Sanctuary cats

These two sanctuary cats have been with us for over ten years and are best friends.  Dennis, on the right is a neutered male, Dimity, a middle aged lady cat, had a lot of veterinary treatment when she first came in.  Although they look alike, they are not related and came from different places.  Both were strays though.

Dennis has always been fit and healthy, he tends to get overweight though and is a bit of a couch potato.  He isn’t either a hunter or an adventurer, he has a more intellectual nature and studies philosophy and contemplates the heavens – then he thinks about the important stuff – what’s for tea?

One of the problems with him is that he isn’t bothered much about his appearance.  Grooming isn’t a high priority and his coat gets matted.  He won’t be brushed or picked up so we have to distract him with tuna or chicken and cut the knots out a few at a time.

Dimity is a bit more sociable, which is a good thing as she had to have a lot of nursing when she came in to us.  She was very thin because her teeth were bad and her mouth sore even though she was still quite young.  When we took her in to the vet there was nothing to be done – they all had to come out.  It was soft food, t.l.c and sympathy for a long time and we wondered how she would ever manage.   Can cats have false teeth?    Dimity doesn’t need them anyway, over the years her mouth has hardened and she eats anything, chomping down biscuits with the best of them.

She’s another cat who likes the hippy look and resents being combed and brushed.   We can (just about) pick her up though and can trim the worst of the knots off in summer.  As a last resort she goes to the vet to be shaved and then wears a wooly jumper until her hair grows again.

When cats are socialised as kittens they are friendly for the rest of their lives, if they miss out on this important part of rearing they stay semi-wild  like Dennis and Dimity who like being around us for the food but prefer to do their own thing most of all.