Thank you all for your love, knowledge and patients even though you were all doing what elderly cats do in your own special way.
I miss you all very much but feel privileged to have had you all in my life even if you were cared for by friends.
YING
Her exact age was unknown but it was suspected that she was in her early 20’s.
She was so expressive that if you walked into her room and she didn’t want you there she would simply turn her back on you as if to say ‘go away your disturbing me’
Ying lived for a further 3 years after having major surgery in order to remove a cancerous growth on her spleen.
Her last illness was very sudden and she deteriorated rapidly, it was suspected that the cancer had returned but I decided to leave her be and let her go with dignity rather then have her poked and prodded with tests and drugs.
I will always remember and laugh at the way she would glare at me when I went to give her a cuddle.
REGGIE
His age was unknown as he was a stray. He was the grubbiest, skinniest cat I’d ever seen with a really nasty problem on one of his ears, he would take a few steps and collapse in a heap on the floor.
After a few blood tests it was determined that he was Hyperthyroid, this meant he had an over active thyroid gland and because it was left untreated it had started to affect his heart. His treatment was 3 weeks on tablets (and let me tell you this was by no means an easy task) with the possibility of surgery once his thyroid was more stable.
Because we had to do surgery on his ear it was decided that he would just have the one anaesthetic and everything done at the same time so one quiet day at work Reggie was out onto I.V fluids (this means his kidneys would be able to flush the anaesthetic out of his system quicker), both his thyroid glands were removed as was his ear and all his teeth (these were practically falling out anyway. His recovery was speedy and he then came to live with the n
urses at the surgery.
Reggie was in my life for 18months, one day I woke up and found he had been coughing up a lot of blood and expecting not to still find him alive there he was waiting for another meal. He was diagnosed with lungs tumours so again I thought it best to leave him be and when the time came let him go with dignity. Two weeks later Reggie died peacefully the way he would have wanted to go with no one interfering
Reggie was the funniest elderly cat I have ever come across, he would barely be able to get up the stairs some days and was supposed to be deaf but as soon as that fridge door opened he was there behind you even if he was down a few flights of stairs. He was also a chocoholic and if you weren't careful he would steal it and some how with no teeth unwrap and eat it before he was caught.
BLOSSOM
Darling Blossom was such a emotional little lady, she came to live with me after a friend decided to take her but then her circumstances changed so she was no longer able to look after her. She was in my care for just over 1 year and came with a variety of both physical and emotional problems.
Blossom had multiple allergies so taking care of her was a full time job, I was forever watching over her so she didn’t wander off and eat something that would make her poorly to the point where she was ripping at her skin which is why she had to wear clothes.
She was also like a sponge, if one of the other cats were poorly then so was Blossom, it was as though she took on their illness too.
It was very hard having a cat that demanded such attention but I loved her as much as I did the other old folk and it broke my heart to say goodbye.
ARNOLD
He was 16 when he’s family decided they couldn’t cope with his old age and apparently he started going to the toilet around the house. One month previously to this he had been brought in for a full mot and dental work so we knew he was well. When I spent time with Arnold on that day he WAS a total gentleman and would let us do anything to him, he had to have all teeth removed but was only in hospital for the day.
You may notice I said he was a gentleman, well let me tell you I felt like I had a member of the mafia on my hands. At first we decided we would find him a new home but he was kept in hospital for a little while so that we could get to the bottom of his inappropriate toileting (he just didn’t like a dirty litter tray or it could have been the type of litter that was being used).
It was my wish that he become a surgery cat because he liked nothing more then to flirt with everyone that came into the practice, in fact he had a little fan club and people would come in just to visit him but unfortunately no one wanted to take him home so I did.
Arnold appeared to be a very confident bully but the more time I spent with him it was obvious he was a very scared boy and would jump with all four paws in the air if something frightened him (and trust me it didn’t take much sometimes).
Arnold was a loner but struck up a relationship with Mousey when she first came to live with us. She was very timid around the others but had no problems curling up with Arnold and whilst he couldn’t stand any of the others around him (except feeding time and then he was more concerned about his stomach) he was very fond of her (I think they were in love).
Arnold loved to be outdoors so it was a dream come true for him when we moved to a house with a garden and before long he was over the wall exploring and getting into trouble, he would either come home with oil all over his paws or would get ambushed on the way back by one of the neighbourhood cats so I had to go rescue him and take him back to safety.
Arnold became sick very quickly and 4 days after becoming ill had to be euthansed. I was so upset to say goodbye but at least he had a good time in his new home.
SHUSHI
(Cantonese for short sleep or siesta)
What can I tell you about darling Shushi, well she was originally owned by Amanda and lived in Battersea with her brother Smartie.
I first met them both in 1997 but unfortunately not under good circumstances as Smartie was very poorly and sadly gave up his fight.
All the same the first time I set eyes on Miss Shushi I fell in love with her and every time she was brought in to have a check up I would try and sneak out the door with her. I couldn’t tell you what it was about her that was so special as I didn’t spend much time with her but all I know is that she was beautiful yet had a look of naughtiness about her.
