When John came to pick me up from my holiday he gave me a big bear hug (mmm!) and told me how pleased he was to see me (aww!). I had gone to spend a couple of weeks with a cat cousin of mine by the name of Holly because she lives in a fabulous country pen and needed a pal to help her through her troubles. As John drove me home, he told me all about his antics while I was gone, like the boat regatta he attended in Fareham (without me!) and the trip to the seafront with one of his daughters at midnight to take pictures of the ‘blue’ moon. Then he got this sheepish look on his face and admitted that he had written something for the blog (can you believe!). Yes folks, ‘the boss’ wrote something in MY blog! Just kidding! It wasn’t bad at all John, so thanks for looking after things while I was gone.
I met Holly a couple of months ago when she came into foster care having been rescued from a violent home situation. As you can see from the pictures, she was in a pickle for sure. Her tail was fractured, her jaw was damaged and she had a few teeth missing. As I walked towards this bony creature the first time we met, my delicate nostrils picked up the most unpleasant whiff that gradually became a stench and I could see her fur was filthy, like she’d been dipped in dirty bath. John told me it smelled like stale tobacco from living in a house full of heavy smokers and she had been kept as an indoor cat. The objectionable smell however was not the most noteworthy part of our first meeting. Rather it was her extraordinary personality that struck me. She dipped her head and came slowly towards me until we touched noses and her tail went straight up in the air, no heckles and no hissing. Despite the smell, we were soon rubbing each other’s cheeks and sitting next to each other comfortably watching the world go by.
So when John suggested that I spend my holidays with her, I was only too pleased to go visit. Image how thrilled I was to find her odour free and looking fab, with her white fur transformed from a yellowy-brown to a bright snow. We immediately connected, chasing each other around playfully while John unpacked my suitcase in the pen next door. After he left, Holly’s fosterer came to see us with a bowl of treats and hid them all around the pen for us to find. This was a big step forward for Holly because following her injuries she had previously been unable to close her jaw, resulting in her tongue hanging out all the time and a rather undignified dribbling problem. Her fosterer used to mash up her food which she then scooped up with her paw, yet here she was outrunning me to the biscuits and chewing like a proper cat. This explained her new found curves, dry chin and fluffy coat which she took pride in grooming every hour.
The lodgings we stayed in were full-board with everything included (meals, drinks, sleeping quarters and entertainment) and the rural surroundings were delightful. I spent many a happy moment watching the pigeons pecking berries out of the trees, the fish swimming lazily under the net in the lily-leafed pond and the resident cats strolling importantly past. I had a lovely holiday with my good friend Holly and it was a privilege to watch her become the wonderful trusting cat she always wanted to be. She truly is one of the strongest kids I’ve ever met and her high-spirited character was the magic that drew the attention of a kind-hearted family looking for a cat to adopt. When they came to visit, it was clearly a match made in heaven, with Holly smooching around the legs of all 3 humans, jumping on their laps and meowing demurely while they cooed all over her. Her kinked tail and goofy smile will always be a reminder of her past life but now she has an exciting future to look forward to. Congratulations Holly on finding a loving forever home where you will always be cherished.
shadthecat 