Everyone at home is still sad a mourning the loss of Mia but I did promise to tell you about my first venture into the great outdoors since arriving at my furrever home.

Well, here goes. As I said before mummy had been getting me used to my harness but this time she clipped the lead on and opened the door to the flat, out we went!the lead mummy had was just a short lead so I could stay very close to mummy and follow her and not get scared. I followed her footsteps and off we went, along the corridor, through a door then another one, then we got to something odd, something mummy didn’t have indoors, the floor ended! What do I do, why has mummy led me this way? Then I heard mummy’s familiar tap, tap with her foot she was showing me the way. Nervously I put my paw 🐾 out, lower, lower and I felt something, there was another bit of floor! Then it stopped again, tap,tap went mummy and so I did the same again, more floor and then again it stopped. By now I had figured out what to do so down we went ledge by ledge until there weren’t anymore and we had reached the bottom. “Well done Jenny” mummy said “You’ve conquered your first set of stairs”. She gave me a big rub and a “Good girl” I was very proud of myself 😺.

Then there was then a little click followed by a loud creaking noise which was a bit scary but as soon as the big outside door opened I could smell and hear all these different things. I recognised those smells and sounds, it was the outdoors. They were different here to what I remembered from before I was rescued but still familiar. With mummy by my side I set off on a new expedition into the great outdoors (well mummy and daddy’s communal gardens). First I felt a hard surface, then something I recognised, grass, I sped up cautiously and off we went, following the different smells and listening to the different noises. Mummy was talking to me the whole time, softly and reassuringly, this made me feel better as the sound of her voice made me relax and know that she was there, I trust mummy so I knew nothing would harm me and mummy wouldn’t let anything bad happen. Mummy would tap her leg or wriggle her feet to guide me and say “come on Jenny, this way”.

Oh my, here was so much to smell, animals 🦊, birds 🐦, people, other cats 🐈, Dogs 🐶, flowers 🌷, insects 🕷 🐜 🐝, mice 🐭, rats 🐀, grass, trees 🌳, bushes. I could smell the routes the the animals took which made it easy for me to follow alongside mummy.

There were also lots of sounds, natural sounds such as the wind in the trees, birds singing etc but also human sounds too. I could hear people in the distance and also higher up, these didn’t scare me as I can tell they are not close enough to hurt me but Mummy explained that we lived in flats and people lived above us so that’s where the noises came from, she also explained that there was a park next door where people take their children, dogs for their walkies and also played football, cricket etc. Again reassured by mummy being with me I knew nothing would happen to me so I continued to explore…

Every so often there would be a gentle tug on the lead, I think this was mummy trying to tell me something (I’m not sure what) so I would just pause and then set off again. Neither of us have been on walkies together before so I think we need to practice a bit more to understand each other.

Mummy let me do lots of exploring and I took full advantage, I went everywhere, I even found a tree. I love to climb and so one day I will climb that tree, I will, just you wait. I know that birds live in trees and I like listening to the birds.

After I’d been exploring for what seemed like only a short while, mummy said it was time to to head back home. As it turns out we had been out walking for a whole hour, I was having so much fun that the time had just flown by so quickly. I didn’t have much difficulty finding my way back home as I could smell where I had been and could retrace my steps (with mummy’s help of course). It took a little while to head back home, there were still so many interesting smells and sounds that I kept distracting me. Mummy was very patient and let me carry on exploring whilst we went back the way we came. She had to occasionally remind me that we were heading home rather than exploring more, “There’ll be time for more exploring another day” Mummy said. Another day! You mean we can do this again? Yey, I was sooo excited this was so much fun and there so much more to explore and of course that tree to climb…one day.

We went back in through the big creaking door, then I felt the carpet under my feet and I followed mummy’s footsteps back up the ledges (or stairs as mummy calls them). Going up was much easier as I could feel each ledge above with my whiskers and nose and climbed them each one at a time. We got to the top, went through the door, round the corner, through another door, down the corridor and back to our front door, easy peasy 😸. I went back in and shouted to daddy to let him know we were back and to tell him all about my great exploration of the outdoors. He was so happy to hear of my adventures, he was as excited as I was and full of praise for what a good girl I had been. I was so excited and happy, then suddenly, ravenous! Mummy put out some dinner for me and then I felt really exhausted so went for a nap 💤 dreaming of exploring more of the great outdoors…and that tree.

