Mummy and daddy have been talking a lot over the last few weeks about some kind of virus that is spreading across the whole world. They have been saying it’s made a lot of people very ill and some people have even died from it. This makes me very sad as I know what it’s like to be poorly and it’s not very nice at all, as you know when I was a baby and on the streets I got an infection and it got so bad that by the time I was rescued it was so bad they had to remove my eyes. Mummy says that washing helps to stop the virus spreading and so I hope that everyone is being a bit more like us cats, always washing a bit of ourselves before sleeping and then washing another bit. I’ll make sure that I wash my paws that little bit extra well and as the queen make sure the others do too. We can then all help to wash mummy and daddy with a good sandpaper tongue wash of whatever bit of human skin we can find.

Most mornings I get up on the perch on the back of the door to say goodbye to mummy and give her kisses so I sneaked in a couple of little licks as well just to make sure she’s properly clean before going off to work. Daddy gets the same goodbye every morning and we all see him out of the front door so one of us can give him a quick wash on the way out too. Our little sandpaper tongues can get into all the hard to wash places that you humans might miss.

As you all know I always keep mummy company when she has her bath – I’m her little bath buddy – so I think now I’ll just make sure that she uses some extra soapy bubbles each time just to make sure she is extra clean. This also means that I’ll get a few extra rounds of damp hands each time as well which is my most favourite bath time game to play.

More recently everyone here in the UK has been saying that they might all have to stay in their own homes and not go off to work so they don’t get the nasty virus. Well this would just be amazing – imagine having mummy and daddy home all day every day, that would be such fun. We can play games, go for extra walkies, have more snuggles and of course they can give me treats anytime they want. It would be like everyday is the weekend it would be great, I love spending time with mummy and daddy.

Well, guess what mummy and daddy are both home! Daddy was feeling a bit pawly and so mummy said she had to come home too. I was very worried about daddy feeling pawly but he says he’s ok, just a bit achy but I’ll make sure I keep an eye on him and that we all give him lots of snuggles to keep him safe and warm and licks to keep him squeaky clean. It’s not as exciting as I thought though it would be though as mummy says that even though she’s home she has to work, she sits at the table typing on her keyboard and talking to people on her headphones and phone. When I sneaked a look mummy was looking at other people on her screen and talking to them. When I try and help her do her typing work she didn’t seem to think I was helping her very much. Still I’m good at supervising too so I just do that and then tell her when she’s doing something wrong. I can also help when I realise that mummy needs to take a break, it’s very important that she spends some time away from her working and pays me some attention. When I decide that mummy has worked long enough I play games with her, yesterday we played hide and seek – I’m very good at hiding so I always do that bit and mummy and daddy do the searching. mummy takes a break as I can make sure she is

It’s my job as the queen to look after my mummy and daddy so I immediately swung into action, we had a group huddle and I and gave each of us a task to do. Millie is responsible for snuggles and cuddles; Peppar is in charge of reminding mummy and daddy when it’s breakfast and dinner time and bedtime snuggles, (he can guard them from mummy’s pillow) I’m in charge of physical exercise and Angelin is in charge of playtime.

Whilst I’m out on walkies with mummy, making sure she is getting some fresh air and exercise then I remind her that it’s spring time and that there is beauty around us. I love the spring time, the flowers are starting to come out and I can smell them everywhere, the birds are flying about and I can stalk them and practice my hunting skills and there’s a few insects staring to buzz about. All such interesting sounds and smells – it’s chase time. I jump around in the daffodils, climb the trees, stalk the birds – I love doing this at any time but at the moment I’ve just got an ear out to make sure mummy is joining in with me, if she isn’t I just shout to her ‘mummy look at me, look what I’m doing, aren’t I clever?’ so it takes her mind of all the nasty news

Mummy always tells me I’m such a clever girl and that I’m doing such a good job. I’m so pleased as I love being the best I can be and if I can help mummy and daddy at the same time then that just makes it so much more worthwhile. I know from all my furriends around the world that all of us who are part of a human family are doing everything we can to look after and entertain our humans whilst they are home spending time with us. We all love having them home but it can be very tiring looking after them all day and all night, coming up with new things to do and keep them busy, keeping them clean and helping them with their work. A pussy cats idea of helping with work and typing on the keys that our humans use doesn’t always seem to be the same as our pawents idea of help. If you love someone though you do what can to help them, protect them and look after them.

At times like these we’ve all just gotta take care of and look after each other, this is a time to come together not be apart. Mummy says that I’m so good at making her go for walkies that she might ask me to help some other people so I can take them out for some exercise as well. I’m not sure about that as my walkies is very special to me, as I get to spend time together with just mummy but I’m so pleased she thinks I am doing such a good job. Apparently spending time with me can be good for you, this doesn’t surprise me as I’m a good listener and I really enjoy being stroked (as long as it’s gentle and not over my ears) – mummy and daddy always say that when they’ve spent time snuggling with me and my brother and sisters they always feel calm and relaxed.

Please everyone look out for those close to you and protect them from all the nasties out there but also be considerate to those around you and help those who are in need. We need to spread the love 💕 to beat the fear.

Before I go there’s one last message I must give to my mummy I’d just like to say Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for rescuing me, loving me for who I am and letting me just be me. I’ll love you forever and protect you from any nasty bugs that might try to attack you (and daddy) so…

I’m so excited, it’s been two years since I made the very scary journey from my Cyprus homeland to my new forever home here in the UK. Each and every day I think about how lucky I’ve been, I know it sounds odd to think that Im lucky being a blind rescue cat. Yes, I had a hard, tough start to my life but look at me now, who would have thought two years on and I’d be doing all these amazing things having travelled half way round the world or so it felt.

Imagine this, two years of not having to worry where your next meal is coming from; not having to worry about finding shelter or where to sleep for the night. Two whole years of not being scared about what’s going to attack in the night if you fall too fast asleep.

Two years of only having to decide which of the many beds to sleep in and whose bowl to eat out of. Now, the only attack I have to worry about is if Millie, Angelina or Pepper are going to jump on me to play, or if they’re hiding round the next corner to pounce on me. I have food and water whenever I want it and there’s even a special water fountain just for us kitties, how amazing is that! Instead of having to fight for my place in the clowder I can play as carefree as a young cat should be able to. I can stalk things just for fun and to keep my senses in tip top condition, rather than for survival.

I used to be a very scared little street cat who would do whatever it took to survive, now I’m confident, enthusiastic, fun loving cat living life to the full, sharing my skills and expertise with my siblings. I never thought that I’d be able to do half the things I do now, I could never even imagine that there were such things as homes, love and comfort. I never thought I’d be able to do a lot of the things that I do now, in fact I never even thought beyond the present, now I look forward to tomorrow and the future and can’t wait to see what the future holds for me. Each and every day is to be cherished and valued, each new experience is something to learn from rather than be afraid of. I continue to learn, grow and thrive in my home, with my mummy and daddy and my brother and sisters by my side helping me on every step of my life’s adventure.

