Monika

Thank you for telling me about your experience. That's what we will do, we will take the mother cat to the Vet although she is pregnant, she will lose the babies but she would lose them anyway in the cold winter. We will be there for 10 days. But what shall we do with the six, have them all spayed? I will have to really talk seriously to my neighbour. I am still hoping that I will find homes for at least 4, the neighbour wants to keep two, and we need to encourage him to have them spayed.

Something very similar is happening at our French holiday house, only the cat belongs to our french neighbour, sort of,  as he reluctantly took her in during the bird flu scare. Then she had 6 kittens (which I am still desperately to try to find homes for) and when we were in France last we found that she was pregnant again, so with a gestation period of 90 days she could already have a litter again when we go to France next. This is becoming a real problem especially as I love cats, my neighbour just shrugs his shoulder and says "it's survival of the fittest". He tells us not to let them into the house, but what if it is really getting cold. I can't bear to think that they are freezing. The pleasure of going to France to our holiday house will soon start turning into a nightmare.

Ours is later than usual too, that's in 61. I have agreed to pay Direct Debit last year and wondered if that is why it comes later now.

After trying for ages (I think James tried as well) I have been able to change my avatar. All my digital images I could not use, but this photo seemed to be at last successful, I had it sent to me by my sister in law from Canada with the title: "That's what "sorry" looks like!"

[quote user="Gillian"]I know exactly what you mean, Llwyncelyn. Although we have been happily settled in Normandy for several years and have many French friends, with advancing years my husband and I feel the need to be less isolated and perhaps (dare I say it?) even to be nearer our own people - the British! We would prefer to stay in Basse Normandy, though, so can anyone tell us where in Normandy most Brits live?[/quote] Thanks Gillian for daring to say that you don't mind being near your own people - the British. I have lost confidence in approaching English people, ever since we were greeted by our English neighbour down the lane saying: "You are honoured, you are the first English people in France we have agreed to have tea with!" (And they have had their holiday house for over 20 years). I want and need friends and it makes no difference if they are British or French or any other nationality, but to me English are the nicest most genuine people in Europe and I certainly would not want to miss them even when I am in France! 

Thanks for that Cooperlola, they are lovely! WJT or Cooperlola are you members of the Total France Forum: http://www.totalfrance.com/, if so could you post the photos on there under Pets in France and Desperate....(Chatelier). I tried and I just can't do it. Thank a lot in advance. (I hope I am not advertising!)

This is so sweet, Cooperlola, I bet she did not mind, in my experience cats are not averse to dressing up!  

Catalpa, your two tigers, Pip and Squeak are very similar to "our" two and your Main Coon seems to have accepted them really well. Isn't he a wonderful cat! Any more pictures?

I am so pleased that WJT could post the pictures, I tried all afternoon, with Photobucket etc. and it just did not work. Cooperlola if you send me an e-mail the conventional way i.e. not through Forum I will be able to post them to you. You are all wonderful and I feel a bit better that I have support. We did intend to kidnap the mother cat (she really belongs to our French neighbour, although we feed her and the kittens when we are there!) but last time she was still feeding the kittens so we did not want to be guilty to starve the kittens, this time when we arrived at our property she was already pregnant again. I have just posed lots of questions to Tansy at Montebourg Cat refuge regards taking her to the Vet now, or I might even persuade Tansy to take her in, with the promise of active support of the refuge. We live in Segrie Fontaine Llwyncelyn, try to persuade your wife, usually its the husbands which have to be persuaded!!

I can't WJT, it just does not work but I can do it when I write an ordinary e-mail to somebody. Well here it goes I will try again and who knows this time it might work. No the paste button can't be operated. I think the photos are too "big". I have tried to change my Avatar and it does not work either.  

Thank you cooperlola, we could meet any future foster parents half way, or perhaps even bring one or two, I have a cat basket. I have some photographs I could e-mail any prospective parent!

Thank you Dotty!

