June 2015
We looked after this wonderfully varied trio for 10 days. Although very different in age and looks, they all had one thing in common – they were all incredibly friendly and affectionate.
By the time we got to the house in the evening, they had been alone all day, as our hosts had left in the morning. When we walked through the door, their reaction was “at last, someone’s here to feed and cuddle us!” rather than “who are you, and what are you doing in my house?”. They certainly knew how to make us feel welcome!
♥ Kali ♥
As a typical oriental, Kali was vocal and determined. We couldn’t get over how confident and affectionate she was! As we arrived at the house late in the evening, she made it clear she wanted her dinner.
So I sat down and got the laptop out to go over the feeding instructions we had been given… I had hardly opened it up when she was already making herself comfortable and pushing it out of her way!
As the youngest cat in the household, she was full of energy… and even though we tried to satisfy her need for hunting things with various games (including making a toy for her which she loved chasing), that still didn’t stop her from gifting us with 2 live mice which she released in the kitchen for us (and which we released back into nature, well away from the house).
She followed us around the house and was great fun to be with, and she certainly kept us on our toes for the entire duration of our stay. And wasn’t she photogenic!
♥ Lucy ♥
Lucy was a sweet 20 year old grandma with huge brown eyes who would sit next to you and give you a long stare until you stopped whatever you were doing and gave her some attention.
She was a frail little thing who had some difficulty walking, and sometimes needed some help to jump onto the sofa where she went looking for cuddles. Lucy gravitated towards Mark, and didn’t really care if there was another cat or a laptop on her way. Work? What work?
She shed an incredible amount of hair but was happy being brushed to help with that, provided we did it gently, particularly around her hips that seemed to be giving her some trouble. She was also having difficulty using the litter tray and missed it 9 times out of 10. We suspect she was suffering from age related arthritis or other degenerative joint affliction.
She still enjoyed going for little walks in the garden when it was sunny though, and having a good sniff around before coming back inside for the next snooze of the day.
♥ Jimmy ♥
Jimmy was a big, muscular ginger boy who loved spending time out and about, rain or shine. When we first met him, he wasn’t in the best shape. His right eye was clearly swollen and we feared he had been in a fight. The scars on his face told us this probably wasn’t an isolated incident.
Indeed, he got into scuffles with some frequency, so they had a small supply of antibiotics at home. Over the next few days we gave him 2 daily pills and made sure the wound remained clean and disinfected.
He was a very good patient and allowed us to do what we needed to do without resisting too much. By the end of our stay, the only visible sign left was a tiny scab and a bold patch on his forehead.
Needless to say, along with the antibiotics and the topical antiseptic treatment, he got lots of extra cuddles whenever he wanted them. He was a real softie who loved being fussed over and was a true gentleman when it came to dealing with the girls in the house.
He seemed particularly fond of Lucy, and would often have his afternoon naps next to her, allowing her to groom him when she felt maternal. In the evenings, he came looking for any available lap space and waited patiently for one to become available if the girls had beaten him to it.
Some days he had to admit defeat and just sit next to us on the sofa, where he still got plenty of attention!
