- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
- Messages
- 10
- Purraise
- 38
Hi everyone! I've been browsing for a few days and finally plucked up the courage to sign up as you all seem such a lovely friendly bunch of cat slaves I used to belong to a UK cat forum but it closed down a couple of years ago due to lack of interest from all but a few older regulars....I think most of the younger members migrated more to Facebook or just grew up, got jobs, married etc and life took over *as it often does*
Anyway, I've been pretty busy myself the past year or so but now that life has calmed down I started browsing on t'internet to see if I could meet fellow cat lovers who would understand my obsession with all things feline
I'm Gill, married to Neil and we live in Northumberland in England (top right-hand corner before you hit Scotland!) and grew up surrounded by animals.....to my mother's horror! I just kept bringing things home About the only things I haven't had are a pony, chickens and tropical fish *tho' two of those may be on the cards this year!*
I converted Neil to the joys of pusscats just after we first met in 1997 and now he's an even bigger slave than I am! Since 2009 we did long-term fostering for a local small charity and would take the old, terminally ill and abused cats and give them a spoilt rotten retirement for whatever time they had left....a couple were only with us three weeks and two thirteen months with the average being around nine months. It was heartbreaking when it was time to let them go to Rainbow Bridge but at least we took comfort in knowing that their final weeks or months were in a home surrounded by love, a warm bed and full tummies Our last girl was Hattie who passed last June. She had been abandoned when her guardians moved house and just left her behind!!! The neighbour looked after her for the next two years and made her a cosy home in her shed (her son was highly allergic to cats so Hattie couldn't go indoors) and when SHE moved house she got in touch with the charity we fostered through. Hattie then went to another fosterer for a year or so before coming to us. She was around 15 years old at this time and had a mouth full of bad teeth, heart issues, hyperthyroidism and a large tumour on her shoulder. Oh, and she had a tapeworm too!!! To say I was angry at the sheer uselessness of the fosterer was putting it lightly!!!! I set about worming her, getting her fed properly, sorting out her medication with my vet and for the nine months she was with us NOTHING was too much trouble or expense as far as Hattie-Pattie Cat was concerned We zapped the worm and got her thyroid issues under control but sadly I couldn't get her teeth sorted as with her heart problem (it was like a bag of hammers the vet said!) there was a very high risk she wouldn't survive an anaesthetic The tumour was measured each month and didn't do anything until May when I had a feeling it had gotten slightly bigger. The vet measured it and it WAS growing again so we took Hattie home and spoilt her rotten even more, knowing that we could lose her at any time with that cancerous tumour She lasted another three weeks until one Thursday she climbed down from the sofa and the tumour burst and there was blood gushing out!!!! I took her straight to the vet as soon as the bleeding stopped and the vet took one look and said it was time to let her go. Hattie wasn't suffering at that point but it was just a matter of days before pain kicked in so as I firmly believe in better a day too soon than a day too late I held her in my arms as she slipped away. We then took her up to a spot we call Rainbow Wood which is where we've always buried our beloved fosters. There's over 14 there now and we'll often walk up that way and talk to 'Our Kids'
Losing Hattie, combined with the lady who ran the charity closing it when she retired, has meant we've been without a cat in our home for over nine months now. Mostly because Neil was absolutely gutted at losing Hattie and was adamant he wanted no more. I thought I'd just give him time as I doubt he could be without a cat for long I've noticed him getting a bit 'broody' of late when a cat comes on tv though so I don't think it'll be long before we're getting the cat tree, litter trays and other supplies out of the loft I don';t want to push him before he's ready but the second he gives the OK I'll be on the hunt
So, in the meantime, I'll just have to drool over your gorgeous babies
Anyway, I've been pretty busy myself the past year or so but now that life has calmed down I started browsing on t'internet to see if I could meet fellow cat lovers who would understand my obsession with all things feline
I'm Gill, married to Neil and we live in Northumberland in England (top right-hand corner before you hit Scotland!) and grew up surrounded by animals.....to my mother's horror! I just kept bringing things home About the only things I haven't had are a pony, chickens and tropical fish *tho' two of those may be on the cards this year!*
I converted Neil to the joys of pusscats just after we first met in 1997 and now he's an even bigger slave than I am! Since 2009 we did long-term fostering for a local small charity and would take the old, terminally ill and abused cats and give them a spoilt rotten retirement for whatever time they had left....a couple were only with us three weeks and two thirteen months with the average being around nine months. It was heartbreaking when it was time to let them go to Rainbow Bridge but at least we took comfort in knowing that their final weeks or months were in a home surrounded by love, a warm bed and full tummies Our last girl was Hattie who passed last June. She had been abandoned when her guardians moved house and just left her behind!!! The neighbour looked after her for the next two years and made her a cosy home in her shed (her son was highly allergic to cats so Hattie couldn't go indoors) and when SHE moved house she got in touch with the charity we fostered through. Hattie then went to another fosterer for a year or so before coming to us. She was around 15 years old at this time and had a mouth full of bad teeth, heart issues, hyperthyroidism and a large tumour on her shoulder. Oh, and she had a tapeworm too!!! To say I was angry at the sheer uselessness of the fosterer was putting it lightly!!!! I set about worming her, getting her fed properly, sorting out her medication with my vet and for the nine months she was with us NOTHING was too much trouble or expense as far as Hattie-Pattie Cat was concerned We zapped the worm and got her thyroid issues under control but sadly I couldn't get her teeth sorted as with her heart problem (it was like a bag of hammers the vet said!) there was a very high risk she wouldn't survive an anaesthetic The tumour was measured each month and didn't do anything until May when I had a feeling it had gotten slightly bigger. The vet measured it and it WAS growing again so we took Hattie home and spoilt her rotten even more, knowing that we could lose her at any time with that cancerous tumour She lasted another three weeks until one Thursday she climbed down from the sofa and the tumour burst and there was blood gushing out!!!! I took her straight to the vet as soon as the bleeding stopped and the vet took one look and said it was time to let her go. Hattie wasn't suffering at that point but it was just a matter of days before pain kicked in so as I firmly believe in better a day too soon than a day too late I held her in my arms as she slipped away. We then took her up to a spot we call Rainbow Wood which is where we've always buried our beloved fosters. There's over 14 there now and we'll often walk up that way and talk to 'Our Kids'
Losing Hattie, combined with the lady who ran the charity closing it when she retired, has meant we've been without a cat in our home for over nine months now. Mostly because Neil was absolutely gutted at losing Hattie and was adamant he wanted no more. I thought I'd just give him time as I doubt he could be without a cat for long I've noticed him getting a bit 'broody' of late when a cat comes on tv though so I don't think it'll be long before we're getting the cat tree, litter trays and other supplies out of the loft I don';t want to push him before he's ready but the second he gives the OK I'll be on the hunt
So, in the meantime, I'll just have to drool over your gorgeous babies