Dear All at Keringa
Trust everyone at Keringa is keeping well. I am certain you all are still busy looking after all the pets spending time with you in quarantine.
George, Porridge and Fluke have all settled into their new homes. I cannot believe that they have been out of quarantine for over two months already. We kept the cats indoors for a further 2 weeks whilst they got used to the smell of their new home. The three of them were so happy to be together again after having not been close to each other for so long. Porridge had so much to tell Fluke, his best friend. As our furniture only arrived a few days later after we moved into our new home, I borrowed a single mattress from a friend to sleep on. I had collected the animals from quarantine on the same day we received occupation of our home over here so it was quite an exciting day for all of us. Fluke was so happy to be with his pack again he just would not stop licking my home plus the cats. George is a lot more tolerant of Fluke now compared to prior to the quarantine stint.
George has still not lost all the weight that he put on whilst in quarantine but he is running around again like a kitten rather than an old man of 14 years so hopefully in time he will take on a slimmer physique. He is quite keen to go exploring but we have been keeping in the back yard. He is not able to jump over the fence into the front garden as his fat stomach tends to get in the way.
Porridge's coat has grown back again after we cut in preparation for the summer heat. The nights can be quite cold over here (not as bad as Kempton Park) so I am quite certain he is happy for the longer coat. He is enjoying being able to lie in the garden again something he always did when he was still living in Randburg.
Fluke loves Australian life. The first time we took him to an animal exercise beach, the look on his face told me: "Quarantine was all worthwhile if this is what I can now experience". He really enjoys the social interaction with the other dogs in the various parks and beaches we have taken him to, which is actually quite amazing for a dog who thought he was a "child".
The Byford stint of the quarantine period was the most difficult for the animals as we were only able to see them three times. They must have thought we had abandoned them at that point.
Overall, we are really enjoying life over here and it was one of the best decisions Paul & I made to bring the animals across. It has made it easier for the two of us to settle in as well. The advice we received from our vet in South Africa was spot on i.e. the best thing we could do was take them with.
Thanks once again to the whole team at Keringa for all the care and attention given to our animals whilst they were under your care. This definitely made the quarantine stint for the 3 boys a lot easier.
Kind regards
Paul & Michelle Kalkwarf
