by Alexandra Bastedo
March certainly came roaring in like a lion with 85 m.p.h. winds. We battoned down as best we could but I seriously contemplated wearing a hard riding hat to escape the falling branches. In the event a huge tree came crashing down and blocked the road outside, a branch fell on the chicken shed and the side of one of the chicken coops was ripped off its rusty hinges leaving some surprised windswept hens on the inside. Apart from that the animals survived intact so all was well.
On the rescue front another twelve really lovely cats have arrived from someone who has lost their home. We have already homed two- Smokey ( a pretty black long-haired spayed female) and Basil (a large white neutered gentleman with the odd black spot) to an excellent new abode in the country. Since they have never been outside it will be a whole new exciting world for them. The other ten are equally affectionate and friendly and we shall be hoping to find them caring new homes in the near future.
The resident cats are having to circumvent Pip the dobermann puppy who is desperate to play with them. The younger ones stay one step ahead of him and give him the odd swipe but the oldies – there are several over 17 – are spending a lot of time on high surfaces and particularly enjoy the time when he is asleep, as do I!
Actually, Pip is totally enchanting but he IS a puppy and a very intelligent puppy at that. Nellie the older dobermann has taught him all her bad habits and he has been an avid pupil. Like the cats most of our possessions are now up high. Bills have been shredded, book covers decimated, slippers and shoes have disappeared, clean laundry has been spread all over the muddy lawn, wellingtons have been punctured by his sharp teeth as he bashes them from side to side – the list is endless and keeping one step ahead of him is a full time job!
In comparison the equines have been very well behaved. The only one causing any trouble through no fault of his own is Freckles the grey pony who developed a fungus infection of his rear end. To treat him has required three people: one to hold his head, one to pick up and hold his front leg in the bent position and one to wash him down with a diluted Imaverol solution. This had to stay on for ten minutes before being washed off and was done every 3 days. Fortunately the worst is now over but it still requires 3 people to administer Sudacream soothing cream. The point of holding the front leg being that a horse cannot kick you if it is only standing on 3 legs – a very useful tip if you want to avoid getting a hoof in your face! Fortunately he has now recovered though, as one of the older ponies, we have to keep an eye on him and at the moment he is having extra feeds of Alpha A and Allen and Page’s Calm and Conditioner to keep him in good form.
Two chickens remain in my indoor hospital cage. One is a delicate Poland and the other a Welsummer with a cyst on its tail which I bathe regularly with Betadine or Hibiscrub and dust down with veterinary wound powder but as warmer weather approaches hopefully they can be returned to life outdoors. Three of the young Naraganset turkeys have also found new homes so we have avoided the stag turkey attempting to kill his son. We were very lucky to have had one male and two female turkey chicks but I couldn’t stand the suspense of finding out their genders so will try and needle prick any future eggs to stop them hatching out.
On a personal level life has been hard and it has been difficult to either find the time to or feel my spirits up to writing my 3 blogs- this monthly one, Pip the dobermann’s diary and the animal health blog. My husband Patrick has been very ill. In a way he has been a victim of his own success as he was directing two plays back to back at opposite ends of the country. “Visiting Mr. Green” starring Warren Mitchell has transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in London’s West End and has had absolutely stunning reviews in the Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and most of the Sunday newspapers. Tim Walker from the Telegraph said that my husband is England’s greatest theatre director- which is extremely nice of him! His play “Brief Lives” starring Roy Dotrice played to large audiences in Richmond, also had fabulous reviews and is expected in London’s West End later in the year after another mini tour. However as a result of working on 2 plays simultaneously and rehearsing in cold, damp rehearsal rooms he ended up – like Prince Philip – with a very bad chest infection and had to be hospitalised. Things are now much better but according to his doctors the convalescent period is about 2 months. This has meant my looking after him, representing him at the theatres AND doing all the animals. However I must thank all my very kind volunteers for coming to the rescue and really helping me out at a bad time. Now I am exhausted! Life is never a straight line – there are always highs and lows and you never know what is round the corner. Hopefully, fingers crossed, things are now getting better and there will be fewer troughs and more peaks over the coming months.
And the weather? After roaring in with high winds March didn’t exactly go out like a lamb as there were a lot of hail stones around! However so far April is true to type with regular showers and the beginning of some welcome warmth from the sun.
Take care, cherish the good moments,
All the best,
Alexandra Bastedo.
USEFUL TIP: If your equines are being driven crazy by midges certain types of louse powder can help or a solution of Johnson’s Baby Oil- about one inch in the bottom to a litre of water. It definitely deters the bugs!
Alexandra Is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary at www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk which needs your support to fund all the rescued animals it has taken in. They are all mentioned in “Meet the Animals” and now the weather is better we are happy to take round small groups of people to see the animals they have adopted or supported with donations.We can be contacted by email through the website.
Alexandra Bastedo is also Patron of Compassion in World Farming, Naturewatch, WildlifeAid, and the Animal Welfare Trust. She is President of Cat and Rabbit Rescue, Sidlesham, and Paws Animal Rescue, Findon and Vice President of Brent Lodge Bird Hospital, Chichester.
Alexandra is also the author of the amusing “Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks” and has written the veterinary approved “THe Healthy Dog ” and “The Healthy Cat ” Books. We have a limited number of these books signed by the author available in our website shop.
