Ninja-Fred, Garfield, Mischa, Olga and Weibi
5 cats in Henndorf
Fate is often unfair and strikes unexpectedly. As in the case of a gentleman from Upper Styria, who died suddenly at the age of just 56. When the notary called, we learnt that the gentleman had left Gut Aiderbichl in his will. We also learnt that there were at least five free-roaming cats living at the estate. For us, it was a matter of course that the cats would become Aiderbichlers, as it was certainly in the deceased owner’s best interests that we take care of his cats. This case shows how important it is to think in good time about what should happen to your animals when you are no longer around. If you are concerned about what should happen to your pets “in the worst case scenario”, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you.
About a week before the Gut Aiderbichl Foundation learnt of the gentleman’s death, four of the deceased’s five cats were caught by the official vet and a young lady and taken to the local animal shelter – the former outdoor cats were of course completely terrified and frightened. There, the cats were looked after with care. In the meantime, the fifth cat was looked after by the young woman at the farm, as it could not be caught.
After the veterinary office quickly gave its approval for Gut Aiderbichl to take over the cats, we were able to send our animal rescuer Klaus on his way to Upper Styria to pick up the four cats and bring the fifth cat safely to Henndorf. However, catching the cat still living on the farm was a little unusual, but we’ll let Klaus tell the story himself:
“Before I left, I spoke to the young lady on the phone who had been looking after the fifth cat on the farm. The cat was shy, had a white and black coat and would not be attacked. This was important information for me, as it made it necessary to use our live trap. Early in the morning, equipped with five cat transport baskets and a live trap, I set off for Upper Styria. The appointment at the animal shelter was scheduled for the afternoon, so I had planned enough time to catch the cat by then. I agreed with the young woman that she would no longer be allowed to feed the cat. The hungrier the cat is, the more chance I have of attracting it with food.The first thing I did when I arrived at the farm was to get an overview of the yard and see where I could best set up the live trap. I had some cat bowls, a tin of tuna and a packet of minced organic meat with me. I immediately noticed a white and brown cat lying on a pile of wood and watching me suspiciously and mistrustfully. White-brown… okay, do we have a sixth cat here on the farm…????
I quickly found a good place for the live trap and immediately placed it with the cat bowl and a small portion of the minced meat. I went on with the rest of the meat pack, always watching the other cat, who was watching me closely to see what I was doing. The longer I was there, the more nervous she became, so I decided to drive away for a while and wait… But suddenly I had a strange feeling… Where on earth had I left the rest of the meat pack? It wasn’t in the car, I realised. I was quickly back near the courtyard and as I drove past, I saw the other brown and white cat sitting on a pile of wood, licking its front paws and cleaning its face with relish. She looked at me almost mischievously, with an empty packet of 200g minced organic meat next to her.
I consoled myself with the fact that this cat was brown/white and not white/black, as the young woman had told me. And at least this cat was now full. So I simply drove away for a short while to get something to eat myself. Maybe the “real” cat is still hungry and will still go into the trap…
After half an hour I was back at the farm, crept up to the live trap and – sure enough – the cat was inside. The bowl was empty and the morsel of meat was gone. It had really paid off not to feed the cat since the day before. But was it the right cat? Yes, it was – Weibi the cat.Together with Weibi, I made my way to the animal shelter to pick up the other four cats. And so I travelled with Ninja-Fred, Garfield, Mischa, Olga and Weibi to Henndorf, which will be their new home from now on.
The five cats have now settled in wonderfully. They are still a little shy, but with a lot of love and patience they will get used to it. They are currently still living separately from our large group of cats, but they will soon be able to move in with the others and enjoy their lives to the full.
