Dare We Tie Our Shoelaces? Our Cat Adoption Story

The hardest thing about leaving home was leaving our family cat behind. Unlike dogs you have to truly earn a cat's love, affection and their trust. Those first couple of days after bringing a new cat home are so important. You have to give them space, the right amount of attention, cuddles and treats. Get it wrong and you could find yourself with a very grumpy house mate and a relationship that doesn't work! Having a cat come over to you and rub him or herself against your legs is the best feeling because cats only do so if they want to. Everything they do is on their terms whereas a dog will do exactly as it's master commands with its tongue hanging out and it's eyes fixated in admiration. A cat will take you or leave you. However, I have found with both our family cat George and our adopted rescue cat Pippin, that when you truly need them they are there. It could just be a nuzzle or a paw on your foot accidentally or an intentional cuddle on your knee but a cat's affection is worth the wait - And that is what makes it feel special.

We decided on adoption mainly because I have had 2 successful prior experiences. Both our tabby cats Teabag and George were adopted at a young age. Teabag was in her prime at around 3 or 4 years but sadly we only had her for 2 as she got very sick with leukemia. When the vets said there was nothing they could do we felt that the kindest thing was to let her go. Our second adoption was with George and he is still kicking around. We got him as a kitten and he is now around 15 years old. He has no sharp teeth left, has a permanent cold and will snot on you unintentionally. Like I said before, leaving home was incredibly difficult because you can't explain the process to your cat. They don't know why you are suddenly not there to cuddle and to sit on. I don't know if George ever pines for me but I do know that it is not his style. If a human were to play him in a story of his life it would be Jack Nicholson or perhaps Jack Dee.

So we made the decision to pay a visit to Preston RSPCA one weekend and just look at our options. Well we looked and played and cuddled and stroked...so many cats! I would go just for fun. The kittens were adorable! Ideally we had our sights set on a Tom cat who was young but not a kitten. So we saw a few but none were quite right. I think when choosing a cat you just know if they are the right fit for your family. You have to trust your gut and spend the right amount of time making a decision because it is life changing.

We thought we had made our decision on a fluffy Tom called King Arthur. He was playful and lively and through the mesh of his enclosure he appeared to be very good natured. So we asked one of the volunteers if we could meet him and we went inside the building which held all of the cats temporary homes. Well he rubbed up against our hands and fluffed up his tale, it was only when he escaped and the staff member caught him did his good mood turn off. He decided to nip in a playful way but we both still wanted him. So we walked through to the outside on our way to sign the paperwork when I had the little voice in my head which made me have a rethink. I went to the mesh of King Arthur's enclosure and just as before I poked my fingers through for him to lick. One bite was all it took to make me walk back inside to have a harder look. By this point Alex was saying yes to all the cats and I was starting to worry. Even though I knew that you don't always make a match the first time there was that part of me that really wanted to find our cat that same day. So after weighing up the pros and cons of each feline we ended up looking at a very chill ginger Tom. 

Heathcliffe was led in his pink plastic bed which was draped with a tiger print, fleece blanket looking ever so nonchalant. He winked and then stretched. A cat stretch is so satisfying to watch, the way their bodies elongate right to the tips of their pink little toes and then they do this body ripple at the end. He stood up and started to slink from side to side, gently nudging the plastic window. Everything about him was so calm. He appeared relaxed and very at ease so we asked the staff if we could open the door and pet him. I gently scratched the top of his head and the soft bit between his neck and chin. He began to purr and drool at the same time and it was there that I fell in love. I knew he was the one so we signed the papers and put down our deposit. 

The following weekend we did our compulsory second visit and had a little play with some of his toys, tickling him with feathers and jingling the little bells at his paws. I let him sniff me and get used to me before making the brave decision to scoop him up in my arms. He was still and didn't struggle and felt so tiny.

Heathcliffe wasn't his name. He was too small to have such a heavy name and although we originally wanted a cat called Thor that didn't suit either. Being a bit nerdy ourselves we went through every ginger character in nerd pop culture and settled on the infamous Hobbit in Lord of the Rings, Peregrin Took or Pippin for short. I like a name that can be easily shortened and have many variations to it. He has, with time, become Pip, Pippin, Pippy Dip, Pipsicle, Pip Pop and Pipper. His naughty name is Peregrin also paired with us exclaiming in a worldly wizardly way, "You fool of a Took!"

After 3 weeks we pushed for our RSPCA home visit which had to be conducted before we could complete the adoption process. A lovely lady came round the following day and I swear you would think I was preparing for Child Adoption UK! I had blitzed the house, burnt incense, lit candles, turned on fairy lights and gone round with a fine tooth comb. I had a pot of coffee ready to prepare when she arrived or tea and even "staged" Pippins bed and displayed his toys in an effortless way! The visit couldn't have gone better and Jean was more than happy to recommend us as parents for Pippin. As soon as she left I phoned the RSPCA where Pippin was currently living and asked how long it would be before I could go and collect him. They said that they just needed the report from Jean and then I could come for him. Alex was at work and the house was tidy. My excitement started to build as I waited for the phone to ring. At 11.30 the call came and I hopped in the car with our new cat carrier and set off.

Pippin's first day went very well. There was alot of sniffing, alot of cuddles and everywhere I went he went too. To start with we felt it important to introduce him to each room in the house in stages. We had him in the kitchen and living room to start with (which is open plan) and this is also were his bed, food, water and litter tray are and where he spends the majority of his days. Fast forward to now and Pippin has free reign over the whole house and sometimes he even sleeps on the chair in our bedroom at night. He has only had one accident which was only on his first day but we managed to train him to use his litter tray by using the same litter as he had at the RSPCA and by putting it in the place he had his accident. Slowly but surely we moved it an inch every couple of days until it was under the stairs, which is where we wanted it to be!

Pippin is the complete package. He is loving when he wants to be, playful at times and overall a very well behaved little cat. I like to think that we have given him a very loving home.

The top ten things about Pippin:
1. His chattering. If you talk he will talk back and he does from time to time sound like an alien.
2. His tiny pink nose. It is so cute!
3. His mad moments when he runs round the house and slides across the laminate flooring.
4. His bum wiggle before he pounces is just adorable.
5. Just try and tie your shoe laces without Pippin going into pounce mode and chasing each lace as it flops over your shoe. Not happening- we may invest in velcros.
6. His love of dreamies cat treats and how he knows where they are in the house. If you walk to the corner under the stairs you will be followed.
7. His routine is like clockwork and he will always be on the windowsill watching and waiting for you to come home. He will then wave at you with his little paw, obviously disguised as a stretch.
8. When he dreams his cheeks and mouth twitch in his sleep and his little whiskers quiver.
9. A cat stretch just before they wake up is the cutest. They stretch out their teeny toes and then their front paws cover their face. Only a cat owner will know it.
10. When he goes outside in the garden on his harness and he does the harness walk. Belly to the floor and little rotating legs, stealth mode.

I am not going to lie and say that having a cat is perfect, there are times when claws are stuck in furniture, smelly poos are made and cat food spilled but overall it is one of the best things we have ever done. Every moment with him is entertaining and having a little animal depend on you for all his needs to be met is such a warm fuzzy feeling. You can get all of this with any cat but most importantly is the fact that Pippin is a rescue cat. We have helped impact on his life and make it so much better. We don't know his past but for anyone to have given him up, it can't have been great and although the RSPCA do great work with all the animals they take in they can only give so much time to each one. A home is what all animals need and a loving one at that. If you are considering adoption do your research and make sure that you are fully prepared. It is a cat that makes a home.

Love
Blue Sky
X