Since I arrived on the 13th March 2018 I have done so many exciting things, I’ve learnt to go for walks outside, I stalk the birds, climb trees and play, play, play. I’ve got an amazing home where we have so many things to keep us busy and keep our minds and bodies in tip top shape. I never imagined when I was a little kitten that there were actually places like this that really existed. I didn’t even know until I was rescued that cats can live indoors in amongst people who enjoy looking after them and having hem as part of their families. I did have dreams of not having to be scared all the time and running free in the fields just for fun but I never imagined anything like my home now. I never actually thought that one day I would be living my dreams, in fact living better than anything even my dreams could imagine. My mummy and daddy treat me and the others so well, they always make sure we have everything we need both physically and emotionally, I couldn’t have asked for anywhere better to live. I think our home is more cat than people as mummy and daddy want to make sure that we have everything to make sure we can lead a full and interesting life together. I am treated as an equal, as a precious life not anything less than that, they even call us “the kids”.

I can sleep wherever and whenever I want, high up or low down I can sleep on my own or snuggle up with someone else, whatever I fancy. I can climb and explore everywhere, mummy and daddy have made sure that we have routes to run around on even when they’re not at home. I can climb up a scratching post, across the furniture and then down the other side on another scratching post. We’ve got them all over the place, and I can climb and explore and get up to mummy and daddy’s height to talk to them as they’re going by and say hello when I want. I make sure that I say hello to them every morning, specially if they’re going off to work, they need to know that I love them and I’ll be here waiting for them when they get home.

I never knew that life could be so good, I still get scared sometimes but not like I used to, I always know that whatever it is that caught me off guard won’t hurt me, mummy and daddy won’t let it, they will protect me and in return all I have to do is be myself. I love them both very much.

Mummy and daddy say that over the last couple years I’ve taught them so much about how to not let a disability stop you from doing whatever you want. I’m not sure about this teaching stuff, I just do what I do, it’s just what is natural to me. If I want to climb something I’ll just climb it, I’m not really sure what the big deal is! I only know how to be naughty, mischievous little me, I don’t know how to be any different. As mummy and daddy say I’m just perfectly imperfect.

As much as I know my mummy and daddy wish that Misty could have lived forever and although I never met her I’m eternally grateful that her passing gave me such an amazing opportunity. Her last selfless act allowed me to find a loving, caring new home where I’ve been able to thrive. Thank you dear, sweet Misty.

Hopefully if I’m good (I can be very mischievous sometimes) mummy and daddy might just throw me a pawty to celebrate my adoptaversary, maybe I might even get some tuna muffins or a cake made of chicken to celebrate, I can invite all my furriends round to join me and have a great time. I love being the centre of attention and it’s such a wonderful thing to have been adopted, what better reason can there be to have a pawty? We could play hide and seek, pass the parcel, catch the pesky pigeon and tag. If it’s nice weather then we could eat all our pawty food and play outside as I love being out there in the fresh air as long as that’s ok with Peppar, he doesn’t like lots of fuss and new people so if he’s nervous then we can have it indoors and use the balcony with the AstroTurf that’s fine by me too. Who knows I might even get some presents 🎁 too, apparently when there’s a celebration people bring nice things for you, as if a pawty wasn’t fun enough you get presents as well 😺

I love it when mummy is at home during the week as we get to chill out and have some fun and I normally get extra walkies too. This week though mummy was at home for a couple of mornings but instead of taking me on extra walkies she was busy moving things around in the living room. The first day some people came in and made loads of noise, I waited safely in the other room where I know they can’t get me (not that mummy would let them) and when I came out there was something different. I went to into the living room and was wandering round just to check that everything was as it should be after the noise and what’s this? I went to climb up onto the sofa to get into my bed and it wasn’t there! The men had stolen the sofa! I shouted for mummy as I needed to tell her that we’ve been robbed. Where are mummy and daddy going to sit? Well it’s ok daddy has a new chair and mummy can sit in the big comfy chair by the window, the one I bird watch from and use to climb up onto the sideboard. Oh no the chair’s gone too – what’s happening, what are we going to do? How am I going to get into my bed behind the sofa and if there’s no chair and how can I bird watch from the window now? I can’t even sit on mummy’s lap as she’s got nowhere to sit either!

That night daddy sat in the chair and mummy sat in a big crinkly bag which she said was full of beans which sounds very odd and uncomfortable to me but she was ok and didn’t seem to mind much. Mummy doesn’t sit down much anyway as we all keep her busy wanting to play or be let outside or play again and then some more play followed by dinner.

The next day mummy was home again, she was again moving things round in the living room and she got out the nasty hoover monster machine and if that wasn’t bad enough on its own she then got out the noisy hot puffing dragon machine, which she uses to make the floor wet and then squeaky clean after we’ve all been running around and spilling our food everywhere. I don’t like the puffing machine so I just watch from a distance and keep away plus if I walk over the floor and my paws get wet mummy tells me off as she says she has to go back and do it again. She tells me I’m a naughty kitty and to keep my mucky paws off her clean floor.

Then after a while some men turned up again and this time they brought something with them. Mummy showed them into the living room and they made some noise and then left after a while. As usual I had been watching from a distance but when they left I went into the living room to see what had been going on. I could smell that there was something different in the living room, something had changed, there was something new in there. I cautiously wandered into the living room, sniffing, sniffing, sniffing as much as I could to see if I could figure out what this new thing was. It smelt unusual to me, nothing like I have ever smelt before, I couldn’t even guess at what it was because the smell wasn’t even similar to anything I remembered. Quite often if I smell something new I can link it to something familiar. Nature smells fresh, natural, delicate; home smells of many things but cooking food, washing, people, cleaning but this didn’t smell like any of those, it smelt strongly of chemical, I couldn’t smell any animals, humans, nature or anything I could recognise. It was a completely new scent.

I put my whiskers out as far as they could go so I would be able to feel if I came up close to it, my whiskers can feel the slightest little touch. I walked around and followed the new smell, the smell seemed to be coming from the same place as he old sofa used to be, as I got closer, the smell got stronger and stronger. Mummy said it’s ok Jenny it’s just a new sofa, she patted it and tried to encourage me onto it but I wasn’t quite sure just yet. I needed to explore it a bit more just to make sure it was ok. It’s taken me a few days to get there but now I’m just about used to it, it’s nearly the same, but climbing up onto it is a bit higher and then climbing up onto the back is a bit of a bigger step too. Going up is ok but coming down is a bit harder as it’s a bit of a longer step down but I’ll get used to it soon enough, in the meantime I’ll take things carefully.