I’ve had many occasions in my life where I have been scared, afraid, confused, lonely, alone, nervous and excited but never one where I have been sad. That is until this week. This week for the first time in my life I was very sad. This week my big sister Mia Passed away and crossed the rainbow bridge to be reunited with her siblings that have crossed over before her, Misty and Piper.

Mummy and daddy went to see her every night that she was in the hospital, mummy would come home, drop her work stuff, grab the car keys, say a quick hello to Peppar and I before saying “I’m off to meet daddy and see Mia”. I meowed and purred at mummy to tell her to pass mine and Peppars love onto Mia, we missed having her at home.

I tried to help by keeping Mia’s bed warm for her for when she came home so it would be nice and warm and snuggly for her.

On Tuesday mummy also grabbed a bed and cuddle cave that Mia liked, mummy explained that this might make Mia feel more at home whilst she was in the hospital As it would smell of her, Peppar and I rather than ‘hospital’. Mia had apparently been much more assertive that day than she had been on previous ones, she had been fairly withdrawn and quiet before then, this gave some optimism that she still had some fight left in her. When daddy and mummy got there the nurse said they were glad we had come as she had been a bit of a rock star diva and trashed her hotel room and it needed tidying up for her. As mummy and daddy were there they could let them be with Mia in one of the rooms away from the wards meaning they had time to make Mia’s bed up again and put everything back in order for her. Mummy and daddy showed me some photos of Mia from that night and I think she was probably upset and embarrassed because she had a feeding tube up her nose and they had put a cone of shame on her. For a girl of her age this is very undignified so she told them that I’m no uncertain terms!

Mummy and daddy were gone a long time that evening and when they got home they told me and Peppar that Mia had spent two hours with them purring, chin rubbing and cuddling with them. She was initially a bit agitated and had got a bit messy from the feeding tube and having the drip attached. They took time giving her face, head and neck a bit of a wash which she really enjoyed. She started really calming down and started purring and trying to snuggle in with them, she even started going off to a purry peaceful snooze. By the time the nurse came in to collect Mia to take her off for an ultrasound of her tummy to try to find out what the problem was that was making her so poorly she was calm, chilled out and quite content to be put back in the carrier to see the specialist vet. Mummy said that the ultrasound of her tummy was to try to find out what the problem was that was making her so poorly and stopping her from wanting to eat. The rest of the event no was the usual quiet evening without Mia at home and with me making sure that mummy was kept occupied by playing with me until it was time to go to bed.

It was the middle of the night when the landline phone rang and woke us all up. The phone doesn’t ring very often and I’ve not heard it ring at that time of the morning before. This was unusual and I wondered what was going on. Mummy answered and then put it onto the speaker so daddy could hear as well. It was the night vet from the hospital, she said she had found Mia in a coma, unconscious but breathing, that her glucose levels and blood pressure had dropped dramatically and hadn’t improved even with glucose injections. Mummy and Daddy sounded shocked – I haven’t heard them speak with this tone before. The vet asked if they would come to the hospital and of course they said yes. The vet then asked if she stopped breathing before the arrived should she resuscitate her, mummy and daddy said no. I knew then that this was very serious even though I don’t really know what this all meant but I could understand mummy and daddy’s tone of voice and actions. Mummy and daddy left and I went to Peppar for reassurances day support but he was as worried and confused as I was.

Mummy and daddy came home much sooner than I expected, they were both very sad and told Peppar and I that Mia had become very ill by the time they arrived at the hospital and they had made the decision to end her pain and let her Go so she could cross the rainbow 🌈 bridge. I sensed that mummy and daddy needed to be left to be quiet together so I was a good girl and just sat with them. I gave them the odd meow and did twirlies to let them rub my head as this helps them to feel better and I know they like that. I then went off to ask Peppar what they had meant about the rainbow 🌈 bridge.

Peppar explained it to me, I then realised why I hadn’t heard of it before an why some other animals hadn’t either. For those of you who also don’t know let me explain. The rainbow 🌈 bridge is something that only cared for and loved 💖 pets know about. That’s why I hadn’t heard of it before, it’s not somewhere street cats nor those who are unloved or abused know about until they are lucky enough like me to find their furrever homes.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….

I thought my furrever home would be the same forever but that’s not the case now and I’m sad as I didn’t know Mia for very long and didn’t really have the chance to show her how much I loved and admired her. This has all happened so quickly that I keep getting confused and going over to one of the beds where Mia used to sit and sniffing it and then I go to the next bed to try and find her there but she’s not there either. For a split second I wonder where she’s gone before I remember what mummy and daddy said about her not coming home. Gradually, as time goes on the smells and scents of Mia have faded bit by bit each day. This makes me sad but she hasn’t faded in my heart or my memories where she will live forever. My new little furry family’s balance has shifted and there is a big gap that has been left now and it will take us both time to adapt.

