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I would like to update
you all on TJ and Peaches' progress over the last few months. They
have been living in the house with us and our own two cats since
last June. They have settled in perfectly and are now part of the
family. Peaches was diagnosed in the autumn with renal problems and
epilepsy and he now takes daily medication for both these conditions
but he is an absolute dream to medicate and never makes any fuss. At
the moment his condition is stable and he only requires check ups
every six months. He is a real mummy's boy and follows me
everywhere, squeaking if he thinks you are ignoring him. As soon as
my bum hits the sofa, his bum hits my knee! It's almost like he
feels secure if he has contact with you. Until a few weeks ago he
used to find his own wee place to sleep but he now joins the rest of
them on our bed which has become a bit crowded with the six of us in
bed but that is absolutely fine by us! Because of his epilepsy and
the associated medication he spends a lot of time in his own wee
world and, as a result, familiar people and surroundings have become
even more important to him than they were before. He doesn't like
strangers or loud noises and is terrified when the doorbell rings.
He has built up a trust with us over the time we have adopted him
and we feel that it would be very unfair to expect him to re-adjust
to a new owner now. TJ is the more confident of the two but even he
hates the doorbell and he will disappear when there are people in
the house that he doesn't know. He loves his dad and will have long
'conversations' with my husband and I'm sure he understands every
word. He is a real comic and makes me laugh every day. He is
extremely vocal and will holler at you when he wants to be outside
or to be fed or just to let you know he is there. As soon as he
thinks you are off to bed he takes off upstairs to get there before
you so that he can hog the best bit of the bed (usually right in the
middle) so if you are lucky you might manage to get a bit right on
the edge, usually with no covers. Bang on 6am he climbs on top of
you and bleats in your ear to let you know he is hungry and wants to
go outside - even at the weekend! You never need an alarm clock with
TJ around. He loves to lie on clean washing or the ironing pile and
it always turns out to be something black and he covers it with
white fur. TJ has renal problems, a heart murmur, arthritis and,
believe it or not at the ripe old age of 75, has developed acne! He
was rescued by his previous owner when someone threw him out of a
moving car and he broke his legs. This has caused him to develop
arthritis in all his legs and they are now very crooked. He has a
limp but he gets around fine at the moment although this may need to
be medicated in the future. It doesn't stop him enjoying life to the
full and he loves a wee jaunt outside if the weather is not too
cold. like Peaches, TJ has settled in very well with us and, as well
as bonding with us, he also gets on well with our own two cats.
We are happy to let you
all know that we have decided that it would be in the best interest
of both cats to leave them where they feel happy, loved, safe and
secure and for these reasons we have taken TJ and Peaches off the
'Cats For Adoption' list. We are delighted to have them living with
us as we are crazy about them and they love us too. They will remain
as West Lothian Cats Protection 'branch cats' and will be supported
by the branch for the rest of their lives. If you would like to
offer help towards their veterinary bills we would be most grateful
and the boys will keep you updated on their progress - keep checking
the website for news.
We would like to thank
the family of their previous mum, the late Sandra Wardrope
(1954-2007) for all their interest in how TJ and Peaches are doing
and also for the very generous legacy they donated to us. In the
spring we will be replacing two of our old pens with brand new ones
and one of them will be dedicated to Sandra's memory. Also a huge
thank you to Evelyn Lockhart who sent us a donation at Christmas as
well as a lovely fleecy blanket for the boys which they just love
lying on at the back of the couch (the boys say a big purry 'thank
you' to their Auntie Evelyn). Evelyn also sponsors one of our pens
so we can continue to help the older cats and the pairs like TJ and
Peaches.
Thanks a million - Roz
Fleming (Cats Protection West Lothian)
January 2008.
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