The thing is, lots of people say that with a blind cat you shouldn’t move furniture around as it will confuse us but that isn’t the most difficult thing. You see when you move furniture around it still smells the same so I still know what it is even if it’s in a different place. I still know my route over the furniture as I can still smell where I’ve been before, I can smell where Peppar normally sits and I know I need to go a little to the left to avoid him. With new furniture there is no familiar smell, it just smells different, nothing familiar at all. I don’t know how big it is, how high it is, if I can jump onto or off it. After a little bit it started to smell like mummy and daddy and then gradually Peppar, Millie and Angelin.

It’s not just the smell though, it feels different on my paws, not just the material but also my paws don’t sink in quite as far, it seems firmer and not as squishy. It makes different noises too, the movements mummy and daddy make sound different, and then the noise that makes their feet go up and down is different as well. This is harder to get used to that everything else as when I’m dropping off to sleep and the gentle whine makes me wonder what it is. As you know my hearing is excellent and acts as an early warning system so when I hear anything unusual or unfamiliar then I go into alert mode. Then mummy says it’s ok Jenny it’s just the sofa, it’s nothing to worry about. She gives me a little reassuring stroke and then I can go back to sleep. For the first couple of nights though I spent most of the nights in the spare room on Peppars snuggle bed, just until I was completely sure about everything.

When mummy and daddy were out at work or asleep in bed I’d go into the living room and practice getting up onto the sofa, climbing onto the back to get into my favourite bed behind mummy’s head and making sure my route was mapped out. Jumping up and climbing down from my bed, making sure I knew where to put my paws and the best places to tread. I might be a cat but I really don’t want to embarrass myself, even if it is only mummy and daddy, being embarrassed doesn’t sit well with us cats. We like our humans to think that we’ve got everything under control and that everything we do we mean to do even if it isn’t completely true! If I fall off the sofa then of course that’s what I meant to do, nothing more, nothing less it was all on purpose.

I really hope that mummy and daddy don’t get new furniture too often as I have just got everything just the way I wanted after Millie and Angelin arrived, It’s far too much effort to have to redo it every time mummy and daddy change something. At least with daddy’s new chair he covered it with a blanket that already smelt of us (something to do with our claws scratching everything) so that was ok. Now that I’ve smelt this new scent I’ll remember it next time something similar comes along or the next time mummy and daddy get another new sofa. It means that as with everything in my life so far I’ll have learnt from this new experience to be able to use it again in the future. Learning is very important, it’s how us street cats manage to survive from one day to the next and it never leaves you no matter how comfortable you feel.

Having little Angelin around has been making me think back to when I was a tiny kitten, I’ve been thinking about how our two lives are both very similar yet very different and yet we ended up in the same family.

We both started life on the streets in Cyprus and ended up in the same forever home in the UK but our stories in between are very different.

I’m glad that by adopting me mummy and daddy learnt how to look after a blind cat – not that I need much looking after. After they got me, they realised that they could give other special needs cats a home too. Then, when it was time they were able to provide a forever home to Angelin as well. Angelin found her first mummy when she was very young, maybe only a few weeks old, she managed to find a lady and she sat on her foot, when the lady looked down she saw a skinny, scrawny, poorly kitten and from that moment on Angelin had been saved. The lady took her in and cared for her, gave her medicine to try to make her better, gave her food, somewhere warm to sleep and lots of love 💕. Angelin’s mummy wasn’t able to keep her forever as she was leaving Cyprus so she appealed for someone to give Angelin the permanent home she deserved. My mummy and daddy reached out and offered her a home. Whilst they were sorting out how to get Angelin here they were told that like me her eyes were just too badly infected to be saved and they had to be removed. The rest as they say is history..my mummy and daddy are forever grateful to the lady (Dominica) who Angelin found and who took her in and saved her little soul.

I don’t remember much from before I was rescued but I do remember the feelings, the emotions, the instincts and living on the edge all the time. I wasn’t able to relax, always sleeping with one ear open, just in case… Now though I have learnt to subdue those instincts that I had to have to survive and I’ve learnt to relax, safe in the knowledge that nothing bad is going to happen and no harm will come to me whilst I sleep. I can let myself go and unlike when I was on the street, I can fall into a proper deep sleep even to the point of dreaming. I don’t remember sleeping that deeply or ever dreaming when I was little, I just couldn’t do it. I don’t think my survival instincts will ever fully leave me which is good, as the Queen I always need to be on the lookout for any danger that might come along as I need to protect mummy and daddy and the rest of the family. I can though adapt my instincts to suit my more comfortable life. I am still able to keep my skills sharp through my walkies, hunting and stalking anything that comes my way. I’ve adapted to being part of the family, by running and playing with Millie and Angelin, we rough and tumble, chase each other and without even realising it Angelin is learning the skills she needs through play rather than the need to survive which is how I first learnt my skills.

I’m just so proud that I played some part in getting another little blind kitty off the streets. She was rescued so young that she won’t even remember her brief life on the streets, she wont need to adapt her survival instincts, she can just be a kitten and sleep, eat, relax, play and do all the things I didn’t get to do until I was much older. Life will be easier for her, in some part because of me.She can learn in the safety of our family and we will always tell her when she is out of line or over excited, we can and are teaching her how to first of all be a cat and second of all how to be blind.

She doesn’t need to worry about hunting for her next meal, she doesn’t need to worry about having to step quickly into the unknown to stop from being left behind and all alone. Having to hope that where you step next isn’t a big drop or something dangerous. She doesn’t have to be scared of strange noises or people or things that go bump (or growl) in the night.

She can grow up without worrying, without fear and without hunger. She can grow up carefree, happy, healthy and above all have fun along the way. All she has to worry about is where she left her favourite toy, which of the many beds she fancies sleeping in and of course who she’s going to pounce on and attack next? Will it be me? Millie? Peppar? Or maybe daddy’s toes? She’s learning how to play hide and seek with mummy and daddy, sending them panicking round the flat when they can’t find her, Angelin’s really good at hide and seek but eventually they found her hiding in the bathroom bin under the counter, completely invisible from human height.

Who would have thought that through my tough and scary start in life I would end up helping at least one other kitten not have the same start as me. Though we each had very different starts in life here we are both in the same house as sisters who love each other, snuggle and wash as a cat family should. Without the stresses of worry and fear we can concentrate on just being the perfectly imperfect cats that we are, we can build a family based on play, joy, friendship, happiness and of course exploration and challenge people’s perception of what special needs cats are and ultimately what we can be which is truly amazing given half the chance.

Each smallest act of kindness, reverberates across great distances and spans of time –affecting lives unknown to the one who’s generous spirit, was the source of this good echo. Because kindness is passed on and grows each time it’s passed until a simple courtesy becomes an act of selfless courage, years later, and far away. Likewise, each small meanness, each expression of hatred, each act of evil.

