In memory of..

Toots & Tally

We chose them (or was it the other way around?) from Cats Protection in December 1995. Toots yelling her head off to be taken home and Tally sitting quietly. Once home it was the other way around. Tally was the cat who cried and needed company and lots of it. Toots just wanted her own way and got it. "I want to come and go at all hours of the night and day - get me a cat flap! I want my dinner Noow!" She got it. Not to mention a cheese sandwich which she leapt up from the floor and snatched from someone's startled hand. When she hurt a paw jumping too high she got lots of love and sympathy which she milked for a long time - until she limped with the wrong paw! They hunted and worked in tandem but Tally was very jealous, she wanted the lion's share of the laps and strokes and cuddles. She was my daughter's constant companion during the four unhappy years of her breakdown giving her a reason to go on, being the one who always looked pleased to see her and loved her. Tally loved to sunbathe her big fat white belly out in the garden while Toots crossed the road and disappeared into the woods. Some times Toots and Tally slept together but often they were apart following a mysterious routine of position changes after a week or two. Tally suffered from cystitis and stress. She was also car sick so we used to have the vet come to us rather than subject her to that ordeal. Toots was younger and fitter until she started to get an asthma like respiratory disease then one cold after another. One day she did not come at all, the next I found her hunched on the back door mat with Tally standing guard. The vet did tests but these showed she was very ill indeed and the next day we said goodbye to our darling Toots. We brought her home and buried her in the garden. We mourned her and so did Tally, who unbeknown to us had chronic kidney disease. Exactly four weeks later the vet came again and we buried another dear cat under the same bush.

Toots 25/06/1994 - 10/07/2006

Tally 08/1992 - 07/08/2006