My job now is to help Peppar, he is very sad, he had known Mia for his whole life and doesn’t know life without her, he also lost Misty not so long ago so I must be brave and strong for him. He’s my big brother and I love him. He needs my support and love and I will do my best to help him get through his loss (and mine). If I’m in any doubt I’ll just play with him so he has something to do! Peppar also told me about another poem he had learnt about when Misty passed, he shared this with me and so I thought I would share it with you all as well. It provides Peppar with comfort knowing his human family will do what is best for him (and now me) should the time come.

I have learnt even in my short life that we should all be kind to one another. For me this stared with Anna who rescued me and then my new family who gave me my furrever home. Kindness however extends into many different and difficult circumstances and I rest assured that my family’s love for me (and Peppar) leads them to always do what is right and not necessarily what is easiest.

If I Should Grow Frail (AKA The Last Battle)

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this — the last battle — can’t be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don’t let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn’t want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they’ll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don’t grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We’ve been so close — we two — these years,
Don’t let your heart hold any tears.

— Julia Napier

Rest in Peace dear Mia, I will always remember you and your kind meows to me during the time we spent together. Along with the lessons and teachings (and telling’s off) of how to play with and respect older cats, I send you my apologies for playing with you a little to excitedly whilst not understanding how I should respect your age and position as my Queen – I hope you forgive me for this. I will remember your advice and try to follow the example you set of how to lead a clowder with kindness, wisdom and compassion. Thank you for welcoming me into your family, I will love 💕 you and remember you for ever and try to live by your example. Hopefully one day I will become the Queen of my own clowder, if I do I shall try to be like you. Thank you for being part of my life.

Well, this weeks post was going to be all about me telling you of the excitement of my first walkies but as we all know sometimes other things come along and take priority. This weeks post is now going to be about my big sister Mia as this week she’s been poorly. I’m sorry that there aren’t as many photos as usual but this week but I’ve been worried about my big sister s haven’t taken many plus no-one wants phots of them not looking at their best On the internet for everyone to look at!

It all started on Monday evening when mummy and I got back from our regular evening walk (I promise I’ll tell you all about my walkies adventures soon). Daddy was telling Mummy about how Mia had been sick after having eaten her dinner, this isn’t particularly unusual as we do all get fur balls from time to time. The problem was that during the rest of the evening Mia kept being sick 🤢, mummy and daddy kept helping her and I tried to help as well as I didn’t like her being ill.

Well we all went to bed and thought things would pick up the next day. Mummy and daddy got up in the morning and did the usual routine, them getting ready to go to work, feeding Me, Peppar and Mia with me there to‘help’ them and then seeing them out to work. I spent my usual day at home, trying to occupy myself whilst they were out and waiting for them to get home. They got home, mummy first as usual and then daddy, mummy checked on Mia and she was talking to her, asking her what was wrong, Mia had been quieter than normal all day but I could tell mummy was getting worried. When daddy arrived home they were talking about Mia and because I have such good hearing I could tell from their tone of voice that they were worried about her.

I thought that I could do my bit to help, if I could get Mia to play then maybe this would make her hungry (I know it makes me hungry) so I tried really hard to get her to pay. I think I was doing something wrong as she wasn’t running away as much for me to chase her, she seemed different and I could tell this even without my eyes. Daddy and Mummy’s tone when saying ‘NO Jenny’ was different and I was confused by this. We had our normal late night food put down and again we all went to bed, mummy and daddy were reassured that they had seen Mia drinking and mummy gave her a bowl of cat milk. This should help give her fluids as well as some sustenance, as she’s old she needs to keep her fluids up, I know this from my life on the streets. If nothing else you must find water to survive, food comes second.

Again we went to bed and unknown to mummy and daddy Peppar and I kept an eye on Mia through the night. She had taken to sleeping in some unusual places hidden away behind the cat post or under the table. This was ok for Peppar but made things a bit difficult for me as she wasn’t in her usual beds.