Dean Koontz, From the Corner of His Eye

As you all know by now I love going outside for walkies with mummy, come rain or shine we’re out there, Mummy says to me something about everyone thinking she’s a mad cat lady! I’m not sure what that is, all I know is that I’m lucky to have a mummy who gives me so much time, attention and allows me to experience everything the world has to offer. I get to do so much with her and she doesn’t see my blindness as a disability, it’s more of a challenge to enable me to experience everything that I can, she lets me push the boundaries of what I can do each and every day whilst always keeping a careful eye on me to make sure I’m safe of course. I’m encouraged to do everything I can to make me the best cat that I can be.

Many other people wouldn’t go to the lengths my mummy and daddy do to make me have a truly fulfilled life. This makes me want to show them what I can do – climb trees, stalk the pesky pigeons (one day I’ll catch one of those fat birdies for my dinner), chase the leaves, smell the flowers, chase the insects, meet new furry friends, explore the great outdoors and experience everything possible. I want to show all those other humans that I’m really no different to other cats.

Mummy said there are some mean people that don’t like animals very much and hurt them for fun! Well I’m very glad that I didn’t meet any of these people before, even when I was a street cat but I generally stayed away from people until I was rescued. I don’t really know why people would be mean to animals, let alone the ones who are poorly or less able to defend themselves or run away. It’s hard enough when you have to fight to get food and shelter, then just when you think someone is going to help you they turn on you and hurt you – why? I don’t understand. Mummy and daddy don’t understand either and they say those types of people just don’t appreciate life in all its wonderful forms. Maybe the people who are mean to animals didn’t have one to talk to when they were growing up so don’t realise just what we can do and how amazing we are.

I think that maybe the nasty people didn’t ever meet an animal who could show them what we are like, I wish I could visit every one of them to show them what animals are really like and that we feel hurt and sadness, joy and happiness just like humans do. If I became Santa Paws I could visit each one of them in one night and spend time with them and help them to see what animals truly are. Oh – hang on, maybe they were on the naughty list when they were little humans and didn’t get a visit from Santa Paws which made them sad and mean as they have never got any love and joy in their lives. It’s ok though I can show them love and joy the Jenny way, I love everybody no matter what, it’s never too late to learn.

Part of the reason I started this blog was to show everyone what amazing family members us perfectly imperfect cats (and other animals) can make if you will just look past our imperfections and give us a chance as mummy and daddy did with me, then Millie and Angelin as well. My aim is to help educate these mean humans that us animals have feelings, emotions and souls as well, I was one of the lucky ones and found my amazing forever home but there are many who don’t so I am their voice, their advertisement, their empowerment, their figurehead, their ambassador.

As you all know from on of my previous posts I met a whole group of little humans. Just to recap for you I met them back in the summer when mummy and I were out on our walkies, it was a lovely day and when we were heading back indoors. I heard all this noise and it was quite scary as it was loud and high pitched, it was a lot of little humans running around on the grass. In our family it’s only us furr babies and mummy and daddy so I’m not used to little people and the noises they make. Anyway as I said before I was very brave and met all the little ones, I let them stroke me and pet me and mummy answered all their questions. Some of them had never touched an animal before and hopefully by letting them stroke me then they will understand that I’m not something to be scared of, that I can feel and hear and sometimes get scared just like they do. If I can change just one little human to understand animals then I have made a difference. It was a scary time for me as there were lots of hands and feet and smells but mummy was there to keep everything safe and help the little ones understand how to touch me, how to approach me so as long as she was there I knew I could be brave and I would be ok. Since the weather hasn’t been as sunny and warm the little ones aren’t out playing but instead they shout my name from their windows and mummy waves at them. We have also made some new little friends who come out into their balconies to say hello to me, hopefully when the summer comes I can meet them properly and let them stroke and pet me. They can then also learn what it’s like to have an animal friend.

I think that the people that are mean to cats and other animals didn’t get to meet any when they were little so they don’t understand what an animal is. Maybe just maybe by me meeting some of the little people and by letting them know that it’s ok to be different and still be able to do things that everyone else can do then not only will they grow up to be the best they can be but will understand that it’s ok to be different and that all living beings can feel the same emotions that they do. Maybe just maybe one of them will no longer be scared of cats. Maybe just maybe one of them might grow up and adopt a special needs cat of their own.

Mummy says that many little people who live it the city have never have had an animal and some have never even seen one let alone touched one before. I understand this because living in the city can be hard and some mummy’s and daddy’s work long hours and aren’t home very much. Some people think having an animal is hard work or costs lots of money which may be the case if we get poorly but there are people who help. I’m not sure about all this money stuff as I’m just a cat but what I do know is that if you have an animal as part of your family and treat them properly then they will love you unconditionally, they will always be there for you, they won’t argue with you and they won’t hold a grudge. We know when you’re upset 😢, we know when you’re hurt 🤕, we know when you need help, we know when you need love, we know when you need to feel safe or re-assured, we know when you need someone to talk to. We are good listeners, we don’t judge or have an opinion, we won’t interrupt, we won’t answer back, we won’t tell anyone, we will just sit and listen. Best of all whilst we are there with you you can stroke us which we love and it will make you feel better too.

I really hope that by meeting these little people where I live that they get to understand a little bit more about animals. Mummy says that education and learning is very important, I learn lots every day, such as how to climb trees, how to find my way round the flat, how to live in a home with humans, how to be mummy’s bath buddy, how to snuggle and how to behave properly. Hopefully the little ones have and will learn a bit about animals and how we fit into the world, able bodied or otherwise.

I though that this week I would give you all a different perspective of life with a blind cat rather than life as a blind cat. So, I’m giving my big brother Peppar a guest edit this week so he can tell you what it’s like to live with a blind cat (well two really now we’ve got Angelin as well).

Hello everyone, it’s me, Jenny’s big brother Peppar. I’m what you would probably consider a ‘normal’ cat, mummy and daddy got me from a pet shop when I was very young. I was very scared when I was there, it was noisy and I was kept in a cage with my sister, people would come in and out, poking at us in the cage, picking us up and then putting us back. I honestly believe that I too was rescued by them just in different circumstances to Jenny, Millie and Angelin. When I was little I was scared of everything, any noise would make me cower and hide for ages in the darkest furthest away place I could find. However mummy and daddy showed me patience and my confidence grew as I realised they wouldn’t let anything hurt me, as I’ve grown up I’ve got much more chilled out. I grew up with two big sisters Misty and Mia, again both ‘normal’ cats but they weren’t the cuddling kind of girls. I’d also never been a big brother before as I was always the youngest but I’d always wanted someone to play with. Misty and Mia weren’t the rough and tumble kind of cat and were never really up for a snuggle. If I wanted to snuggle I would have to wait until Misty got on mummy’s lap and then sneak my way on too and gradually keep shuffling along until Misty and I were touching.

Then this mysterious cat arrived late one night, I wasn’t allowed to go and say hello straight away but I went to see her anyway and checked her out under the door. When she was allowed out a couple of days later I made sure I was there right at the door to see her, I wanted her to know that she was welcome here in our home. I knew she would be scared meeting her new family and being in her new home as I had been through that many years ago when I joined the family. I wanted her to see a friendly face – I was so excited about being a big brother. Mummy opened the door and I saw Jenny for the first time. She was so pretty, so small but so friendly, she wasn’t scared or timid at all, she came right out, said hello to me and was off exploring the flat.

