Letters

Letter form people that have had my cats

----- Original Message -----

From: Lisa Buckley

Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2011 11:24 PM

Subject: Grace - another update

Hi Valerie,

I thought I'd give you an update on Grace. She's now the grand old age of 15 and still keeping us in check. She's getting a tad tatty round the edges, but still seems to be happy and generally healthy. She recently had a few teeth removed, but is eating and drinking okay, and the vet still thinks she is healthy for her age. As she's getting on, she's finding it more difficult to get on to the bed, so she now has a set of steps to help her - she's definitely a spoilt mog, who has us very well trained.

Grace still doesn't approve of the outside world, preferring to spend her time in the conservatory, keeping an eye on the neighbour's cats. I'd like to think that I had the conservatory built with us in mind, but I know that it was really for Grace's benefit!

I've attached a few recent pictures of her, so you can see how she's still a happy and well-loved girl (who occasionally finds a spurt of energy to chase biscuits!). Re-homing Grace was one of the best decisions I've made - she's such a character, and knows exactly how to pull our strings. She's now an affectionate old girl, who still headbutts with the best of them, and loves nothing better than curling up under the duvet with us, and having her head and tummy rubbed. I've been very lucky to have had 11 years of her company, so thank you very much for re-homing her with me.

Kind regards,
Lisa

Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 4:25 PM

Subject: RE: Rosa!

Hi again Valerie!

just to let you know that Rosa escaped for a few minutes yesterday into the garden and caught herself a huge wood pidgein for dinner - we didn't realise she had sneaked out until we heard the pidgein under the bed! Naughty girl!

Lynzie

Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 9:31 PM

Subject: RE: Rosa!

Hello Valerie,

I hope you are well.... I just thought you may like to know that after 48 hours of sad meowing, Rosa has settled in beautifully with us and is now a very spoiled member of the family! Her bald patch is growing back nicely and she really is the most affectionate cat ever. Jakob loves her to bits and is very proud of his new friend - he can even carry her around now which is amazing as you saw how tentative he was at first - she doesn't much like being carried but cant get enough stroking!!

Thought you might like these....

Lynzie

Received 21 August 2006

Raider

This is a Somali boy that I imported but he was very stressed so I let my friend Denise have him. As you can see he is a very happy boy now. You can read about him in Cat World where Denise writes a column.

Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 11:03 PM

Subject: Grace - an update

Hi Valerie,

I just thought I'd drop you a quick line to let you know that Grace is still doing well...she's finally turned into a lap cat, and is sitting on my knee as I type. I wake up every morning with the cat under the duvet with her head facing me on the pillow...very cute - but very warm in summer!

I'm so pleased I decided to rehome an Aby, rather than get kittens - it's taken a long time to get her to be completely trusting with people, and to be sociable, but she's a fabulous cat and I wouldn't be without her! After nearly eight years sharing my home with her, she clearly rules the house, and has me very well trained. Even our neighbour Nev (who cat sits for us) knows to wait for his headbutt from her.

The two Abys you have up for rehoming look absolutely beautiful - as usual - and I'd be the first to say "yes please!" if it weren't for Grace. She's still fiercely determined to be the only cat in the house (and neighbourhood, judging from her response to other cats who trespass in her garden...), and should that ever change then I'll be in touch offering to rehome more Abys!

All the very best,
Lisa (& Grace)

This just goes to show that re-homing works!!! Grace is now 13.5 years old, photo below

Received 17th January 2006

Grand Champion Riverfern Grace (DOB 11 November 1995)

Just thought I'd send you a quick email wishing you a happy new year, and to let you know that Grace is still doing well. Friends who've visited recently can't believe the transformation in her...she's friendly, curious, headbutts anyone who's willing to be headbutted (without giving them several weeks of investigation first). Occasionally she'll sit on us, and has taken to lying on my chest in bed - just close enough to headbutt when required. And she's even decided she likes the outside world. The squirrels and birds in the back garden fascinate her...she hasn't got a clue what to do with them - the squirrels come and tap on the window at her, they must think she's lower in the food chain. She is allowed out now, but only under close supervision. Her first introduction to a lawned garden resulted in a panic attack and she had to be retrieved - she still doesn't trust grass, especially when there's a breeze to blow it about, but it means she doesn't run anywhere on it (other than straight back into the house)! We did try her on a harness, but she didn't approve.