The next day when mummy came in from work she went straight into the spare room to ‘the cupboard’ this is where the carrier is kept, we all know this as we’ve all been in it at some point. I (and all other cats) always make sure we know where you humans keep the carriers so we can run at the first indication of it coming out! Well this time it was for Mia, I was kind of relieved it wasn’t me as I have bad memories of carriers and cages but I also didn’t want Mia to have to go in it either. After mummy left daddy came home and fed Peppar and I, later mummy came back, Mia wasn’t happy at all, not with Peppar, Me or mummy and daddy, I recognised the smell of ‘the vet’ on her and felt sorry for her. Again most cats know ‘that smell’, it’s one of fear of the unknown, loneliness and pain but, also relief from pain in many cases. Peppar and I left her alone as much as we could. Mummy opened some special food for her (tuna and freshly cooked warm chicken) and sat with her trying to hand feed her, I don’t think she was very successful. I wanted to have mummy’s attention as I had missed her and we hadn’t had our walkies but then on the other paw Mia wasn’t well so as Peppar said I must take a backseat and let Mia have the attention, it’s so difficult though when your young like me but I still have Peppar to play with and help me understand. He is quite wise as he has been through this before when Misty was ill with Mia advising him on how to behave, plus he loves his big sister too. Another restless night with Peppar and I keeping watch.

Mummy got up early the next day and spent some time with Mia to try to get her to eat, drink and hopefully perk up a bit but Mia just wasn’t interested, daddy came trough and tried but again nothing, she just hid behind the cat perch. Then the had to reluctantly leave for work. Later on mummy came home and again went straight for ‘the cupboard’ this time though I wasn’t scared for myself but for Mia, I knew it was her that would be going into it. I was right mummy said hello to us all be went to Mia and scooped her up gently, Mia grumbled but didn’t have enough strength to put up,her usual fight. Sadly though as mummy walked down the corridor Mia wee’d (a lot). I was so shocked and I thought Mia would be in trouble as it wasn’t very nice to wee on mummy, I was wrong though, mummy was very calm and spoke gently to Mia stroking her and saying “it’s ok Mimi, never mind, let’s get you better, it’s ok”. She put Mia gently in the carrier, got changed, used her wet clothes and some clots to cover the mess and left. Daddy came in a bit later and seemed to know what was waiting for him and proceeded to clean everything up, he washed our bowls and got everything ready whilst mummy was out. Then daddy’s phone rang, I could hear with my super hearing that it was mummy and she was on her way back. When she arrived back there was no carrier! Where was Mia, what had happened, what was going on? What had I done to Mia? I felt really bad, was it my playing with her that made her ill?

I had my first night at home without Mia, it was very strange and I don’t really like it. I can pick up on emotions and they are running high in the family at the moment and I can pick up that everyone is worried about Mia. Mummy and daddy feel that part of their family is missing. The next day, Saturday they got a call from the vet and they sounded quite worried and upset. I heard them talking to each other, they said that Mia still wasn’t eating despite her blood tests, blood pressure and temperature all coming back as normal. The vets had put her on a drip but hadn’t been able to get a urine sample (which is quite important apparently) as when they went to take it Mia urinated on the towel she was sat on! I think thats her defence mechanism – try to do something nasty to me and I’ll wee on you! My defence mechanism is farting! If you pick me up when I don’t want you to I tend to fart and a really smelly one as well just to be sure!

Anyway they went off together to see Mia, they took a big bag of goodies to try to persuade her to eat. It was all her favourites, tuna, salmon, dreamies, yum-y-yums, cat milk, catnip treats, thrive dried chicken, everything they could think of to tempt her. If nothing else it made my mouth water! They came back a while later but still no Mia, I heard them saying she had eaten a very small amount of salmon, a few dreamies and a bit of the thrive. It’s a positive step but not really enough to sustain a big cat like my Mia although she was trying to drink. Having given her some cuddles and a good chin rub, talked to her and reassured her a bit they came home. They left all the food with Mia so she can try some tonight or tomorrow if she doesn’t pick up then the vet said they’d have to put a feeding tube in her, I’m not sure what that is but it doesn’t sound very nice so I hope she just gets better by herself so she can come home to her family. I know all too well what it’s like to be poorly, away from your family and feel all alone.

Today they went back to see Mia again. Before they went mummy went to the shop to get some more tinned fish as the vet had phoned earlier and said that Mia hadn’t eaten after they left yesterday, he suggested pilchards or mackerel in tomato sauce. They had given her another appetite stimulant so hopefully this one will do the job and they also managed to get a urine sample from her without being wee’d on! Hopefully this will show what the problem is. Mummy and daddy were gone for ages, they said that they had spent a lot of time with Mia, she was pleased to see them and wanted cuddles, chin rubs and kisses but no interest in food…they tried all kinds of special treats and all of the tricks of the trade to get her to eat. They tried putting it on her lips, in her mouth when she meowed, the nurse even warmed some up but nothing, no interest at all. She was just happy to see them and be out of the cage she is being treated in.