I followed her round the flat just in case she needed me for anything or just some moral support. Of course I had noticed that she didn’t have any eyes but us cats don’t really care much about things like that or any other disabilities for that matter, we generally treat each other all the same regardless of any differences. I was just hopeful that we could be friends and play and snuggle with each other. Before Jenny came along I had never seen or met a blind cat but I did help look after Misty when she got very old and frail which meant having to make adjustments for her to be able to get about. I thought that maybe with a blind cat I would need to do something similar. I was wrong!

We hit it off straight away, I think Jenny liked having a big brother and I loved having a little sister. Over the last nearly two years Jenny and I have become really close despite us being quite far apart in age, I’m 13 now but I still love playing and running around and as long as I’m allowed to share mummy’s pillow with her at night then everything’s ok.

There are a few things that you have to get used to living with a blind cat. I didn’t know this to start with, it’s something that I’ve learnt as we’ve gone along. The most important thing is that you don’t treat them any differently to any other cat. Jenny is very quiet as she’s moving around so you can be doing something quietly minding your own business and then turn around and there she is right behind you, just sitting there looking right at you! It’s a bit freaky sometimes.

You have to get used to being jumped on, I like to sit on the back of the sofa and that is also the way Jenny learnt to get onto the perch behind where mummy sits, she jumps onto the sofa then reaches out to see where the back is, then jumps up onto the back and into the bed at the top of the perch. Sometimes she gets the angle a bit wrong and instead of jumping onto the empty bit of the sofa she jumps on me! When she first did it I would think she was doing is on purpose and get upset at her but now I understand that she can’t always help it. As soon as she realises, there is a split second when her paws or whiskers first touch my fur when she realises the angle is wrong and that she is going to jump on me and she tries to adjust herself so she lands on me a bit less.

When living with a blind cat you have to expect to be jumped on, sat on, run into, tail trodden on, bumped and occasionally just plain barged out the way. Years ago all of that kind of behaviour would have freaked me out and I would have gone running to hide but not these days. I just take it all in my stride. Just watch out if you’re walking down the hallway and Jenny’s playing fetch coz once she’s focussed on her nosey toy then everything else goes out of her head and if you get in the way then there’s going to be a kitty pileup! That’s ok though as I then get to punish her by having a good old rough and tumble with her before running off. Of course I only run off just fast enough for her to run after me and chase me (I mostly let her catch me too). I learnt early on that Jenny likes to be the one chasing not the one being chased. Being chased scares her as it reminds her of her time on the street and when any predators might try to harm her. It’s ok though as I’m happy to let her chase me, I don’t even have to slow down much how fast I run as she’s got everything mapped out, sofa, table, chair legs, wherever I go she’s just a couple of paws behind me ready to catch me.

If I’m lucky as she’s running about her whiskers will feel me ever so slightly before she runs into me and she’ll either swerve to avoid me or with a little spring she’ll jump over me instead, one bunny hop and kitty pileup averted. Sometimes she’s running so fast I’m not sure how she does it, she has such lightning fast reactions, I’m not sure that even with my eyes I’d be able to react as quickly as she does.

I’ve also learnt to make sure I keep my tail tucked in when I’m eating, eating is one of my most favourite things to do so this is the only time I don’t want to be disturbed. However the kitchen is also a play area (as is everywhere in the flat really) as much as I love food Jenny isn’t really food oriented so she’ll carry on playing so watch out everyone else, tuck in anything that’s sticking out, tail, paws, human feet as Jenny’s on the run again.

It took some getting used to having a blind little sister, a bit of time and patience and me thinking a lot of calm thoughts but it was worth the effort.

There’s something very special about my little sister Jenny, she does things that I wouldn’t do as a sighted cat such as going walkies and climbing trees. I’m far too scared to do all that but I’ll be here for her if she is ever in any need of anything, play, advice or just to chase someone and then cuddle with. She had such a rough start in life but she has become an amazing, beautiful, adventurous, brave and inspiring cat. I love her and I’m proud to call her my family and my sister.

So what do I do when the weather is actually bad enough for me to decide I don’t want to go outside? Well, I still need my time with mummy so of course we have to play. That sounds easy right? Not true though when you’ve got two annoying little sisters who want to get involved in everything that you do. I’m quite a thoughtful cat and so I don’t just go running after things willy nilly, I hunt them first and this can take time and patience. I need to find how far away the prey is that mummy has, is staying still or moving around, if it’s moving is it moving towards or away from me, is it moving in a pattern that I can predict or is it just running? I need to understand all of this before I go in for the kill. It doesn’t take long but it’s a process a good hunter needs to go through, you only get one chance to catch your dinner after all.

Millie and Angelin though just don’t think, they just bundle on in full speed, chasing everything in sight. Angelin is just so young that she never really had to fend for herself as she was very tiny when she found a human to look after her. To her everything is just a game, nothing more serious than that, no struggle to catch her dinner or to just survive. Her favourite toys are crinkle balls, she loves them and is getting better and better at chasing them, she’s learning how to play and how to catch her prey. The more she plays the more she learns and she is a quick learner. She’s learning to be a bit like me, she’s learning how to stalk her prey, whether that’s a toy, daddy’s feet or Me, Peppar or Millie, she’ll lie on the floor flat as she can make herself, head forward, paws and legs at the ready and then when the time is right she leaps forward, claws at the ready.

Millie on the other hand just wants to be the centre of attention, everything that moves she wants to chase, she gets so excited about everything and so wants everyone to like her. She will chase anything and will charge in on us when I’m trying to play with mummy. Mummy and daddy are trying to teach her that she sometimes needs to calm down a little bit and let someone else play. For a tripaws she’s really, really quick and so has an advantage over me and Angelin but mummy’s clever…Milly’s favourite toys are nobbly balls and she loves to play fetch with them down the hallway so mummy throws one of those for Millie and then throws a toy for me to chase into the bedroom. If you’re chasing toys then you just run, no stalking or waiting, just running and instinct. Daddy often tries to distract Millie by playing fetch with her with the nobbly balls while mummy and I play in the kitchen. Sometimes he’ll manage to distract both Millie and Angelin so I can get a really good playtime with mummy and not get put off by the little ones stealing my toys.

