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Gomez ( was Bryan) has been in his new home for a year after leaving Foal as a young kitten. He has got the family well trained even though he is the smallest member! He writes to us at some length!! It is always good to hear about dogs and cats becoming good friends and it can normally be achieved relatively easily if common sense is applied. We particularly liked the following paragraph! 'When he goes on his late night walk up the road, Poppy and I go too. I usually wait outside the front door until they all come out and off we go in a little prccession'	I have nearly got my family properly trained! They call me 'the little cat with the big personality' but I haven't found my diminuitive size to be a problem. I'm very good at annoying Poppy the cat, she just wants a quiet life but ...! . As for the black labrador puppy who arrived in June, he's become my best friend. He comes up to me and licks me which I quite enjoy and we like to have a chase in the garden. I like to go up trees and on fences because that really frustrates him. Sometimes I sit outside the French windows and it drives him mad because he can't play with me. At night I like to sleep on the main bed, across the bed in the most awkward way so they're always a bit bleary eyed in the morning. I have to tell you that I am very happy here and my family are besotted with me!
We were particularly happy to hear news of thesae two! You may remember that Miss Kitty was the 'feral' cat that you could no get near and who was due to be put to sleep at 18mths old because there was nowhere for her to go! Piglet's case was equally sad as he had been with us twice before! We cannot emphasize enough that frightened cats will find the most amazing places to hide so please ensure that dangerous areas are closed off. Do not worry if they choose to stay in cupboards hidden from sight, they will make their world as small as they can and only come out when they feel safe. Given how nervous these two were, it is amazing that such progress was made in such a short time a nd we look forward to hearing more news of them as their confidence increases.	Miss Kitty and Piglet had only been in their new home for a week when we received this! We took them home and then went to do some shopping, when we returned they had gone! I looked down behind the tumble drier and there was Piglet but Miss Kitty was not to be seen. In the end I removed the tumble drier to find that both of them were now hiding in a small gap beside the washing machine! After confining them to the kitchen for the first day, we started to leave the kitchen door open when we were in there and gradually they became inquisitive, looking beyond us until eventually they decided to venture out. They are now at a stage where we let them roam around about half of the house when we are home and they have found the spare bed in the small bedroom very comfortable. Piglet likes to sit among my football trophies on the window sill! Last night, we left them to sleep where they chose rather than put them in the kitchen and we have introduced them to the dining room today which looks out into the garden. With the sun shining into the room, I found Miss Kitty making herself comfortable in the sun. In general, they have really settled down well. Miss Kitty will now allow either of us to stroke her almost anytime whereas Piglet is rather more selective and often disappears back to the kitchen or to the small bedroom. Thank you also for allowing us to look after them. They have been brilliant so far and we’re both looking forward to when they are both completely at ease.
Many people who have asthma or allergy problems are advised to 'get rid of the cat'. In practise this often has little or no effect on the medical problem, which is usually aggravated by carpets housing house mites and dust. It does however cause great emotional problems within the family who are distraught at having to part with a much loved pet. Medical opinion is divided but there are several things that you can try in order to minimise the exposure and often the patient 'grows out of the condition' given time and some common sense. As Richard writes: I have an air purifier, we hoover much more regularly than before, and I take antihistamine tablets. All these seem to have had a big effect and although I do get a bit wheezy if I spend all day indoors with the cat, that does not happen often.	We took Frenchy in on 8th November. He was described as "big and beautiful" He was a bit wary at first, and bolted into a hitherto-undiscovered gap in the kitchen cupboards feeding time soon brought him out! He is the most docile, affectionate and tolerant cat I have ever come across; very, very friendly and loves attention., and he loves having his tummy rubbed. He seems happiest when there is a lap available to flop onto, and will sit there for hours, purring. We do not want him to get fat but equally don't want to underfeed him. I am glad to have been able to give Frenchy a good home where he is happy. I often read on the FOAL website about people handing cats in because they have an allergy. Well, I discovered I am allergic to cats too, and I went through an emotional couple of weeks wondering if I would have to return him. However, Frenchy is such a lovely cat I decided to fight the allergy. Others have told me that you simply grow out of the allergy after a few months contact anyway.
We always are very grateful to those peole who will take on older cats as they often suffer more than youngsters when they lose their homes and leave familiar surroundings. Sharon's comments about torties are so very true - they consider themselves superior beings and woe betide anyone who does not treat them in the manner in which they wish to be treated! We are also very grateful to Sharon as she is responsible for the production and publishing of KitBits, our cat newsletter.	Morley was adopted last July, a few weeks after we lost Lugsy our companion for 13yrs. Morley is around 14yrs old and was very thin when we brought her home. she has collits and an intolerance to chicken but with treatment she has gained a lot of weight. Since she started the medication she has gone from lying down all day and staggering around when she walked, to a cat that will chase a ball around the house and play with toys! She also chases the other cats out the cat flap much to their disgust - she really doesn't act her age! In true tortie style though she does have a terrible attitude particulary towards our other tortie Gizmo, (Foal cat again) who thought she had the 1st prize in attitude and has been taken down a peg or two by our matriach!
	If you have been regularly visiting our website over the last year, you may remember Patch? He came in to us with sores on his skin which the vet put down to stress eczema. He was rehomed but his new owner could not cope with his apperance when his sores were at their worst. We featured him on our Special Needs page and were delighted when Lynne, one of our homecheckers, and her family volunteered to take him on as a foster cat. In spite of (or maybe because of!) being in a busy household with children, cats and dogs, he has improved beyond our hopes - the area between his shoulders shown here was once a bleeding sore! Our happiness was complete when I received a card asking if they could make him a proper member of their family by formally adopting him!