In 2005 after 8years of trying to steal her Amanda asked me to look after Shushi indefinitely as she was planning a new life in Cypress and wasn’t sure if it was fair to take Miss Shushi. Of course I said yes before she even finished getting the words out so that summer she came to stay which was quite strange for her at first but she soon found her spot in the downstairs kitchen.
In Jan 2006 we all moved to Peterborough and Shushi was given her own bedroom with en suite bathroom, heat pads and a constant supply of food when all she wanted was to sleep under the bed. After some time she came out and stated mixing with the other more and before I knew it she was up and down the stairs and sunbathing under a tree in the garden.
Shushi unfortunately became ill in Aug 2006 at the grand old age of 21. She would quite often get problems with her mouth so I had to make the hard decision should I take her in to have treatment done or not, either way I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea so decided to take the chance but unfortunately it was a bit too much for her and it was suspected she had a stroke under anaesthetic.
The one thing I will always remember about darling Shushi is the constant howling at ungodly hours of night for no reason.
WILF
Although he is still alive he is no longer living with me.
Wilf was 2yrs old when I took him on in 2006 and despite the fact that I had never taken on such a young cat and he was hard work I am glad he was in my life even though it was only for 6 months.
Wilf was about to be euthanased because he was getting nasty towards his owners when in fact he was in a lot of pain. He had a problem with one of his back legs which could have been sorted with an operation.
When he came to live in the house I was away working so 2 weeks had passed before I met him. I was getting updates from my cat/house sitter about his progress or lack of progress. When I finally met him it was a treat, where previous he was attacking everyone and everything in site he was all over me and followed me everywhere, he hated the other cats with a passion and would pounce on them all so they decided to live upstairs unless someone was home to protect them
Wilf was the angriest cat I had ever seen, his back was very arched and his ears were sitting flat on his head, he hated anyone picking him up and would try to bite at the slightest thing. That weekend I started doing a bit of Tellington Touch with him, the first thing was to try him with a body wrap which he hated at first and it was only on for a few seconds, the second time I put it on he went to bed under the cupboard in the kitchen for 5 hours. On his return the body wrap was off, his back was no longer arched and his ears were sitting comfortable in their normal position, he was also able to cope with one of the other cats being near him but only when I was with them.
Wilf finally got his operation and spent 8 weeks being confined and not able to go outside which he loved. I continued doing as much work with him as possible and he continued to attack the old folk and make their lives hell but not as much as previously.
Six months later I decided to re-home him. Wilf went to a couple with no other cats and he is the happiest little spoilt mummy’s boy that loves nothing more them cuddling up on the bed.
Even though my time with Wilf was so short I fell that had I not taken him it would have been a totally different story for him and he wouldn’t have had his happy ending.
There you have it, the friends that I have had and lost due to one illness or another.
I’ve had many other cats in my life that at some time or other I have looked after or given some form of complimentary therapy too and wanted to say thank you to all of their owners for allowing me to be a part of their lives. I miss them as much as I do all my other furry little stalkers and they all have a special place in my heart.
DINKYMuch loved friend of Kim and Pete and brother to their cats Big and Boo.
Dinky was a cheeky little boy and the first time he met my Oreo he attacked him, to this day Oreo still has the scar on is nose and has taken a disliking to all ginger cats!!!
Dinky’s other brother Ambrose died from a nasty form of cancer a few years before him and unfortunately at the time no one had a digital camera so at the moment I am unable to post a photo of him. He too was a beautiful ginger boy that was very loving to all he met.
BARNEY
I first met Barney on 20 April 2007 and although I only knew her for a few weeks, she carries a very special place in my heart.
Barney is very much loved and missed by Sarah and Matt. She first came into Sarah’s life in July 1992 after having spent a few years living rough and being fed by a kind old man, then 2 days in a rescue shelter in Brighton, from the minute she took her on Barney made herself at home, taking over and making Sarah her servant.
Sarah and Barney then went to live with matt in London, he’d never had a cat before so it didn’t take Barney long to win him over and before he knew it he was changing his home to accommodate the little lady.
Barney died on 21 May 2007 just four weeks after she came into my life; she had a multitude of problems and coped with them all as best she could. Barney welcomed me into her home with opened paws and trusted me to do reiki on her straight away. Barney said her final farewell to her mummy and daddy whilst being cuddled and stroked and being told how much they loved her, I think that was a wonderful way for her to leave us and I thank both Sarah and Matt for allowing me to have Barney in my life for those few weeks.
You may think that’s a strange thing to see amongst all these cats but I wanted to give
a little tribute to a boy with such a big heart.
Bracken
was a great friend to Gina and Annie not to mention his many other followers.On a training trip to Bath, Bracken allowed Gina and I to share his room but I think he was having second thoughts after the first night. He would take himself off to bed after a hard day at the office and lie there sighing at Gina and I for staying up to the small hours chatting and laughing only problem is this made us laugh even more.
Thank you dear Bracken for teaching me so much and making that trip so enjoyable, we all miss you very much.