All mummy is trying to do with me is play with me in the same way I would behave when I’m outside chasing, stalking running and as she says burning off some of my energy. There’s other things that we do as well, I might help her put the washing out on the airer or put the dry stuff away (as long as Angelin isn’t sleeping on it). As she’s carrying the basket down the corridor she says come on Jenny are you coming to help me? Of course I am mummy! On Sundays I supervise mummy do the ironing – cats are very good at supervising, especially when it involves directing humans in how to do things properly. We’re specially good at helping with the things humans do around the house like making the bed, Millie chases away all the wrinkles and then helps to pull the sheet around, she sits in the middle of the duvet just to make sure it stays still whilst mummy puts it in its cover. Somehow mummy doesn’t always see this as helping for some reason, I’m not sure why as it sounds very helpful to me. She always says an extra pair of hands is always helpful and often asks daddy to help her so I’m not sure why isn’t it helpful when we help.

I keep mummy company when she does the washing up, we then play the game ‘damp hands’. This is such fun, I can’t wait for mummy to finish washing the human bowls so we can play our game. All the time that mummy is doing the washing up I sit next to her on the floor I keep telling her to hurry up, wash up faster mummy I want to play, if that doesn’t work then I rub her legs and if that doesn’t work either then I reach up and give her trousers a little tug just to remind her that I’m there waiting. She always says careful Jenny you’ll pull my trousers down! When I was smaller I would climb her to get her attention but when I tried this the other day she said I was too big to do this, I’m supposed to be grown up now and have big claws which can hurt her if I’m not careful. I don’t mean to do this but sometime I just get so excited hearing the splashing water that I just want to get closer and make mummy play with me.

The damp hands game works like this, mummy does the washing up and gets her hands all wet and foamy, she bends down real close to me, right down on my level and then rubs her damp hand all over me, she runs her fingers up and down, backwards and forwards over my back and sides, ooh it feels so good! She makes my fur go all spikey but I love this, I shout and meow at the top of my voice with joy. Again mummy, again, again! When her hands are dry she washes off all my fur and off we go again. We’ll carry on doing this until my fur is soaking wet and there’s no more bubbles left. After we’ve been playing mummy says I look like a punk cat coz of my spikey fur.

Just recently we’ve been playing damp hands on the side of the bath too. I jump up, as I walk down the edge of the bath mummy gently rubs that side, just enough to make me damp but not enough to upset my balance. I get to the end of the bath, turn around and back I go so I can get the other side done, then up to the end and back I go. I do this over and over until I’m nearly as wet as mummy in the bath! Then when she’s ready we can both dry off together in a big snuggly towel.

I love helping mummy with whatever she is doing she spends a lot of time playing with me and taking me for walkies but it’s not all about running around, it’s just about being together. If I’m there with her she will talk to me and I can listen to her and I then chat with her, I’m not sure she understands everything that I’m saying but it doesn’t really matter. I’m part of the family and that’s what matters. Everything I do is just engaging my senses and my brain and keeping me occupied and stops me from getting bored. Bored cats are mischievous cats and mischievous cats get into trouble and told off for doing naughty things.

Then there’s the balcony, no matter what the weather our balcony is covered so most of the time the weather doesn’t matter, I can sit out there and listen to the sounds of the world. I can hear the birds tweeting, the humans in the park with their dogs barking and the noises coming from the other flats around. Occasionally the rain blows in if the wind is blowing the right way but not often. Out here I can escape from the madness inside and have some space to myself I might be a cat but like you humans I do occasionally like to be on my own for a bit.

I know that I’ve said before that I don’t like certain types of weather but I am very lucky and I’ll explain why. The weather at the moment seems to be different every day, sometimes it’s rainy, sometimes it’s freezing cold, sometimes it’s windy and sometimes it’s all of them at the same time.

No matter what the weather is like mummy takes me out for a walk each evening when she comes home from work on time. As long as the wind isn’t nasty and swirly and the rain isn’t completely torrential then I’m all up for going outside. I love the freedom it brings (even though I’m on a harness and lead), being able to explore, feel the wind in my fur and go wherever I want to go and just be myself. I think this desire to be outside and exploring comes from my start in life as a street cat.

When I first started going outside the heavy rains and any strong winds were very scary as they mixed up my senses but now with practice I’m more used to it, I know that mummy wouldn’t let anything hurt me. What I have learnt is that if it’s rainy it brings a whole new set of smells for me to process. It makes the ground smell fresh and makes interesting noises for me to listen to. I can hear the water drops hitting the leaves, the grass and pavement. I can feel the fresh water on my paws 🐾 it generally feels cold but I don’t mind and it makes them tingle after a while. The downside is that if we go for walkies in the gardens it makes the ground all muddy and slippy for mummy and my paws get dirty, all the way in between my pads, making my fur muddy and mummy’s shoes get all dirty. Because of this we sometimes go walkies along the other side of where we live which has paving rather than grass and mud. It’s not my favourite walk but sometimes it’s easier and a better place to go when the weather is bad. It gives us some variation but this side is busier with people and sometimes there are cars going along but I sit and wait for them to go past before I carry on exploring. There are big things that mummy calls planters which have plants and trees in for me to explore but I also like to sniff the cars. They have very different smells and sometimes I’m not sure what they are. I think it’s because the cars go to all different far away places, but they all smell interesting and even when it’s raining I can smell the different places they’ve been. I’m not sure where they all go, I have been in one before with mummy and daddy when they took me to see the animal doctor but they can’t all go there can they? Whilst I explore under the cars (as far as mummy will let me go under so I don’t get dirty) and in the bushes I can keep away from the wind and rain for a little bit. Then I remember, when there’s a gentle tug on the lead, that mummy is still outside getting wet or being blown about patiently waiting for me.

On the garden side the smells the rain brings are fresh and exciting. The rain washes away and smells from other animals so as I run along and explore I’m the first to leave my scent behind, the ground all belongs to me. I can smell the grass and the ground smells different. Even when it’s this cold there are still flowers around and the rain makes them smell stronger, their scent carries on the wind and I can smell where they are and go to them, if I’m lucky there will be a bumbly bee 🐝 there for me to try to catch before mummy sees me. Mummy won’t let me chase the bumbly bees as she says they need to be looked after as there aren’t many of them around these days and so I mustn’t catch them, plus they might give me a nasty sting if I catch one. I can give them a good chase though – I just can’t help it! Mummy says it’s a bit different at the moment as the bumbly bees shouldn’t be out and flying around at this time of year and the flowers shouldn’t be flowering yet. I don’t know about this but I know that it makes my walkies much more interesting and exciting.

When it’s windy, there’s lots of interesting sounds, I have to listen carefully but I like the challenge it gives me. I have been learning since I first went outside with mummy how to improve my senses when I’m outside and now I can pick out the different sounds even when it’s really windy. It’s taken a lot of practice but I’m pretty good at knowing the difference between leaves rustling and the sound of a bird moving. The wind makes the leaves on the trees and bushes rustle, sometimes I can hear the leaves moving along the ground, caught up in the wind I can hear them twisting, turning and swirling. I chase them along the ground following the sound, copying their movements and pouncing at every opportunity to catch my prey. It’s like a wind ballet the leaf and I moving in time with each other if I’m quick I can catch the leaf unless the wind blows it upwards where it can escape. If I want to challenge myself I can listen for any birds still in the trees but whilst the weather is cold and wet there aren’t many around but if they’re there I’ll hear them despite the weather.

