a good thing - as long as they knew you and it was on their terms.
Tragically, both Cozy and Can-Can were killed on the road outside SHUA; Cozy in 2007 and Can-Can in 2008. While we obviously keep candidates for rehoming in pens, the cats who are resident at SHUA have to be given the opportunity of a normal life. All except a few (who for medical reasons can't be allowed) are given the choice to live either indoors or outdoors. Those who live indoors have a catflap to access the garden should they wish to.
When we bought this property, Hayes Road was really quiet with only residential traffic from Hayes Road itself and the occasional lorry going down it. In recent years, with the new housing development at Hayes Point there has been a significant increase in residential traffic on the road. Additionally, the number of lorries has increased. Nonetheless, we are situated opposite the industrial estate and the other 3 sides of the property are surrounded by fields, with a forest at the back - so why any of the cats would want to cross the road is a mystery. Sadly, SHUA does not have the funds to move premises.
Can-Can and Cozy are missed by all of us. They had such a hard start in life and should not have been taken from us so young, but we have to take comfort in the fact that at least they knew happiness and love with all of their many friends here at SHUA.
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