UPDATE on Percy
Dear Neighbours, thanks for your continued support and messages.
Sadly my sweet boy did not survive the horrific attack.
Last Thursday evening I had to hold my handsome lad and let him slip off to his final sleep. He fought hard to stay but in the end it was too much for him.
It was the most heartbreaking moment to let him go, and to have to do it alone, without all the family who loved him dearly. This virus and it's impact over several months, ending with the lockdown has been most cruel. I've now lost my dear boy along with my livelihood, and quite probably soon my home as well at the rate we are going. Since then I have simply been trying to cope with the grief of losing him, and helping his best buddy Pepe realise that his mate is not coming home... it's so terribly sad to see him trying to find his best friend.
The vet admitted that they had never seen such a vicious attack on a cat and are now they are considering that it may have been a small dog to have inflicted such dreadful injuries.
I guess I may never know, but sadly his life is gone due to a bad pet owner who doesn't care for their family member the way I care for mine. Animals learn this sort of cruel behaviour from the people who look after them... and the vet advises that there is zero chance the owner of this animal wouldn't know.
Thanks for your help all those who reached out.
Keep safe so we can all get back to a normal life.
Best, Susan
He crept back into the house and I thankfully found him.
He is now at the Vet's having emergency treatment. The cat that attacked him literally went for the jugular and punctured it, and at the same time ripped a huge chunk of his neck away too.
My poor boy is fighting for his life right now and our family are distraught that our old man is having to go through this. The vet says it's still to early to say if he will be okay, but he is at least in the right place and not in any pain.
I will be waiting for this other cat to show itself so I can take a picture and find out who owns it. This is not the only time it had gone after my cats so I'd like to find the owner and try to do something about it.
Thanks, Susan
I need your help to find my poor hurt furboy, Percy.
Last night a cat that regularly hangs around my home near the top of Westmere Cres attacked him at approximately 7.30pm. Percy is obviously hurt as there is a lot of blood on the concrete edging of the house. Now he will have gone into hiding somewhere in the bushes, under a house or car, hidden in a shed, around the side of a building, etc to recuperate but may be seriously hurt and in need of urgent vet attention.
Please Please have a look around your property if you are anywhere close to my home, or keep your eyes open if you're out walking.
I've been out and walked and called him, searched all the property and under my home but I can find no sign of him.
Hurt cats are masters at hiding until they're really sick so I'd like to find him before he gets to that stage. Last year he was attacked and it nearly cost him his life, and me $3k to save him.
He's a precious old boy so I don't want to lose him, and his best mate Pepe is mooching around looking for him.
If you are the owner, or if anyone knows who might own the huge fluffy Manx looking cat that keeps coming into my home and going for the boys please can you treat your cat better so it doesn't keep coming in my home, eating the cats food and attacking the boys.
I lock mine up at night but this cat is forever sleeping on the mat right in front of the cat flap and trying to access the house.
Percy is microchipped so if he is taken to a vet they will be able to contact me, but please if you see or hear anything then please message or call me.
Thanks everyone,
Susan 021 149 7373
7 tips for buying your Christmas ham
It’s the centerpiece of the Christmas table, so when you’re peering into the supermarket chiller or ordering from the butcher, choosing the perfect ham can feel like a daunting task.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing one to bring home with you.
1. What type of ham to buy
You’ve got some decisions to make when it comes to the type of Christmas ham you’re going to buy.
Cooked on the bone (COB) ham is the traditional Christmas ham. If you’re buying a half ham, you’ll have the choice of the shank or fillet end. The shank is the part with the bone sticking out that gives the ham that traditional look. The fillet end is the round part that gives more meat. If you’re deciding whether to get a whole ham or half, consider how quickly you’ll be able to eat it all. You only have about a week to eat an opened ham before it will go off, so it can be a good idea to get two halves. That way you can eat one half during the week of Christmas and save the other for January.
Champagne ham has had the bone removed and only has the hock left on, so it’s easier to carve.
Pressed ham – also known as continental ham – has had the bones removed and has been pressed, so it’s also easy to carve.
2. Check the pork percentage
The label on a packaged ham will say what percentage is actually meat. Hams are injected with brine, to keep them moist, and additives. The brine injection level for manufactured hams is usually between 10% and 35% of the ham's weight. A manufacturer that wants to produce a cheap ham will add more water to bump up the weight.
3. Know how to tell if it’s New Zealand pork
By far, most of the hams bought in New Zealand this Christmas will be from pigs reared overseas. New Zealand imports pork from about 25 countries. It’s frustrating for New Zealand pig farmers because this ham can come from farms that don’t have to meet the same animal welfare standards as we have in this country. As a result, overseas meat is often cheaper.
If buying New Zealand pork is important to you, look for:
words on the packaging like ‘New Zealand pork’ or ‘born and raised in New Zealand’
4. Have a good look at the ham
If you’re going to be glazing your ham, look for one that is covered in a finger-thick layer of fat. This will give you the thickness you need to make good score lines.
New Zealand Pork’s website also advises looking for a ham that has a meaty texture rather than one that looks wet or rubbery. It says the ham’s skin should be smooth with even colouring. “If the knuckle is sunken, it may be overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it may be a sign of dryness.”
5. Ask a lot of questions
If you’re ordering your pork from a butcher, you probably won’t be able to compare hams like you would at the supermarket. So, make sure you ask lots of questions, now that you know what you’re looking for.
You could ask:
Is the ham made from New Zealand born and farmed pork?
What will be its injection percentage?
What flavours will it have?
You could even ask if there’s a glaze the butcher thinks would work particularly well with those flavours.
6. Know what size you’ll need
If the ham is the only meat on your Christmas menu, New Zealand Pork advises allowing 1kg of ham for five people. Or if you’ve got other meat options, 1kg will feed about six to eight people.
7. Know the best hams in New Zealand
The best hams of the year were awarded at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards earlier in the year so you can check out which ones got medals. Some of them are only available in the city the butcher is based, but a Farmland boneless ham available nationwide won a gold award and Woolworths bone-in and boneless hams picked up bronze.
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Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
From National MP--CHRIS BISHOP----'Twas the night before taxes'
’Twas the night before taxes, and all through the nation,
Hard-working Kiwis were still feeling Labour’s inflation.
While their payslips were hidden with care,
They prayed Hipkins and Chloë wouldn’t take their ‘fair’ share.
When out by the Beehive there rose such a shout,
The Greens’ TikTok was not getting enough clout.
“We need more taxes!” Chloë said with a flair,
“For justice! For progress! For… I’ll think of the rest later, I swear.”
Hipkins quickly agreed, as Chloë and the Greens held the key,
He knew he couldn’t win without their guarantee.
But before he could breathe, Te Pāti Māori came with a glare,
Holding a wishlist of taxes that reached mid-air.
And so the trio assembled, a most troublesome sight,
Ready to dream up new taxes till the early midnight.
But no need to worry, National set things right,
We delivered tax relief that finally eased the bite.
And with new roads, schools, and hospitals underway,
Our infrastructure is getting stronger everyday.
Fixing the basics and building the future, as we’ve said,
So every Kiwi family can finally get ahead.
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