Sometimes recently when we’ve been out and it’s been windy and rainy, mummy’s nose gets all sniffly and her hands get cold and she zips her coat up all the way and puts up her hood. She says the rain will make her hair all frizzy, I’m not sure what that really means but I don’t think it’s a good thing. She gets all the wind and rain in her face and eyes, I don’t have that problem – there are some advantages of not having eyes. If she goes through all of this just so I can go outside and explore then I’m a very lucky girl. I don’t think there’s many mummy’s who would go through all that for their furry family but then I’m not sure there’s many pussy cats that want to go out in all weathers besides us adventure cats of course.

There’s always a towel at the ready when we get in to dry me off if I’m too wet and then dinner at the ready for me. Walkies and exploring makes me a hungry girl. Daddy makes mummy a cuppa tea to warm her up from the inside and then often she’ll have one of her hot baths to warm her from the outside. I can keep her company on the side of the bath and while she does her washing I do my washing, clean off my paws, dry off my fur and then snuggle with mummy on the towel on her lap with a snuggle transfer on the towel to the bed for a little sleep 💤.

Whilst I’m out in the cold and wet I remember back to the sunny days when mummy and I would go outside and it was just as hot outside as inside. we would sit out and play a little bit and then I’d sit under a tree somewhere and just soak up the sun and listen to the world go by. It was just too hot to be chasing insects or birds but I still enjoyed all the outdoor sounds and summer smells. I think I prefer the cooler weather though as I can run around, go a bit mad, be challenged by the sounds and smells, be myself but most importantly have a really good time with mummy.

Most cats (and humans too) probably think I’m crazy going out in this weather as I should be indoors where it’s warm but they’re missing out on so much. I have been given a second chance at life and want to make sure I make the most of it, I don’t want to waste a minute. I keep thinking what a great life I have now. I have to remind myself that it is all real and I’m not just dreaming. I truly love my life.

There are lots of things that I do that many people think are amazing for a blind cat to do such as going for walkies and climbing trees though mummy, daddy and I think it’s perfectly normal. However, there’s a few things that seem to always make mummy say “Jenny how do you do that” every time I do it so I thought I’d share these with you. I’m not sure why mummy and daddy think it’s so amazing as it’s just normal cat stuff to me.

Occasionally even though we have plenty of things to drink from including our own fountain I like to have some water fresh from the bathroom tap. Every morning I sit with mummy in the bathroom to keep her company whilst she does something that she calls her blushons. Whilst I’m there sometimes I get a bit thirsty so I climb up and sit in the sink and ask mummy to turn the tap on. I don’t have it on full as that would get my head all wet, which would’t be very nice at all but mummy turns it on to just the right amount. I can then lap away happily. I’m pretty good at it but mummy always says to me “ Jenny, how do you know where the water is?” as I always have my tongue just the right distance away and never end up with water on my head. I occasionally dribble a bit but that’s only normal when drinking from a water fall. Of course I have amazing hearing and from that I can hear the water running and splashing on the sink, I can tell how far away it is and how fast it’s moving. I can also smell it too, the fresh coolness with the tiny bits of moisture floating onto my nose. I also use my whiskers which act a bit like fingers, reaching out forwards detecting where the water is, they’re very sensitive and so can feel the slightest teeniest droplet of water which then means I can adjust where I put my tongue to lap up the water. All this, happening all at the same time within the smallest of timescales helps me to pinpoint exactly where the water is. Sometimes I make a little error and dribble a bit or miss a lap but as mummy says “we’re all just human (well feline in my case) after all”.

One thing I really love is our treat toy, every day (sometimes twice if we’ve been a bit greedy) mummy or daddy fill it up with dry food and then we can all pick away at it whenever we want. I mastered it really quickly but what amazes mummy is that I know which tubes are full and which ones are empty. Mummy doesn’t understand how I do it because every tube always gets filled up with food so she thinks they should all smell the same, they either have food in them or the food residue so they should all smell the same. What mummy doesn’t realise is that I have along with my hearing an excellent sense of smell so I can sniff each tube and tell if it has a strong smell (full tube) or weak smell (empty tube), I then know which one to stick my paw into to get food 😸.

Speaking of an excellent sense of smell I am really good at finding lost toys, sometimes as we play we might push them or roll them under the furniture such as the bed, chest of drawers or coffee table where they can be difficult to get out again. Normally then we just go and get another toy but then once all the best toys are lost beyond the reach of our paws I have to go and let mummy and daddy know where they are so they can get them out again. They might have been lost for weeks but I can still find them. I can smell each and every toy, they all smell of us as we pick them up or roll around with them and that scent gets absorbed into the toys and so I cane easily smell them out. As well as that I have a great memory, I think better than sighted cats as I have to memory map where I live and where I go so I can remember where the last time I played with my toys was and where I lost them.

I sniff them out and flatten myself out to try to crawl as far under the furniture as I can get, stretc( my paws out and try to reach the crinkle ball, ping pong ball or whatever toy is under there. If I can’t get it from the front I’ll try from the side or back instead. Mummy and daddy can tell when I’m trying to find something so generally mummy will get down and have a look underneath the furniture. She often sees what I’m trying to get and will then get it for me but sometimes after she’s looked she says “don’t be silly Jenny I can’t see anything, there’s nothing under there” I know there is though so I keep trying and then, knowing how good I am at finding toys mummy goes off to get the torch and the stick, she lies down on the floor looks underneath and sure enough right at the back or behind the legs is the toy I’ve been telling mummy was there. She says to me “Jenny, how on earth did you know that was there when I couldn’t even see it?” She gets the long stick and gets the toys out for us to play with again. get them again they might have been lost for weeks but I can sniff them out and get them back again. Silly mummy, even with her eyes she isn’t as good at finding toys as I am!

My hearing is so good that when I prick up my ears and hold my head up high to listen for something mummy and daddy know that there’s something in the flat. It might only be a moth, mosquito or daddy long legs but you can guarantee there’s something there. I can even hear it if it’s in another room or if the tv or music is on. I’ll track it with my ears but moving my head slowly up and down or side to side to find out exactly where it is, I’ll climb up to the nearer highest point to get as close to it as possible and when it comes in reach I make my move and pounce. I’m very patient and can wait for a long time for it to get into the right position but I’ll know when it’s there and I’ll know if it escapes through the window or door into the safety of the outside world away from my super hearing. It’s not that my hearing is so good that amazes mummy and daddy but more that I can hear such a faint sound even when there are other much louder noises going on which for mummy and daddy drown out the quiet ones for them but not for me.

