Hi Everyone,
I'm a passionate cat-lover, the proud father of two Burmese who rule my life. Previously, I fed them Royal Canin, but as I researched and understood more about nutrition, I transitioned them onto Orijen. Now, after much reading, I am transitioning them onto fully raw, using Dr Becker's recipes. I believe nutrition is the key to optimal health, so I try to understand what my babies require, and learn how I can reduce their exposure to toxins and pesticides etc. Having just found them a holistic vet (we're now based in South Africa), I feel that I am establishing a good support system for their overall wellness.
I will probably be asking questions in this forum along the lines of:
Enter Tori.
Named after Tori Amos (not Spelling, thank god), she matured into a wonderful confident cat. Nothing phases her. Intelligent, demanding, she is her happiest when she is sleeping on your chest, or being groomed using the vacuum cleaner (yes, she goes absolutely mad and demanding when we are vacuuming the floors - deliberately setting herself in front of the vacuum cleaner in the hopes of getting a massage). She is a true 'little person' - complex, intelligent, attentive and very, very demanding.
Enter Hajk (pronounced Hike)
After a few months with Tori, we realized that she needed an animal companion, so we decided it was time to adopt a new member. We reached out to our breeder and asked if she knew of any breeders who had a cat that had been returned due to allergies, or perhaps a family moving. She gave us the contact of a breeder who had been using a cat to father litters, but she was apparently done with him. When we arrived at her house (after a 4 hour bus trip), the first thing I noticed was that Hajk was absolutely beautiful.
The second thing I noticed was his smell. He STANK! His coat was oily, he was thin to the point of emaciation and he had been kept in a little glass room without any contact. This is what he looked like when we brought him home.
With much love and attention, he is now a healthy, vibrant little man.
Personality wise - he is the kind of cat that you take to a hospice and share with the patients. I have never, repeat NEVER come across a cat who is more loving - he is the absolute gentlest, most loving animal, and perhaps due to his isolation at the breeder, he needs to be with you constantly. On my lap, cuddled in the crook of my arm, clinging onto my shoulder (his longest is a 3 hour shoulder-cling) - this little man is the rubber to my glue. This is the type of cat that comes running when you call him, even if he was sleeping. I joke that he has the memory of a gold-fish - 30 seconds and then everything is blank again. He'll greet you (every thirty minutes) as if you are the most important person in the world. It's a lovely experience.
He doesn't possess the confidence that Tori has. Where she loves the vacuum cleaner, Hajk thinks it's the devil in disguise. Loud noises, trips to the vet - Hajk is not a happy kitty. With his gentle temperament comes a sensitive soul, I guess
After lots of pampering, this is what he looks like now:
Where Tori's appeal is her intelligence and depth of character, Hajk only has one emotion. Love. Both cats bring a special dynamic to this family and they give back every. single. day. This is a picture of them, taken a few weeks ago.
I hope we can learn a lot from everyone on the forum, and it's really great to be here with you all.
I'm a passionate cat-lover, the proud father of two Burmese who rule my life. Previously, I fed them Royal Canin, but as I researched and understood more about nutrition, I transitioned them onto Orijen. Now, after much reading, I am transitioning them onto fully raw, using Dr Becker's recipes. I believe nutrition is the key to optimal health, so I try to understand what my babies require, and learn how I can reduce their exposure to toxins and pesticides etc. Having just found them a holistic vet (we're now based in South Africa), I feel that I am establishing a good support system for their overall wellness.
I will probably be asking questions in this forum along the lines of:
- How to successfully transition to raw (since my one baby is a stubborn princess and refuses anything that is not kibble)
- Learning about people's experiences with FORL (tooth resporption) and stomatitis
- Getting an understanding of what kind of supplementation everyone is using to optimize their babies' health
Enter Tori.
Named after Tori Amos (not Spelling, thank god), she matured into a wonderful confident cat. Nothing phases her. Intelligent, demanding, she is her happiest when she is sleeping on your chest, or being groomed using the vacuum cleaner (yes, she goes absolutely mad and demanding when we are vacuuming the floors - deliberately setting herself in front of the vacuum cleaner in the hopes of getting a massage). She is a true 'little person' - complex, intelligent, attentive and very, very demanding.
Enter Hajk (pronounced Hike)
After a few months with Tori, we realized that she needed an animal companion, so we decided it was time to adopt a new member. We reached out to our breeder and asked if she knew of any breeders who had a cat that had been returned due to allergies, or perhaps a family moving. She gave us the contact of a breeder who had been using a cat to father litters, but she was apparently done with him. When we arrived at her house (after a 4 hour bus trip), the first thing I noticed was that Hajk was absolutely beautiful.
The second thing I noticed was his smell. He STANK! His coat was oily, he was thin to the point of emaciation and he had been kept in a little glass room without any contact. This is what he looked like when we brought him home.
With much love and attention, he is now a healthy, vibrant little man.
Personality wise - he is the kind of cat that you take to a hospice and share with the patients. I have never, repeat NEVER come across a cat who is more loving - he is the absolute gentlest, most loving animal, and perhaps due to his isolation at the breeder, he needs to be with you constantly. On my lap, cuddled in the crook of my arm, clinging onto my shoulder (his longest is a 3 hour shoulder-cling) - this little man is the rubber to my glue. This is the type of cat that comes running when you call him, even if he was sleeping. I joke that he has the memory of a gold-fish - 30 seconds and then everything is blank again. He'll greet you (every thirty minutes) as if you are the most important person in the world. It's a lovely experience.
He doesn't possess the confidence that Tori has. Where she loves the vacuum cleaner, Hajk thinks it's the devil in disguise. Loud noises, trips to the vet - Hajk is not a happy kitty. With his gentle temperament comes a sensitive soul, I guess
After lots of pampering, this is what he looks like now:
Where Tori's appeal is her intelligence and depth of character, Hajk only has one emotion. Love. Both cats bring a special dynamic to this family and they give back every. single. day. This is a picture of them, taken a few weeks ago.
I hope we can learn a lot from everyone on the forum, and it's really great to be here with you all.