Lisa's Beauty Spot: The Kitty Escapades Of My Life!

The Kitty Escapades Of My Life!

Okay, so I was unsure about what to blog about for these past two weeks, I was reading through some other lovely peoples blog posts and I saw quite a lot about pets! I've had four cats in my life and one dog. Pictured are the four beautiful kitties who graced my life for nineteen years altogether. They all have their own quirky little stories and personalities, so I thought I'd share them with you!

First on the left is Buster. Buster will always have a very special place in my heart. My earliest childhood memories consist of this little man. Buster was born in January 1997, and we'd had him since he was a tiny kitten of about eight weeks, so I'd say March 1997 was when I first met him.

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I believe he is under one years old here. Even as a baby he was always curled up someone sleeping. He was a character and so funny. He wasn't the world's most social cat, unless you had food or you were ill... Then he'd never leave your side.

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And here's proof of that! Here I am aged 6, just after having my tonsils taken out, I spent some time out of school, and I remember him just being with me the whole time. Either snuggled up by my feet, or on the floor or as seen here, having a cuddle... (Which was a rare occurrence, he wasn't a lap cat as such but was so affectionate and loving)

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Doesn't he look absolutely gorgeous here? I never realised how photogenic he really was. Everyone who used to come round used to tell us how handsome he was. He is ten or eleven here, I remember this was taken just before I turned 14. As you can see he was gorgeously fluffy and had hazel-green eyes. I remember one night we were watching TV when all of a sudden we heard this screaming coming from the garden shed, it went on and on so we went to investigate. We went in and saw Buster... And a toad. The toad was screaming at the top of his lungs, and Bust was just staring at it like "What the hell is wrong with you?!" it was hilarious, he wouldn't hurt it. I feel terrible for sharing this memory, but it just shows how placid and laid back Buster really was. When I was three, and we'd had him a matter of weeks I was playing in the garden with him, then all of a sudden I came running in the house shouting "CAT, CAT!!!" ... Holding Buster by either the scruff of his neck, or by his neck... I'm a terrible person. He forgave me pretty quickly though, and we played as normal within minutes.

Disclaimer: Trigger warning. This next photo is a little upsetting, but it's all part of his life unfortunately, and I do want to share it with you. Also, it contains fourteen year old me... Which is awful!

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As upsetting as it is, we all get poorly as we get older and Buster was no exception. Sadly from about age eleven he started getting abscesses on his head, and in his mouth. When he had the abscess on his head, his face swelled up so much and he didn't look like the same cat. It was a hard few months, amazingly however he managed to pull through the worst of it. He had some of his teeth removed, like the old man he was and then we tried to carry on as normal, and amazingly his personality just flourished.. And he was back. Before he fell ill Buster used to love takeaway food. He loved just about anything, but his favourite was Chinese food and Kebabs... With loads of chilli sauce. After having his teeth out we kept him away from the chilli sauce... For obvious reasons.. Once he'd healed.. He'd practically beg for the stuff! It was so amazing, and he was so strong and almost didn't let it phase him at all! He was fantastic with other cats, as we had three other arrivals into the family in 2007 & 2008. Which I will introduce to you shortly.

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I started working at McDonald's on the 18th July 2010, I had the problem of Buster constantly laying on my clothes when I left them on the bed, and he'd leave big fluff patches on them. I went to work on the 11th August 2010 like any other day, it was a great shift (Long, but it had been fun) I started at 12pm and finished at around 9pm. My Dad came to pick me up as normal, and when I got in the I was smiling and ready to share my day, when Dad told me to prepare myself, he then told me Buster had been very poorly the whole day, and even though the vet tried, he was put to sleep. I burst into tears, I was broken. I'd never got a chance to say goodbye. I'd not seen him that day. I actually felt numb. He was so special, and he was gone just like that. It was leukaemia of the blood that took him, and I'd like to think he wasn't suffering too long. All of my school friends who'd known him were sad. I think I miss his unique meow and him trying to take the food off my place, but most of all it's the someone to talk to when you have silly problems, because I can tell you now... This cat knew when something was up, and he'd stay... Listen and then you'd feel better. He will always be my little fluff and I'll miss him always ♥

And on the top right is Sophie. Sophie was a rescue cat, that we rescued from Wood Green Animal Shelter in Godmanchester in 2007. We visited the shelter looking for a new addition to the family, but wasn't going to walk out for the first cat we saw.. They had to be special. And, that's when we saw Sophie. Sophie was described as a seven year old, female moggy cat who's good with families and okay with other cats. I loved her at first sight. I sat down on a seat in the bit where she was, and she came straight up to me and wanted some fuss. We were all baffled by her half tabby, half ginger nose. She was a complete mix up of colour. Very quickly we all realised we'd fallen in love with Sophie, and we put the £50 charity donation for her, and before we knew it she was coming home was us. When Sophie met Buster she was very unsure and, unfortunately... That's how it stayed. She didn't like him at all, and avoided him at all costs.