Just when they were about to give up With the food she started sniffing at the dreamies, then sniffing again, then she ate one! Mummy and Daddy were so happy, they gave her another one and another one – she ate 6 in total, it’s not much at all but for Mia it is such good news. I was so pleased to hear it when mummy and daddy told Peppar and I how Mia was doing when they came home. Sadly though 6 dreamies isn’t enough to let them bring her home so she will have to stay a bit longer. 😿

Whilst all this has been going on I’ve been doing my bit to help out, I’ve been doing my job of playing with mummy and daddy whilst Mia is in the hospital to keep their minds occupied. They give me so much and this is my first chance to repay some of their kindness. If I’m not playing with them I’m generally just chilling out with them either from one of my beds behind the sofa or from under the tv where I can face them to ‘watch’ out for them and make sure they’re ok.

I keep wondering if my youthful exuberance when I try to play with Mia has contributed to her being pawly 🐾 but I only do it because I love 💖 her to the moon 🌓 and back

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Today is international cat day so I thought I would share a short post with you to celebrate. Personally I think every day is cat day but maybe I’m biased

Hope you enjoy the video of me just being happy and jumping for joy

Zoomies of course! Otherwise known as happy run around super jumpy time is what I call it (cats aren’t good at acronyms) .

Doesn’t everyone get zoomies from time to time? Aaah as human adults you might not understand what I mean, let me explain.

Zoomies is what most happy cats get, just because I’m blind doesn’t make me any different, I get zoomies too. From my own personal experience zoomies is how I (and most other cats) express happiness, excitement, energy, love and joy. With my new life I’ve got bucket loads of all of these emotions, what’s not to be happy about? I’m in my forever home with my forever family, life is good.

Zoomies can also mean carefree, freedom, safety and security and now I have no more worries in the world, meaning I am completely carefree. It’s also a way to burn off excess energy built up after a hard day of sleeping, sunbathing and watching cat tv – in my case this is ‘watching’ the birds and other nature outside from the balcony. Even when the outside is shut off when mummy and daddy are out at work I can still hear everything that is going on through the windows. Watching through the sounds of nature all day makes me want / need to hunt and catch chase and catch it makes me so excited, I am after all a street cat by birth. This instinct turns into zoomies when mummy and daddy get home as I’m just sooooo excited every time they get home. I miss them when they’re not here with me.

Some zoomies last for just a few minutes as it is such a burst of energy, runnning and jumping for joy, racing up and down the furniture or scratching post. I have so much energy that I have zoomies for most of the time mummy and daddy are home. They come in varying degrees but I’m active all the time. This is where the catification comes in as it gives me plenty of places to climb up, on and around to burn off energy.

I have so much energy that mummy decided that I needed another outlet to burn off all three excess and give me somewhere to have my zoomies on a bigger scale, this new outlet came in the form of the great outdoors. Before I could explore there great outdoors there were a few things mummy and daddy had to do to prepare me (and themselves) for my next big adventure.

Today a present arrived for me I don’t often get many presents (not just for me anyway, normally presents are something to share between me, Peppar & Mia but this time it was just for me. I helped mummy open it.

Inside was something very special mummy and daddy had bought me a harness. I didn’t know what a harnesses was but because mummy and daddy bought it it must be something quite special. I was very excited so I let mummy put the harness on. Well it wasn’t what I expected at all it was horrible, I don’t like it mummy take it off me it’s making my neck hurt, it’s choking me. I started to wonder what mummy had done so I sat down on the floor in protest and refuse to move until she took it off. Mummy kept saying “come on Jenny give it a try, if you try it I’ll give you treats.” Well, I didn’t want treats I just wanted to harness off – I didn’t like it, I decided to protest on the living room floor until mummy took it off. This was my first feline temper tantrum in my new home. I didn’t really know what was going on as my humans never do things to make me upset and have a temper tantrum – what were they thinking? Anyway my ploy worked mummy took the harness off and I was free again, I jumped up and went off to play. I didn’t really think anything more of it but a few days later another parcel arrived for me and again I was very excited. What had they been buying for me this time? Little did I know that they had found a new harness for me, this time she again, very gently put it on. This one is much smaller as although I’m a fully grown cat I’m only little and the smallest of the three of us so I need a little harness. This one was much better I didn’t feel like I was being choked and it gave me the freedom to move around, I liked it straight away.