There’s lots of things that mummy and daddy find amazing about me as a blind cat like when I learn something new or figure something out for the first time. The examples above however are the things that I do naturally without being taught that continue to amaze them time after time. I like the fact that I can keep mummy and daddy interested in my blind cat super skills as they always try to make my life so interesting, varied and fun and I love being able to pay a little bit of that back to keep them interested and intrigued. Maybe in the future I’ll develop some more of my super skills to share and amaze you all with.

I was thinking the other day about what I was like when I first came to the UK 🇬🇧. Although I was a fairly confident cat and bought that I had seen such a lot in my first short months I now realise that there was so much I was missing out on. Life as a street cat is tough but your main aim is to survive – by any means. Focus is on getting food and not becoming someone else’s dinner. This is tough for any cat but one who starts life out at a disadvantage by becoming poorly as a kitten and gradually loosing one’s sight it is especially difficult. There are not only things such as animals that might want a little kitty for dinner but so many other things that might hurt us, there are cars to look out for too, they used to go very fast and having to cross the road was like running the gauntlet, once you started to cross you just had to keep going and just hope that nothing would come too close. If anything did hit you they didn’t stop to see if you were ok as you’re ‘just a street cat’. I was lucky, I tried to stay away from the roads and nasty, noisy, smelly cars. We tried to stay away from humans too as some of them were very nasty, they didn’t like having cats near them living on the street so would do horrible things if they saw you. Not everyone sees animals as creatures, living beings with feelings and spirit. There were dangers everywhere.

Life was tough then but I didn’t realise just how bad it was until I was rescued and became a cat with someone who loved me and a home.

Now, if I go outside mummy is with me to stop me hurting myself and anything hurting me, my confidence is growing all the time, I used to be scared of the cold, windy, rainy weather but not anymore. We go outside in all sorts of weather. When most cats are curled up in the warm, snuggling with their humans, I’m outside with mummy, taking in all the different smells and sounds. Different weather makes different noises, if it’s been raining the ground feels and smells different and this is interesting to a cat. It might be that I’m the first one who has walked on that bit, so I’m the first smell laid down after the rain. Rain doesn’t wash away all the smells, but I have learnt that each trip outside is different from every other one, that why I like exploring the outdoors so much.

Having a home, I can now do things because I want to not because I have or need to. There is food and water which my mummy and daddy provide throughout the day, I don’t have to hunt for it or find what has been left out by one of the nice humans that feed the street cats. I can eat when I want, there’s always water and more than one place to find it. A bowl in the kitchen and a fountain as well just for us cats, there’s a cup by daddy’s side of the bed for us as well as the taps in the bathroom when mummy and daddy are doing what they call their ‘blushons’ in the morning and before bed. Mummy and daddy were really amazed to see that one day when I was in my usual spot by the sink supervising them that I stepped into the sink and started lapping up the water from the tap. Just coz I’m blind doesn’t mean I can’t tell where the freshest water can be found.

I don’t know, these humans are funny creatures, they are amazed by so many things that I do that just come naturally to me!

I can sleep wherever I want, mummy and daddy have put out lots and lots of cat beds, perches, and furniture just for us that there are lots of places to relax. I can choose any one I want, we all share, although we each have our favourite spots. I don’t have to worry about something coming to attack me when I’m sleeping (except my siblings – but they’re learning) I don’t have to find somewhere dry and warm, I don’t have to keep one ear open to listen for things coming that might be dangerous. In my forever home, there is nothing dangerous and once I learnt the different noises that humans make in their homes I could start to relax. It took me a long time to realise that I could go into a proper, proper deep sleep. Thinking back I don’t think I ever really had a proper nights sleep on the streets but obviously I didn’t realise that at the time as that was all I knew. Most of the time when I sleep I like to be close to mummy and daddy so I go up to the bed just behind the sofa and curl up there. Sometimes when I’m having a really long sleep I’ll creep down the back of the sofa and then curl up next to or on mummy’s lap.

Sometime I just want to get away from all the noises and my manic sisters (Peppar is really chilled out anyway) I can go into the spare bedroom, where there is another cat tree, it’s quieter here and I can be alone with my thoughts and just have some peace and quiet. If Peppar is in there as well he’ll be in his new snuggle bed on top of the human bed just sleeping so hes no bother. Sometime if he’s not there I’ll nick his bed and snuggle down in it for a nap. Much like mummy says that people need their space sometimes animals do as well. I’m so lucky that my pawents have made it so that even in our home there is space for everyone, we can all be together or we can have our own space too.

Although living with mummy and daddy means I can pretty much do what I want when I want I know that there are things that I shouldn’t do. Daddy says there are things called rules which we must all follow so we can live together happily. There are some rules for mummy and daddy and some rules for us kitty cats. There aren’t many rules to follow but sometimes the street cat in me forgets what I shouldn’t do. Street cats each have their place in a clowder and you must respect your elders and the queen of course but there aren’t any rules to follow, it’s each for their own really. It’s because of this that sometimes I forget mummy and daddy’s rules, they are simple ones such as we aren’t allowed on the kitchen side, we mustn’t climb on the table, we shouldn’t scratch mummy and daddy’s furniture – we have lots of our own furniture that we can scratch at as much as we want. We aren’t allowed to climb onto the outside or top rail of the balcony as we might fall and hurt ourselves. Oh and we aren’t allowed to eat food from their plates. I keep forgetting that I’m not supposed to climb on the furniture and so I keep getting told off for being naughty. One thing about me and other blind cats is that once you’ve got something in your mind wether it’s a route, activity or behaviour it’s very hard to change. Everything I do is by routine and repeating things until they’re mapped in my mind, once I’ve done something a couple of times it becomes part of my memory. Unlearning that process is very difficult as it’s like trying to unsee something that you’ve already seen. It’s very difficult to break the habit but I will try to as it will help me bring more peace to the family and stop me from being a naughty girl.

Play is something that I didn’t do much on the streets, I did rough and tumble with other cats but for us this isn’t so much play as learning. It is our way of teaching each other how to fight and be able to defend yourself if you need to. Cats will always rough and tumble with each other but the play I’m talking about is toys. I never knew there could be something so fun! I’m not normally amazed by humans but this did…there are people who make fun things for us cats to play with for no other reason than it will make us happy! How amazing is that people wanting to play with cats just because it’s fun. My family have loads of toys, sticks, feathers, balls, toys that are quiet, toys that are noisy, ones that we can play with by ourselves and ones that we can play with with mummy and daddy. There are soft ones, hard ones, ones that are crinkly and ones that are smooth. Some move really fast and some much slower, some fly through the air and some roll along the ground. There are even some that give out treats as you play with them. Imagine the place that all these toys are made in…maybe that is cat heaven? Maybe that is where Piper, Misty and Mia are, playing away in the cat toy factory. Maybe they’re even helping make toys for us to play with.

My life as a street cat is a distant memory now but I try hard not to forget that memory as it’s so important, it’s part of who I am. It makes me appreciate my new life all the more, realise how lucky I am and what it is like to have a proper family. I knew there were good people in the world but I didn’t know just how good some people could be.