Old Cat needs firewood. Help cats and people have a warm home.

Old Cat needs firewood. Help cats and people have a warm home.

Winter is long on Greg’s Hill. We start heating in mid-October and finish at the end of May, sometimes we burn even in June. We have 3 stoves, one in the Cats’ House and two in the Human’s House. The stove in the Cats’ House heats the ground floor and the attic, and in the Human’s House one stove heats the living room and the other is in the kitchen. To the cats from the Cats’ House, that stove means life because on long winter nights they crawl into their beds inside the House and spend the nights and a good part of the day in in a warm surrounding. They go outside when there is a little sun and if the temperatures are not extremely low. All cats that have freedom of movement throughout the property, the so-called freelancers, seek warm shelter in the Human's House at night. Sick cats, who for some reason have to receive therapy, are also in intensive care and all day observation at the Human's House.

To heat both Houses we need a minimum of 30 meters of wood. Acacia, beech or oak. Now is the best time to buy wood because the wood that is being cut now has enough time to dry over the summer and to burn well in the fall and winter. The average price of 1 meter of wood this year was around 40 Eur / meter. That would be 1200 Eur for 30 meters. Then we have to pay for sawing , which is an additional 6,7 Eur per meter which means aditional 200 Eur. Than a transport of wood to the Cats’ House and stacking wood on the terrace of the Human's House, which is an additional 133 Eur . We can count an additional 70 Eur for chopping the woods. . So the total cost of heating with wood is 1603 Eur (1200+200 + 133 + 70 = 1603). Now the price is still 40 Eur/m, but in the fall we expect it to rise to 54 Eur and maybe 60 Eur/m. In addition to all other costs: food, veterinary costs, medicines, water, electricity, cleaning and disinfection agents, the cost of heating is an additional burden that we can hardly bear. Please note that I am 78 years old and can no longer help with wood (sawing, splitting, carrying, etc.) although I have done so in previous years. Please note that we have our own forest from which we could extract wood, but that also needs to be paid for. But most important of all is that we want to preserve the forest because it is the only home to many animals that live there. We ask good people to help us raise money for firewood so that our good kittens, and we too, can welcome the next winter in a warm home with a crackling fire and safe from winter cold.

Old Cat is the first shelter for old and abandoned cats in Croatia. The shelter is located above the village of Voloder, in the protected nature park Moslavačka Gora, about 55 km from Zagreb. Forests, meadows and vineyards cover about 5 hectares. The shelter started to accomodate abanoned and abused cats in 2012.

The Old Cat is the Home for about 60 cats picked up from the streets and parking lots, often sick and injured. The oldest resident of the Old Cat is 17 years old, and the youngest is only 1. A few of them has freedom of movement throughout the property, and the rest are in a fenced area. This space consists of two parts. The open part which is fenced with mesh and a two-storey house, which we call the Cats’ House, made of brick. Cats are free to move from the open area to the Cats’ House and vice versa, according to their own choice. The Cats’ House is heated by a wood stove. The costs of food, electricity, water, heating, cleaning, veterinary services, medicines are around 2000 Eur per month. Sources of funding are donations in cash and food from individuals and institutions. Old Cat does not receive any donations from the state or local self-government. About 50% of the funds needed for the operation of the shelter are donated by Ljiljana and Josip Komerički. Ljiljana (61) takes complete care of cats and the Cats’ House (nutrition, medical care, cleaning, hygiene, etc.) Josip (78) administers the FB page, the Old Cat portal (www.oldcatshelter.com) and leads this crowdfunding campaign.

The mission of the Old Cat is to provide a Home Forever for old, abandoned and injured cats.

Our vision is to create a friendly meeting place in this beautiful corner of the Nature Park for people who share the opinion that streets and parking lots are not place for pets.

InOld Cat , 60 cats have found their home. The oldest inhabitant of the Old Cat is about 17 years old. During the winter months, when it snows, Stari Maček could be reached only with plows and tractors. Josip and Ljiljana are pleading for your help to cover the cost of firewoods. The lives of 60 cats in the shelter depend entirely on the nobility of people like you. Thank you!

Ljiljana and Josip

Old Cat

Association for the Protection of Abandoned Animals

http://www.oldcartshelter.com

animalslife.net/stari-macek-cat-shelter/