Over the next few days and weeks mummy would put my harness on from time to time and I would wear it around the flat. I’m not really quite sure why she did this but I let her have her fun. Sometimes I can’t quite figure out you humans. I didn’t quite realise what the significance was of the harness but then…

Something amazing happened. I’ve had a couple of amazing things happen in my life; 1st Anna finding me; 2nd finding my forever home and 3rd what happened today, we went out for my first walkies!😺

I just thought I’d write a quick post to pass on some advice and top 5 tips that I’ve learnt recently to help any of your furry friends cope in high temperatures.

Jenny’s tip 1:

Cat (and dog) water fountains. I was dubious about these at first as mummy and daddy always leave plenty of water out for us, however they realised that I love drinking water from the tap and Mia from the basin and so they thought that a water fountain might be a fun idea. Well all three of us LOVE 💗 it. There are multiple levels to drink from each of which have a different water movement to vary the experience.

It has a filter to keep the water fresh and can go in the dishwasher just in case you can’t be bothered to wash it up yourself. It also holds lots of water so it’s not likely to run out at all even with three of us in this hot weather, I think we’re all drinking more as the gentle noise makes us all want to drink more than with a normal bowl meaning we keep fully hydrated. I have also found that I can also wash my paws 🐾 in it as well (shh don’t tell the others)!

Jenny’s top tip 2:

Cat ice lollies. Mummy and daddy buy me the creamy treat pouches which I love (I’m the only one that likes them although Mia said Misty used to as well), recently they have been putting them in the freezer for me, when they’re frozen they’re like a creamy ice lolly which I can then either lick straight from the packet or they put it into a bowl for me to lick on for the next 20 minutes or so. They’re really yummy but careful you don’t get brain freeze 🥶.

Jenny’s top tip 3:

Cool pads. These are blue pads that when you sit on them they make you feel cool. They don’t need to go into the fridge or freezer so mummy and daddy just put some out in strategic places round the flat for us to use when we want. These are especially helpful for keeping the older cats cool as they aren’t always able or spoiling to move around as much as us youngsters. The one that is on the sofa is one of sister Mia’s favourite spots to sit.

Jenny’s top tip -4:

Ice cubes. I love ice cubes, especially when they get put in my water bowl, I just can’t help myself trying to catch them which of course involves making a real mess over the floor! Sometimes I managed to get the ice cube onto the kitchen floor before it melts and then I can go completely insane batting it all round the floor, confident in the knowledge that mummy will clean up after me!

Jenny’s top tip 5:

Fans. Ceiling, floor standing, table top anything that can move some air around will help create slightly cooler areas even in a hot room. If you can combine it with keeping curtains / blinds closed then all the better as this all adds to us being able to find a cool spot when you’re all out at work.

Having spent a couple of weeks settling in and getting to the point where I was feeling more relaxed I thought I should start teaching my new family some ways to make life with a blind cat a bit easier for everyone.

The first thing to realise is that I don’t consider myself any different to a ‘normal’ cat. What is a ‘normal’ cat after all? We’re all different much like humans. This has positive and negative aspects as it means that on one hand I’m really confident, inquisitive, boisterous and energetic but on the other hand my confidence can also be a bit of a problem. This is especially evident when I think I know the layout of the corridor and go running down it at full speed, get the angle slightly wrong and bump, I catch the edge of a door frame or the wall or litter tray. Ouch! I just need to remember to go a little bit slower and take my time to get the flat layout completely cast into memory. The good news is though that even though I can’t see my other senses are (I know I’m blowing my own trumpet) exceptional. I can hear anything flying no matter how small at 1,000 paces, everywhere I go my paws leave a scent which I can easily follow so I know where I’ve been and can find my way back, I create scent routes all over the flat. I also use my whiskas a lot, I can use them to sense objects before I run into them (most of the time) or use them to feel where the walls or other objects are. Well, that’s the idea, it doesn’t always work but it does give me a bit of a warning that there’s an object coming up so I can at least try to stop. Sometimes I’m just so fast though that it doesn’t quite go to plan and all I can do is skid to a halt and brace myself for an impact.

