My cute little furry toddler! (Rescued Cats)

Member Name: machar

Product:	Rescued Cats
Date:	10/10/01 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: some fantastic cats out there, need lots of love and care

Disadvantages: none!

Believe it or not I am talking about a cat here! I am the proud joint owner of a gorgeous 5 month old kitten and he is wonderful. I was always a dog person but now I must admit that I am slowly being convinced otherwise!

I have to tell you how I came to be united with my little bundle of mischief. My partner and I used to foster cats for the Cats Protection League (I've written an op on that already!). Homeless cats and strays were placed with us until they could be found a proper permanent home. However when this one appeared we both knew that he had found his permanent home.

Socks (that's his name, the cat not my partners!) was found with a brother and sister living as strays at a nearby primary school. Socks was the only one they had managed to catch so far but I believe he wanted to be caught so he could be waited on hand and foot! When he arrived at our house he was absolutely tiny.. His poor body was trying to catch up in size with his head and his paws so he looked a bit strange but totally adorable. He was pure black apart from his four little white paws and his white bib on his front.

From the moment he arrived in our house he made himself at home. Cats are extremely independent and very self-assured. He told us where he wanted his litter tray positioned and where he wanted his feeding bowls. He was wonderfully well behaved - fully litter trained and very clean. Some of the cats we had fostered had been a bit lacking in the personal hygiene department. Socks is very clean by comparison. He always uses his litter tray and washes himself thoroughly after every meal. Cats are just like humans in a way. You can teach them to be clean and tidy but you can't make them do it. Every cat is different and some will be clean by nature and others won't.

For the first few weeks he slept with us and it wasn't unusual to be woken up in the morning by a paw in your face or your nose getting licked.
However, he is now becoming a "big boy" now and sleeps on his own in the living room most nights although he does come into our room early in the morning. Although he is a stray originally, he is the soppiest cuddliest cat ever. He loves to settle down in your lap to go to sleep and to snuggle up against you when he is relaxing after dinner.

The reason I entitled this op my furry toddler is because he is just like a human baby. When he first arrived he slept most of the day as he was young and was growing at a tremendous rate. He reached the "toddler" stage about two weeks ago and seems to be quite happy to stay there for a while. As with all toddlers he is into everything at the moment. His speciality is knocking over pot plants at the moment. He is learning quickly what he is allowed to do and what is naughty. One of the best deterrents is a plant sprayer with water - a quick squirt and he soon stops what he is doing. This avoids shouting or smacking, neither of which I like.
Just like human children he has a routine for the day. He gets up, has breakfast, plays with you for 15 mins then settles down to work off breakfast. He has lunch at a set time as well as his dinner. He even goes to bed at the same time every night! This routine works well for everyone as we know when we have to feed him, when he wants attention and when he wants to sleep. You can even time his toilet "activities"!

As I said at the beginning of this op I used to be a dog only person. However Socks has change d my mind. Unlike dogs he doesn't need exercising (apart from playtime) which is great when you are really busy or the weather is atrocious and you don't want to go out! If anyone out there is considering fostering a stray please seriously consider it. Not all strays are as soppy as Socks but he is a perfect example of some of the gorgeous soppy cats that are out there desperately in need of a good home.

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