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 only 56. Through the call of the notary, we learned that the gentleman had left money to Gut Aiderbichl in his will. We also learned that there were at least five outdoor cats living at the gentleman's farm. For us it was a matter of course that the cats would become part of our family, because 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 own animals when you are no longer around. If you are thinking about what should happen to your cats "in the worst case", please contact us and we will be happy to advise you.
About a week before the Gut Aiderbichl Foundation learned of the gentleman's passing, four of the deceased's five cats were caught by the official veterinarian and a young lady and brought to the local animal shelter - the former free roamers were of course completely frightened and scared. There, the cats were cared for. In the meantime, the fifth cat was taken care of by the young woman at the farm, as it could not be caught.
After the veterinary office quickly gave the go-ahead 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 also bring the fifth cat safely to Henndorf. The catching of the cat still living on the farm was a bit unusual, but we'll let Klaus tell it himself:
"Before leaving, I spoke on the phone with the young lady who had taken care of the fifth cat at the farm. The cat is shy, has a white-black coat and does not let itself be attacked. An important piece of information for me, as this 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 arranged for the afternoon, so I had planned enough time to catch the cat by then. I agreed with the young woman that she should not feed the cat anymore. The hungrier the cat is, the more chances I have to lure it with food.
When I arrived at the farm, I first made an overview of the farm and looked where I could best set up the live trap. In my luggage I had cat bowls, a can of tuna and a pack of minced organic meat. What immediately caught my eye was a white-brown cat lying on a pile of wood, watching me suspiciously and warily. White-brown...okay, do we perhaps have a sixth cat here on the farm...???
I quickly found a good place for the live trap and placed it right away with the cat dish and a small portion of the minced meat. With the rest of the meat pack I went on, always watching the other cat, who was watching me closely. 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 had I left the rest of the meat pack? It wasn't in the car, I knew that. Did I now have the package...???I quickly returned to the yard 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 pleasure. She looked at me almost mischievously, together with an empty package of 200g of 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 also full. So I simply drove away for a short while to get something to eat myself. Maybe the "real" cat is still hungry and still goes into the trap...
After half an hour I was back at the farm, crept to the live trap and - the cat was indeed inside. The bowl was eaten and the morsel of meat was gone. It had really paid off not to feed the cat since the day before. But was it even the right cat? Yes, it was - cat Weibi.
Together with Weibi, I went to the animal shelter to pick up the other four cats. And so I drove together with Ninja-Fred, Garfield, Mischa, Olga and Weibi to Henndorf, which will be their new home from now on.
The five cats have settled in wonderfully in the meantime. They are still a bit shy, but with a lot of love and patience they will get over it. At the moment, they are still living separately from our big group of cats, but soon they will be able to move in with the others and enjoy their lives to the full.