JENNY’S TOP TIP 1:

To help me out my mummy and daddy bought some corner protectors (normally used for human toddlers) to put over some of the furniture and radiators which have sharp corners that I might run into. They’re not too intrusive and mean they can rest assured that I won’t hurt myself. This is a top tip for anyone with sharp furniture and blind or even just accident prone cat. My big sister Mia isn’t quite as graceful and poised as she would lead you to think but I’d never tell her that!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Protectors-Lookka-Premium-Proofing-Adhesive/dp/B07JCNTW35/ref=asc_df_B07JCNTW35/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309924724032&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7026908583066048886&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044955&hvtargid=pla-564788307749&psc=1

I’ve been exploring the various rooms in the flat a bit more. I have found two bathrooms, these are really good places to explore as they have different levels, sounds and smells which makes it interesting for a curious blind cat like me. As I was exploring the bathrooms I discovered the toilet which make a great viewing platform and when I climb up on them I can then get up further onto what my guardians say is a sink. Well to me it makes the noise of a waterfall which I like and I ask my guardians to turn on the waterfall so I can have a drink.

On the back of the toilets mummy has a bowl with something in it, as I paw gently at it to find out what it might be it makes a kind of crinkly noise. I like that noise so I paw at it a bit more, I Really like it, so I do it again and again and again, this is really fun and I really should tell you that I LOVE digging, anytime, anywhere. Normally though I’m limited to digging outside but now I can do it inside too! Each time I do it and empty the bowl, someone fills it back up again so I can do it again and again. Daddy and Mummy don’t seem to mind and say s just harmless and there’s no damage caused’

JENNY’S TOP TIP 2:

Train your human family to put the toilet seat down as soon as soon as they have finished their business (seems a weird place for them to do it to me!). When I say as soon as I mean just that, I went to jump on the toilet just as mummy stood up and – OH NO 😱 there’s a hole in the lid! Fortunately I had jumped up cautiously with my four paws spread out and so I managed to avoid falling in, much to mummy’s (and my) relief.

They also have a shower and a bath, these are both good for exploring but they make scary noises as well. I have found out that this is where they wash, again a weird human thing to do. Mummy likes to have a bath and I really, really need to understand what is going on inside the big watery tub? What is all the splashing noise about? I just need to know – it’s a cat curiosity thing, it’s just our nature and being blind doesn’t diminish this instinct. I reached up gingerly and felt with my paws along the side and I was just tall enough to be able to get my paws fully on the top of the bath. This is my way of ascertaining if I can jump onto something, If I can reach and it’s deep enough for me to get my whole paw on then I can be pretty sure that I can fit four paws on if I jump up. I gave it a go and managed to jump up onto the corner of the bath next to mummy. Mummy was amazed and shouted for daddy to come and have a look “Wow good girl Jenny, well done” daddy said giving me a reassuring stroke. With this compliment I ventured along the side of the bath, to explore further. With each step I put my paw out and lightly touch in front of me before putting my full weight onto the paw. This way I know I’m stepping on something firm and keeping on track, it’s a subtle movement but an essential one for me. I made it safely to the other side and then gradually ran my paws down the side of the bath to come back down. I know I got up there so I knew I could get down again but I just need to be a bit careful until I know how far to jump down. I have come to realise that one really fun thing about the bath is that you can reach down inside and splash about with the water or mummy’s toes if she’s wiggling them in the water to tempt me!

My favourite bit about my humans bath time though is when they get out of the shower or bath they wrap themselves in a big fluffy towel, I used to try to climb them to get a cuddle until I trained them to sit down on the toilet seat where I can jump up and sit on their laps for a snuggle. I then wash them properly by giving them a good lick and before washing myself and curling up for a nap.

Sometimes I want to nap longer than they have the time for so I get scooped up towel and all and transferred gently onto the bed instead.

Turns out I like bath and shower time as long as it’s not me in the bath or shower! Except when it’s empty of course…

My story wouldn’t be complete without my humans story. My humans have always loved and had pets, often requiring special care either through medical conditions or age. My new siblings have been telling me how lucky I am to have joined their family and telling me the history of my guardians furry family.

They started with adopting a friends two 4 year old cats Misty and Piper.

Little did my guardians know adopting these two would change their lives. After a while Piper started to demonstrate some difficulties jumping onto things and after many trips to the vet Piper was diagnosed with suspected Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy (cat mad cow disease) which meant my guardians having to care for him through this. Helping him use the litter tray, stopping his head from bobbing whilst eating and bathing him when when it al didn’t go quite right. They did so well caring for him that despite a poor prognosis of 6 months they enabled Piper to have another 6 years life with them before they had to let him go in 2005

When he was getting more poorly poor Misty didn’t really have anyone to play with and so another human friend said their cat had kittens and so they got Mia, she was only 5 weeks old at the time and needed lots of care but fitted in really well.

