Saturday 25 May 2013

Me and my rescue cat - one year on

Tomorrow - Sunday 26 May 2013, will be the day a year ago when I brought home my first cat Dexter.  So what better subject for my first blog post!



Is it dinner time yet?

One of my favourite photos of Dexty that was featured in Explore on Flickr and the Flickr blog
 
It was May 2012, my daughter Holli had recently left home and I was feeling lonely.  It had been suggested to me that owning a cat might be a good idea.  So, after reassurance from Holli that although she's allergic to cats she'd still come and visit me, I visited the Cats Protection League rescue centre in Truro. A week later I came home with Dexter, or Dexty as he's now known, a  12 year old (well 13 tomorrow!) mackerel tabby. I don't know much about his background at all apart from the home he was in before he came to me was with a load of students and it wasn't working out for any of them (lucky for me!). 

Having never owned or really had anything to do with cats before, I was a bit nervous about bringing him home.  All the way home he was meowing, I thought this was so cute, a cat that talks to me, how wonderful....how wrong could I be, I realised when the most awful smell suddenly started to fill the car, that far from chatting away to me he had been trying to tell me that he didn't like travelling by car and he was going to empty his bowels at any minute!  Not the start to our relationship I had been hoping for.  So instead of following all the rules in my newly acquired cat book about settling him gently, he was bundled upstairs to the bathroom and washed down with the help of my neighbour Jacky, who thankfully is an experienced cat owner.

The good news is that he didn't hold a grudge, settled in immediately and it's like he's always been here.  I just can't imagine life without him now.  I am always excited to see him when I come home from work, he's very vocal and will meow away about what he's been up to while I've been out (sleeping mostly), how late home I am and what he wants for his dinner.  He likes to spend every waking hour with me and every sleeping hour too!  I feel so much calmer since I brought a cat into my life and can't recommend highly enough getting a rescue cat.

I hope you'll join in with me and wish Dexty a very happy birthday!





15 comments:

  1. happy birthday to you both :)

    i couldn't agree more about the benefits of having cats in one's life. and 'yay!' for adult rescue pets!

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  2. Hi Marie, thanks so much for the birthday wishes and for our first blog comment! Have a wonderful weekend :) xx

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  3. That is the sweetest story. I have three cats and love them along with the fur that floats around my house!

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  4. Oh happy birthday/anniversary. So pleased you found each other :)

    I have a rescue cat who I can't imagine living without. She was my neighbour's and I wished she could be mine. My wish came true when her owner had an incident with the police! I started to be careful with what I wished for from then on :)

    May you have many happy years together :)

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  5. ha ha!! I just accidently sent my comment via the message bit at the bottom of this page!! What a ditz I am!! Too tired. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Dexty!!

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  6. Oh Jodie 3 cats, lucky you! Looking forward to seeing Marble and Phillips next adventures. I have such a soft spot for them and now I'm' on Blogger it's easier to follow their blog. Happy weekend to you! :) xx
    Tracey thanks so much and for sharing your story. Sounds like your cat was very lucky you were around! Hope you're having a great weekend :) xx
    Hi, thanks so much for taking the time to come over. I wasn't sure if I'd get any visitors for my first post, so I'm truly thrilled :)))) The feedback on the form is so useful. I've decided to delete the form altogether if it's going to cause any confusion. Thanks so much for the birthday wishes. Dexty is lying in the garden in the sun and enjoying his day. I hope you have a great one too! :) xx

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  7. What a lovely story!! Happy birthday to your gorgeous Dexty :) Hugs Vicky xxx

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  8. Thanks so much Vicky! I hope you're having a great weekend :) xx

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  9. This is a touching story. I love Dexter and I'm so happy he came into your life and you rescued him. Toby is my second rescued dog and I wouldn't have bought one from a breeder... I wish you and Dexty a very happy first anniversary , and a very happy birthday to Dexty as well.
    Love and hugs to both of you.

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  10. Hello Rach, just dropping to see your blog, too tired now but will have another read tomorrow :))

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  11. Thanks so much Abby, love to Toby :) xx

    Hi Miriana, so good to see you here and I'm happy I've joined here as now I can comment and follow your blog here too! :) xx

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  12. My poor blog is not updated very regularly..
    For some reason I thought you have Dexter from long ago.Good thing you took him with you :)
    I took my pirate kitty ;) from the street , she had lost her one eye and at the moment didn't see anything she was so tiny too, I didn't know anything about cats too and even thought I don't like cats :)
    I didn't have the intention to keep her just took her to the vet every day so we could try and save her and was looking for a home for her but then I got attached and that's it all :)

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  13. Ah well, it is so hard to keep up with all the places we are supposed to be on the internet these days which is why I decided to close down so many accounts I had...
    Oh it is interesting to read this about your cat, I too didn't really think I liked cats, or more I didn't really notice them. Isn't it strange that once you notice them you see how beautiful they are! Thanks so much for visiting me here :) xx

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  14. hello Rach! nice to see you in blog land. Looking forward to your posts and happy birthday to dear Dexter. Glad to hear he has brought lots of love into your life. :)

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  15. Oh hello Sara, thanks so much for the visit and good wishes for Dexty :) xx

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