four months and they seem to be settling in.
Grew up with a Siamese for 19 years, loved him dearly, but after he passed the folks didn't want another, sadly. I got into dogs a few years ago and I do love them too but I couldn't keep one myself at the moment, just not practical or fair. So, last year I took a cat from the RSPCA in London Harmsworth Hospital based on a single photo and a short paragraph. They delivered her to my door!. They had had her for 6 months without interest so advertised in Brighton. She was almost PTS when they took her due to a floppy back leg when handed in. She was chipped to Oxford sheltered housing but when the warden visited they could find no owner. It seems she'd made her way to London from Oxford and was down to 2.6kg. They couldn't find much wrong with her structurally other than probable nerve damage. She was still in foster with them when I took her, I thought she was likely to be PTS as the RSPCA just don't promise not to put healthy animals down if they can't be rehomed and they were frustrated no one had taken her (in fact they have had a lot of criticism for putting down healthy animals, due to high numbers). I am a sucker for the unwanted, the unfashionable and the rejected (My People, like we all feel sometimes). They said she should be indoor-only due to her weakness and that suited me fine because I'm FFF, no garden. She was surprisingly bouncy when she came though and up to a tubby 5kg. She was an over groomer and had belly sores, bless her. But after numerous tweaks with the old Gabbies (a great little drug) we've found the right dose and no more sore tummy (likely referred pain from her rear spine, as she is sensitive to pressure there). I think maybe she'd been hit by a car, causing no structural damage but nerve damage and pain.
I love her to bits but she can be rather aloof - but after reading Vicky Halls and understanding more, it just doesn't matter to me. I love to watch her and she is so low maintenance. As Vicky says.: "cats are not dogs.. they are a different species with minimal social requirements and no fundamental need for a relationship of any sort.....they are fundamentally.... antisocial...". This is her. She does come for strokes, sits near me and on the bed sometimes. She my Plain Jane , saggy baggy tummed British Tabby
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She's lost weight on Katkin (I can't really afford it tbf but I'd rather give her decent food and I can eat healthily very cheaply. Cheap cat food is really full of rubbish) and she's down to a healthier 4.5kg. In fact, tbf, now I feel a bit guilty that she is kept indoors because she seems so healthy but the vet said that she won't be able to avoid outside dangers (traffic, other cats, dogs, foxes) like a fully fit cat could due to her spine issues. When I move in the future, though, I will move to somewhere where she can access some outside space (ha, won't be in Brighton still though due to the prices since City status).
edit, 2nd photo is cute but you can tell in her eye that when I went to stroke her she "Cat Slapped" my hand away with her paw (no claws).
We suspect he got the virus that nearly did for him recently after a bit of biffing with another cat. Luckily someone is at home almost all the time so he does get his outdoors fun, and these days he's very keen to be Out. Not Out Out, just out. But out, nevertheless.
Superb work, and story. I hope it all works out
Our little Ragsy had been a house cat when we inherited him from my son (long tedious story) and was getting on for 2. So it too a while to get him used to outside, We still don't let him if we are going out for more than an hour. He has learned how to tolerate other cats, although he is prone to the 'hold me back' dance, especially when he's behind the other cat
I accidentally left him out all night once a couple of years ago. He was sitting outside the back door, happy as larry at 7.30 the next morning. So perhaps we underestimate their resiliance. With a physically damaged cat like yours, though, discretion etc.
This is Puff who we adored for 21 years until she went to Heaven 6 years ago. Loved to bits. Never a lap cat, except the night before she got seriously ill when she came for a cuddle with me … I think she was letting me know she was in pain and saying farewell.
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Within a few weeks we took on twin rescue kittens from the RSPCA, Coco and Misty. They’re so loving and so spoilt.
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That's good, did you know their background, as we didn't with ours, just dumped at the cattery where we got them from.