She provided companionship to Misty and enabled Piper to concentrate on enjoying life for as long as possible.

After Piper, with just Misty and Mia there was a gap left in the family and with Misty getting older Mia still had lots of energy to burn off as a young cat so along came Peppar.

Peppar came from a pet shop and was just such a nervous cat with so much anxiety and stress levels that went through the roof. He definitely had mental and emotional special needs. He was scared of everything and everyone. This was made worse by him having an eye ulcer when he was in the pet shop which needed treatment straight away and then when he had his follow up vaccinations he had a bad reaction to them and developed something that the vet called ‘brown eye’. Peppar told me it was really, really scary as a brown ‘film’ came up over both of his eyes. It was horrible and meant that he couldn’t see very well and he had to be given eye drops every few hours to help make his eyes less sore. All this happened when mummy and daddy were away for the weekend and one of their friends Isa was looking after all the feline family. He had to be taken to the vet by her and she had to give him his medication which she did very well and very gently and diligently but it wasn’t quite the same as being looked after by mummy and daddy. The medication and care given by Isa did the trick though and gradually the brown eye cleared up and everything was back to normal but it had a lasting effect on Peppar and made his confidence and anxiety even worse than before. With mummy and daddy’s love and patience though he is now a happy, reasonably chilled out cat, just getting nervous when there are loud unfamiliar noises or trips to the vet.

A couple of years before I came along Misty’s health started deteriorating because she was getting very old. Her arthritis and old age meant that changes needed to be made in the home to accommodate her needs. Often she couldn’t get to the litter tray quickly enough so my family bought mats to protect the sofa from accidents, they made a special low entrance, high sided litter tray for her out of a big storage container and had to give fluid therapy at home to combat kidney deterioration and keep her hydrated. She was happy but just old, she still had times when she would run around for a few minutes like a kitten!

Unfortunately in September 2017 after over 20 years being a big part of their family they had to say goodbye to her – she was 26. My new siblings said that Misty was the most kind and gentle cat, a proper old lady who wouldn’t hurt a fly or be anything other than a very proper cat. She left a huge hole in the family and mummy and daddy were very sad and missed her a lot as did Mia and Peppar.

For the first time no-one needed my guardians extra care they were used to giving. That’s when the search for someone special like me began and where they found Lynn at World Animal Friends.

It all started very early in the morning with Anna waking up me, Axel and our other companion, I didn’t want to get up yet as I was still really sleepy. I might be blind but I could still tell it was unusually early and this made me wonder what was going on.

In hindsight I shouldn’t have worried as Anna only ever did what was best for us. I didn’t know at the time that this would be the second time my life would change for the better.

There was a lot of activity going on in the shelter and I kept next to Axel for reassurance, he wasn’t sure what was going on either. The three of us kittens were put into a large crate and that’s when we got really nervous.

Anna and her friends tried to reassure us but then I heard them saying goodbye – I didn’t want to leave the safety of the shelter that I had called my home recently and Anna was my human friend, she had saved me and I didn’t want to leave her either.

We had a long journey, first to the airport to catch a flight to Athens, then another to Amsterdam, followed by a Eurostar train journey to England and finally we were put into a van (with dogs as well) for the last leg of our journey. I was scared the whole way as I have never even heard of these forms of human transport let alone been on them, there were scary smells and sounds too. I had no idea what was going on. At least my friends and I were all going through it together though. At least that’s what I thought until…

One by one (with some travelling in between) my friends, my companions, my family were taken from the crate and didn’t come back – eventually I was all alone. Where had they gone? Why didn’t they come back? What was happening? Would I be last to suffer the same fate as them? Was this it for me?

Then at about 9:30pm and about 16 hours of exhausting travelling the crate was taken out of the van, I was the only one left in it, all alone…was this it? My short life was about to be over, the same fate as the others. We went up some stairs and then I heard some voices talking – it wasn’t in my language so I didn’t know what they were saying but they took the crate and I could hear it opening, my heart was racing and so to calm myself I started purring to reassure myself. I felt some hands reach in and touch me gently, I was picked up and was given a reassuring cuddle and stroke, someone spoke to me quietly and calmly and I recognised someone saying my name ‘Jenny’.

I had met my new family for the first time.