Just come back from our Holiday Home in Normandie, all 6 kittens are still there (I had a few interested people but all inquiries had come to nothing) they are so beautiful and as they have been born in spring they are very healthy but how long, the mother cat is pregnant again and is in a very bad mood with the 6 kittens, they hide from her. I am desperate to find homes for them because our french neighbour is not there much over the winter month. The mother's microchip number is EKX 799. We are going to be there from the 4th November to the 14th. For more detail PM me. Please, I am desperate.

That sounds too good to be true Sundaydriver (sorry to question it!), I have never heard that you are exempt paying CGT in France on a maison secondaire if you are in receipt of a state pension.

I am so pleased that the cat refuge is getting so much help. I have sent a cheque and I will keep sending donations. A artist friend of mine who is famous for her animal portraits has painted a picture in pastel of a cat, it is beautiful, I am going to raffle it amongst my friends (I don't think I could raffle it in public due to charity status!) and all the proceeds will go to the Montebourg Cat Refuge. Of course we have our very own problem on our doorstep @ our holiday house in France: 1 very hungry mother cat and 6 even more hungry kittens. We are only there every 6 weeks or so and then we feed them up again and leave food with our neighbour who is not very enthusiastic about the cats. Hopefully I have had some success in placing some, but I have not heard back from the people who have inquired about a possible home for them. With winter coming I don't know what will happen to them. I feel very much like leaving my husband to his own devices here in England and move to France for good to look after "Twiglet" and children and adopt lots more cats!!

Hi Harley, I have only just seen your plea on this forum, I guess I am more on the "other side" at the moment! I am so glad you are helping and I know they are grateful for donations in cheque form! A "painter" friend of mine who is famous for her animal portraits has agreed to paint a pastel of a cat for me which I then will raffle, hope I will raise lots of money for the Cat Refuge! They are doing such a great job.

In our house renovation the plasterboarders used the metal rail system in the roof as well. One of our "loft rooms" sounds very similar to yours. They put airflex insulation (the thin foil type) and then nailed the metal rails to the rafters and beams and inset the plasterboard still showing some of the beams. This is not very technical, sorry! I try and enclose a photo but it might not work.

A French house price fall must be such good news for the young to be able to get on the property ladder. If it only would happen in England. Here the young have virtually no longer any chance at all.  

Thanks for that, perfect! Do you think we need a planning permission? I thought as it is removable one does not need one? Might be a good idea however to check with the Mairie? Thanks

We would like to buy a shed from Leroy Merlin which I have seen on the Internet. I have the following questions: What does L and P stand for in the measurements? What does Dimension hors tout mean?   How big do we need to make the base if the Dimension hors tout is 4.62 m? Does Conditionnement mean the size of the whole package. (2x1x1.2 (Would it fit into a Mercedes Vito?) Do you think we need to order or can we just go and pick it up? Thank you so much!  

Our French neighbour is looking for homes for 6 beautiful healthy kittens. 2 Tabbies (like little tigers),  2 Marmalade, 1 black (like a little devil) and one Tabby with white. The microchip number of the mother is: EKX 799. They live in Suisse Normande and it would be so good if we could find homes for them with winter coming. It breaks my heart to think what could happen to them. Please send me a PM and I give you the name, address and telephone number of the neighbour who also speaks English.  

Russethouse: I am quoting from the Vouchers: "The advertisements collectd (originals only) are to be presented for fare validation at the passenger terminal or vehicle check-in immediately prior to embarkation". So it looks like you need three of them, but I think it does not matter if the papers are bought all on the same day.

Bournemouth Echo is running a £10 Cheap 24 hour return promotion on BF from Monday!

With other words, "it will never happen": things don't get dropped on the Forum! And the pigs are flying over Cassis' place! Thanks for that, good play on words but as you say,  andyh4, slightly obtuse!

I have read this thread with interest but do not get Benjamin's posting. Is it sarcastic? What pigs? Always willing to learn!!