Spoke too soon!

Now, it's another stray at Swayne & Partners in Newmarket with a broken pelvis. He's a large, neutered black cat.

Update on white cat

Her owner has turned up, so that's one less to worry about over the Christmas break.

Andrew's Christmas window display at the bookshop

And another cat

This one sounds as if she may have an owner somewhere out there. She's adult, but fairly young, mostly white, with some black markings. She was taken to Stone Lane Vets in Meldreth last night after being hit by a car. They think she has head injuries, which will probably clear up with nursing care over the weekend, but she probably also has a fractured foreleg. Plan is for them to see how the head injury goes and x-ray the leg on Monday if she's fit enough then to give a general anaesthetic.

External fixators

The Vet Nurse has an interesting post showing "before and after" radiographs of a puppy's broken leg fitted with an external fixator to keep the two ends of the bone in alignment so that they will heal. I thought I'd link to it so anyone interested can see what's actually going on when I talk about animals we take in having an external fixator on a broken leg. 

Rabbit behaviour

Just been reading the coverage of the case in Hampshire involving a very large number of rabbits which was finalised in November. One very striking (and alarming) feature of the comments on the case is the number of people who believe that:

• Rabbits are solitary.
• Rabbits don't need exercise.
• Rabbits don't need to be vaccinated.
• Rabbits don't need to be neutered

So, I thought I'd post a few videos culled from YouTube and Google Video showing what rabbits can do if they're given the chance (the New Zealand white in the last clip could teach some dogs a thing or two about obedience training).

Switch on Radio Cambridgeshire tomorrow morning

Janine, our homing co-ordinator will be on Radio Cambridgeshire tomorrow morning (Thursday) being interviewed in their mobile van about the problem of long-stay dogs in general and Ghost in particular. 

Poor Ghost is our longest-staying dog. He nearly found a home earlier in the year, but unfortunately it fell through at the last moment. 

Ghost will be "interviewed" along with Janine (not sure if he barks on cue). It should be on-air around 7.30 am, but if you miss the live version, you should be able to get the interview via the BBC's listen-again option on the web (look for the breakfast show).

Here's hoping the poor little guy gets lucky this time.

Another cat with a collar wound

Call from Arbury road vets to say they've just taken in a stray cat with a badly infected collar wound that will need surgical repair to close it. He's another entire male, but fortunately has tested negative for FIV/FeLV. He'll need to be transferred to the clinic tomorrow morning.

Update on Nicholas

Had his x-ray yesterday and all looks fine. Still terrified of vets, though. Poor little chap sat there shaking so much they decided trying to check whether his heart murmur is real or not was pretty pointless. 

184 Mill Road Closing Down Sale

All items out on display are now £1. Call by to pick up some fantastic bargains (and to save me from spending this Christmas carting stuff between shops. Last Christmas we shifted all the books into the larger sales area at 188 and it nearly finished off the lot of us).

We hope to see you throughout 2009 at the bookshop, which continues at 188 Mill Road and later in the year at much improved and expanded premises nearer the centre of town. We're still in discussions with the agents about the lease agreement for the new shop, so keep watching this space.

184 was in the nature of a trial of the possibility of a specialist vintage clothing charity shop to maximise the revenue potential from clothes donations. We think it's demonstrated that the idea will work; but not on Mill road, which doesn't get a high enough volume of potential purchasers on weekdays. In a more central position we'll be able to showcase our stock to the student and University population and to tourists.