Crazy Little Me: Light of my life

Okay so it is time for something light on here.

I haven't mentioned anything on here about my time working for a local animal shelter. But I did for over a year (as a volunteer) that was an eye opening experience there was lots of good but in the end it kind of ended up in heartbreak so hey this post is to be happy - I'll keep that for another day!

The good parts was being able to save many cats and kittens - to actually make a difference. I was never meant to foster, but still managed to accumulate a few foster babies over time. Once I was on my own this was even easier as I only had myself to worry about, well myself and Arthur my resident fluffy man.

Let me tell you about Arthur, I adopted him from the RSPCA in 2010. I have always been a cat person and I was missing not having a furry friend in my life, so when Stacy and the Real estate filly agreed to let me have one, there was no stopping me. I actually adopted Arthur on the day I got the approval. He was only 8 months old and the sweetest scared ball of grey fluff, at that time his name was Smokey, but that was never going to stay for long. The story on how got his name is actually thanks to Stacy's best friend Trevor who suggested it.... Arthur, it is the name of a pig owned by the main character of an Australian comic book series called Platinum Grit. I really liked it so his name became Sir Arthur Sebastian (after Dave Listers alternative personality in Better then Life - yes I like Red Dwarf - no I'm not a nerd haha) Stokes (-Brennan - but lets not go there!).

Now I think I'll just change that story and say he is named after Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ... I like that story better. Here are some cute little photos of my boy.

His is a best cat, he loves to cuddle, goes nuts for brushes and is just a general easy laid back boy (unless he wants food - then he can get quite vocal about it all - a new trait!).He has the softest purr and when you hear it, it just melts your heart because you know it's special as he doesn't purr often. He currently likes to curl up in my arms which is very cute (and annoying sometimes). He was always a good big foster brother, actually sometimes he was too good and would let his foster siblings eat his food. He is a lover, not a fighter. Actually he is a big scaredy cat, he doesn't like loud noises or new people, he'll even still hide under a chair when people he knows well stop by. If he doesn't know them, he'll hide under the bed.

So yes I love him to bits and would never give him up, it was the one thing that stressed me the most when Stacy and I broke up, I didn't want to lose Arthur. I am thankful everyday that I could keep him, my life wouldn't be whole without him.

Not long after I'd moved into my own place, a little itty bitty Kitten came into my life, he'd been taken in while the shelter had evacuated due to the threat of flooding (long story that I won't go into as it's not a happy one) .... So short story is this little kitten who should have been still with him mum and was at risk of going to the shelter and contracting cat flu which at his age was dangerous as he'd most likely not make it.. (told you it was sad and that's just the short version!). I'd seen enough of that at this point, so it wasn't even a question he came home with me.

He was undeniably cute and fluffy, he also didn't have a tai, I gave him the unfortunate name of December and the reason for that is a very sad story, one I won't tell right now!! Poor December didn't like me very much at first, as I kept him locked up in a create in my bedroom and he only came out when it was time for his bottle feeds. So the first few days where spent with a very vocal kitten climbing his create and wondering where his family had gone. Normaly I would have just set him up in the bathroom, but at that time I actually had another 3 little foster babies calling that home as they stayed with me while the shelter was evacuated.

Arthur didn't really care that any of the kittens, he was curious about the three in the bathroom that he wasn't allowed to play with (as they had cat flu) and I think he wasn't quite sure what that little thing making all the noise was on top of my dresser.

As soon as the bathroom kitties went back to the shelter, a new visitor was in there, a little Grey girl a few weeks older then December that I named January (I started a month of the years name theme haha). Arthur was soon being driven nuts by December when ever he was allowed out of his create and January joined in when she was given the all clear health wise. Unfortunately, January needed a bit of extra care so she ended up only staying for a little while before she went to a new career where she flourished.

December moved into the bathroom, just as two little kittens, brothers who had no mom and where too young to look after themselves, so needless to say they moved straight into the newly emptied cat create. The brothers, who soon got named August and September, didn't like being bottle feed, after lots of stress and worry about their weight gain, they finally started to flourish and when give the all clear, they soon where out running around with December. Poor Arthur now had 3 kittens to hide from.

Right at this time, the shelter shut down (again - not a light happy tail either). So December, August and September became my longest fosters. August and September were complete snuggle bunnies, they got on well with the other two boys, actually the only one who ever needed to be pulled up for begin to rough was December as he had a bit more size to him then the other two kittens.