I've attached some more recent pictures of her for you - despite many attempts to get her to lose some of her menopausal belly she refuses to diet, but thankfully she has mad half hours on a regular basis, tearing around the house, upstairs, downstairs, through the kitchen...Her current idea of a well balanced diet is to sit next to you while you eat and try to pinch food off your fork before it gets as far as your mouth. The older she gets, the cheekier she becomes! And to say she's a classy and well-bred puss, she doesn't often look particularly ladylike - preferring to sit legs akimbo, belly out, watching the TV. Who'd have thought she could be one of the ancestors of those thin, well behaved cats you show!

Lisa

Received 18th May 04

Grand Champion Riverfern Grace is Sorrel's Daughter and Willow's mum

Hi Valerie,

I've just been catching up on your website, and thought I'd drop you a
line to let you know how Grace is getting on! She's become quite soft
in the last six months, coming to investigate anyone who comes to visit,
giving them the obligatory head butt to let them know that she'll let
them stay a bit longer. The 5 am head butts have thankfully stopped (it
only took about 2 years), and now she takes a running jump at my head
when I wake up first thing.

She's still fairly agoraphobic - she's taken to sitting at the back
door, watching the world go by...but we're about to move into a big
detached house with a garden and conservatory, so she'll
have lots to watch while I'm out at work. No doubt the sea gulls will
keep her entertained. I'm curious to see how she'll cope with stairs
and laminate flooring - she's not had the exercise in a ground floor
flat!

I had a new radiator installed in the lounge, behind my settee, and
she's taken to draping herself along the top of the radiator every
evening (whether it's on or not), while keeping me company.

But she's a real treasure, and has been fabulous company while I've been
writing up my phd. She's very good at reminding me when it's time to
eat.

Anyway, take care, and good look with all the new kittens. I'd love to
fill the new house with more abys, but I have a strong suspicion Grace
would have something to say about it!

Lisa

letter received 23^rd October 03

I wanted to let you know how Willow/Salix! is getting on.

She has had quite a couple of weeks.

About four weeks ago she was chasing a Butterfly all around the garden and it flew across the pond - her in hot pursuit, she made a massive leap into the air to grab it and landed smack in the middle of the pond, she's quite a good swimmer would you believe and quickly made her way to the side and climbed out.

About three weeks ago my father went into the kitchen to find a HUGE wood pigeon lying on the floor (with lots of its feathers plucked out) and no sign of her. How she had got it over the dog fence I will never know as it must have been around two times the size and weight of her. Anyway the Pigeon was still very much alive but had a broken wing so it spent the night in the garage and then I had to take it to an animal sanctuary where they promised that they would feed it up (not put it in a pie!), mend its wing and release it.

Then two weeks ago she climbed the biggest tree in the garden (a Douglas Fir at around 130 foot high) she went all the way to the top and then decided that she couldn't come down. A call to the Fire Brigade and we were told that they no longer come out to cats up trees (they don't show you that on animal rescue do they!) a call to the RSPCA and they told us to call the Fire Brigade, we called the Fire Brigade again and were told that they would come out but only after 38 hours.

There is no way we would of left her up the tree for that long but we did have to leave her up the tree for the night as it was too dark to do anything else, we were out trying to tempt her down until gone 12 - but she wasn't budging. It was awful as she was calling out to us the whole time.

The next morning we were going to force the Fire Brigade to come out and get her down but my Aunt had a good idea and told us to try a Tree Surgeon - it took him four hours but he got her down in the end.....he took up one of our Zip bags and when she got used to the idea that he was there to help her, she jumped straight into the bag when she saw him put it on his lap.

She hasn't climbed another tree since!

This is Fly's mum

On a different note

Hi Valerie,

I just thought I should let you know that Jasper managed to escape on
Saturday and although I was worried sick, figured he would make it home as
soon as he got hungry. Unfortunately, he got hit by a car and was killed
instantly about 2 hours later. I actually found 2 mines later as he was
still on our street and I had just got in from the shops so think that he
may have seen me walking home. I'm absolutely devastated as even though
I've had him for only 10 weeks, he had definitely become a part of my life
and I feel so sad as he hasn't come bounding into my room with his jingling
collar bell to wake me up at 6:30am.

It is so shocking as I thought I'd have him forever and I had him for such
a short time. I'm sorry I had to give you this news.

NB This was one of Willows kittens he was only 5 month old