By Gabriella Payne
Theres no doubt that throughout these difficult times, the love of our pets has been getting us through.
A few weeks ago, we asked residents to send in pictures with their canine best friends, and this week, our purrrr-fect cat friends have taken centre stage.
Whether curled up on your lap, having a nice big stretch or being mischievous and playful – cats always know just how to cheer us up and many locals couldn’t imagine their lives without them.
With everything going on in the world right now, they make us smile on a daily basis and life would surely be cat-astrophic without them.
So here’s to all our feline friends!
Rebecca Rowed and her cat, Bowie:
“This is Bowie. We adopted him from the pound in November 2020.
He came as a surprise. I was looking at getting a dog but I came across his face on the pound page. We all fell in love. He has become such an important part of our lives. He has given my old dog a new lease on life.
Bowie is an inside only cat but my dad built an enclosure so he can still enjoy the outdoors safely. We are so lucky to have found each other.“
Amanda Wicks and her cat, Max:
“This is Max, he is a Bengal cat and is always making us smile with his antics.
He’s pretty high maintenance in that he is very loud and can be demanding, but he also loves splashing in the bath and will only drink from a running tap. We definitely wouldn’t want to live through lockdown without him.“
Joanne Peak and her cat, Billy:
“This is our feline loaf, Billy, he is a four-year-old domestic, medium hair. He was adopted from AAPS back in January 2020, and is a huge part of our family.“
Marj Couch and her cat, Leo:
“This is our fluffball Leo. He is a Birman and is great company. He needs to be around me all the time!“
Kimberly Riddell and her cat, Mercy:
“This is Mercy, she has definitely made lockdown more bearable.
Mercy is a four-year-old calico, domestic, short hair, we adopted her from the Maneki Neko Cat Rescue when she was nine weeks old and since then she has built up a cheeky stubborn attitude which keeps things interesting through lockdown! We can’t imagine life without her.“
Angelina Lay and her cat, Csikos:
“Here are some photos of my boy Csikos pronounced Chee-kosh. During lockdown he has indulged in taking extra long naps, getting as many cuddles as possible and ensuring that he keeps us company if he finds us in our study by ourselves. He’s a very good boy.“
Lauren Dalton and her cat, Milo:
“This is Milo, helping celebrate birthdays whilst in lockdown. She is one-year-old, we rescued her when she was four weeks old.“
Alicia Rollings and her recently passed cat, Diego and new fur-baby, Cleo:
“This is Diego, he was nearly four years old. I adopted him from Forever Friends, he was amazing with people and gave the best cuddles. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer [and passed away]. I miss him so much.
This is Cleo, she is two years old and I adopted her through a rescue. She isn’t a fan of other people but slowly is getting better. She is very cheeky and loves cuddles on her terms. I couldn’t see myself without her and she is the best company when coming home from a busy day at work. She has helped me though these tough times.“
Angelique and Noah Summers and their cats Buffy, Gin and Pepe:
“This is my princess Buffy, followed by my son Noah’s boy Gin and our shared handsome boy Pepe. We would be lost without them!“
Ethan and Amy Davies and their cat, Joshy (Joshua):
“Here is our beloved cat Joshy, (Joshua). He always wants to be the centre of attention and sit directly on top of puzzles, laptops and colouring. He is a recuse cat, and we sense that he is forever grateful for giving him a second chance.“
Divya Stoicevici and her cats, Arwen and Leia:
“This is Arwen and Leia – they like to party with us on Friday nights!“
Jessica Lee and her cat, Bebe:
“Bebe is 14 years old, she has been my rock in life, especially these last 18 months. She’s not just a cat, she’s my family. Very affectionate cat who loves to cuddle. She enjoys lots of naps, but has also become quite playful recently with me being home so much.“
Joanne Lee and her cat, Freyja:
“At only a year and a half old, living on the streets and already having a litter of kittens, Freyja was saved at the 11th hour from being killed at a local pound. She was taken in by Rose’s Refuge – a local rescue – and spent time there adjusting to life as a cat with a home. Unfortunately she has a skin condition which may require life-long treatment, or it may resolve with the right treatment. Either way, we are prepared to provide her supportive care. She’s such an affectionate and playful cat. The number of animals just like Freyja being destroyed at shelters and pounds each year is abominable. We would like to encourage everyone to adopt not shop!“
Gazette journalist Danielle Kutchel and her cats, BB, Connie and Lucy:
“These three are my absolute world. They’ve all got their own unique purr-sonalities: BB is the boss of the house but is now the middle child; Connie is the youngest and still shy despite being a house cat for four years; and Lucy is confident, affectionate, and sounds like a frog when she purrs. BB and Lucy are both from Ingrid’s Haven. BB had a rough start on the Victorian border but chose us in a drug-induced haze after her desexing surgery. She is currently battling inflammatory bowel disease and is taking it like a trooper. Lucy languished in the shelter for years, unwanted. She has had both ACLs reconstructed and has a crazy walk as a result, but she doesn’t let her ’disability’ stop her from chasing her sisters. We adopted Connie from Casey-based Bast Cat Club, and though she started life as a colony cat she has really taken to this indoors thing and loves a good cuddle!“
Tahlia Highman and her cat, Ron:
“Ron is a big, floofy, beautiful boy. He’s also very chilled out; he doesn’t mind when his canine sister gets a bit too excited. Here he is showing off his lip freckle!“
Divina Guerrera and her cat, Penny Lane:
“Penny Lane is seven years old. She is very spoilt and independent. Only likes one brand of cat food and is very fussy about her bedtime. Let’s us know when she needs her own space.“
Roz Blades and her cat, Jasper:
“This is Jasper our rescue cat, who we got from Cat Rescue. He is a frightened timid cat, whose life we have improved. He has a lovely nature and a great personality.“
Kelly Warren and her cat, Ratbag:
“Meet Ratbag aka Pallet cat. We had been trying to catch this little fella for a few days knowing he looked very skinny and sick. Being a large charity we normally look after people not cats. Well Ratbag must have known we wanted to help him and one afternoon he was crying under a pallet. The vet said he was only days off dying.
Fast forward to today and the second photo shows you that he’s very much the king of the castle in our house.
We have been at the warehouse two years and just after Ratbag, I started making friends with another very feral cat. Fast forward and tonight I have two beautiful babies sound asleep beside me. My motto is, it’s free to be kind. Even to animals.“