December on top September (L) and August (R)

I was careful to not get to attached to any of the kittens, after all they would all be going back to the centre for adoption (although they would be going to another of the companies shelters). Everyone who meet December feel in love with him, everyone thought I should keep him. But I was adamant. he wasn't what I wanted in my next cat. When I was growing up our family cat Sokey would pad and give kisses, she'd but her head into yours and it is something I missed and wanted in my next cat (I also kinda wanted a girl!). I had actually fallen in love with an adult cat who was at the centre when it closed (and I knew who had him on foster) ... he was a beautiful white fluffy boy with bi coloured eyes who even though he was extremely sick, would raise his head and give me a head but every time I would visit him in sick bay. He was my dream cat, and because I had every intention of adopting him and making him mine, I named him Lancelot (as I had decided to go with a King Arthur theme) if it August and September hadn't of needed to be bottle fed he would have come home with me. Happily his foster mum feel in love with him and I didn't have the heart to say she couldn't keep him, I also knew he'd be well loved and taken care of - he even got to keep the name I'd given him!

The day finally came to take all three boys back, I packed them up into their carriers, September and August in one from the centre, and December in the one I had for Arthur (which should have been a sign!). We drove them them all the way down to the other shelter to go up for adoption. I felt fine. I was prepared to say good-bye to them. I was had my fingers crossed that they would get adopted quickly as I knew I would hate to think of them at the centre for too long. I prayed they would stay healthy (as they would be exposed to other kittens that had, had cat flu).

It wasn't until it came the moment of hand over that I made a choice I would never regret. I handed over August and September, but December was 'staying'. The poor little man had made the trip all the way down to the other shelter only to have to come all the way back... I'm not sure who was more surprised about this decision, me or him. I still don't know WHY I decided to keep him, he wasn't what I wanted in a cat and I know he would have been adopted straight away (just like the two other boys where).

But yes. I became a crazy cat lady officially that day. He's now going on two years old (in December) and sadly I haven't had any fosters since. He is a complete weirdo and makes me laugh nearly every day, one look at him sleeping on his back legs in the air (no matter how many times I see it) will always make me smile. He purrs at the drop of a hat and it is the cutest thing in the world to watch him wag his little tail stump. I often wonder how big and fluffy his tail would have been, I have a sneaking feeling it would have been HUGE. (much like everything else about him)

I won't say that Arthur and December are the best of friends, they get along fairly well, but I think it's safe to say that they really are very much like siblings. They play fight, chase each other around the house, don't like to share their toys and out of the blue will just be extremely cute, they will clean each others fur and snuggle up together (although this is a very rare occurrence). December is less cuddly then Arthur, but he will come for pats often and likes to have his belly scratched. Unlike Arthur he loves people and will flop down at complete strangers feet and invite them to pat his belly. While Arthur is obsessed with brushes, December is obsessed with playing fetch. It isn't uncommon to wake in the morning to find a cat toy in the bed waiting for me to throw for him (he's a little nuts) and when I'm home I'll often have toys laid at my feet for a new game of fetch... the more I ignore him the bigger the pile of toys. December has gained himself the nick name Pork Chop, as he seems to have taken after his owner and become a bit of a chubba (even though he gets fed the same as Arthur). He has a whole extra killo over Arthur, and is also a bit of an alpha kitty so I do need to keep him inline at times to make sure he's not driving Arthur to nuts.

But Arthur gets his own back now and then. Nothing makes me laugh more then when Arthur will pounce on December. Or when Arthur will jump up to a high point in the house as December is unable to jump very high. This drives December crazy. It also makes it easy to put Arthurs food up high as he will take his time eating his wet food and December eats his all in one go (and then eats Arthurs if he's left some behind - hence putting Arthurs food up out of reach).

I worry often about December developing spinal problems later on down the track, as he does have a few issues with not having a tail (it's called Manx syndrome). He may not live for as long as a normal cat as Manx's can have shorter life spans. I have over time picked up that he does have (what I believe to be ) a pinched nerve that will play up on him from time to time. It's nothing serious and I hope it will stay that way.

As much as I love Arthur and would be lost without him. December has been my saving grace this last year and a bit. If he is my payoff for all the crap I went through then I think it may have just been worth it.

Now cuteness overload.