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Sophie was a very lazy cat, whenever you'd pick her up she'd do this cute little meow. Everytime! It was weird, because she loved fuss and being on your lap, at first it was a concern that she didn't like it... But she did. Over time, Sophie became very secluded and wanted to be on her own. She spent most of her time in my bed, and would only socialise with me. Which, of course I loved but it didn't work well her being scared all the time. The sanctuary didn't really describe her well at all. They said she was fine with cats, dogs and children. She was fine with children but very insecure about other cats, and from what I saw one day absolutely terrified of dogs.

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It was mid 2008 and I went to school, I came back home for lunch and went to call Sophie in like I always did. She didn't respond to me calling. I called her again and again. Nothing.. Buster did, and so did madam.. Who you will be meeting very soon. But, nothing from Sophie. At that point I thought something was wrong, not like she'd be in an accident because she was very street smart, I called my Mum and asked literally "Mum, have you taken Sophie back to the sanctuary?" she said "Why do you ask that?" and I said "Well, cos she's not coming in and she always does" Mum just said we'd talk later, and I knew at that point. I was angry, and then upset. She'd taken to me, and I'd loved her. I'm pretty sure she's probably in heaven now, if not she'll be fifteen, I hope she is still out there, and if not she'll be in kitty heaven knowing I loved her very, very much. I think of her quite a lot, she was so quirky and very funny. ♥

Ready for two hilarious little characters? On the bottom left is Jessica and on the bottom right is Garfield. These two are very special. Firstly because they're mother and son and secondly because, they're brilliant.

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It was May time, in 2008. We had Buster and Sophie still at the time. I went round my cousins and he'd "found" a cat. She was pregnant, about 1-2 weeks and she was beautiful. Her name was Molly. She was very malnourished but a very loving cat. I sat down and she jumped up my lap and wanted a cuddle, I turned to my Dad and said "Aw, Dad I want her" to which my cousin replied, "You can have her if you want" it's not that he didn't care, he did.. He just wasn't in the position to be looking after a pregnant cat. Dad said no, and we went home. Two weeks later I came home from school and was told to be very quiet when I came in.. Confused, I walked in and there was Molly laying there on the sofa! I was so happy and quietly went over to give her a cuddle. She laid on her back and I gently rubbed her swollen, pregnant tummy. At this point she was around a month pregnant.

Turns out while I'd been at school, Mum and Dad had been been at my cousins to get her. She needed a stable home to give birth. The next day was a Saturday, and we were all up early to put names in a hat to name her. I (weirdly, and I'm glad it didn't come out to be honest..) put in Amethyst, as it's my birthstone. My Mum put in Mitzy and there were a few more names I can't remember. My youngest brother put in Jessica. My other brother didn't put in a name because he wanted to choose her name. Then, her name came out the hat. Jessica. Perfect! She looked like a Jessica, and pretty soon she responded to Jessica and Jess. 9th June 2008 come along, by this time Jess is at full term (Cats carry for nine weeks) my brother accidentally trod on her tail, and she ran off into her box. Within the hour she'd given birth to five beautiful kittens. Two tabbies, one tortoiseshell, one ginger, white and tabby - and one (what we thought, a dark brown tabby) My dad was hoping for a Ginger Tom, and was sadly disappointed. Within three hours that little brown tabby turned out to be a little pure Ginger, with a little bit of cream on the neck. Unsure of the sexes, we were smitten with them all. They began to grow and flourish. They had gorgeous temperaments, and Jess allowed us to handle them within a day or so, which was amazing. She had such trust in us within weeks.

Sadly, just before the kittens were born that was when Sophie was re-homed. We had a neighbour come round and tell us the sex of the kittens. The two tabbies were male, the tortoiseshell was female (As we expected), the tabby, ginger and white was also female, and of course the ginger was a boy. A Ginger Tom, we were also taught how to tell the sex of the kittens, if theres a dot it's a boy and if it's a slit it's a girl. When the kittens were six or seven weeks old, that's when we put four out of five up for sale. The ginger was staying with us, and when people came round and saw him, they wanted him - I mean how couldn't you?! He was adorable! His eye is all manky, cos he'd been play fighting with his siblings, and they didn't seem to grasp the fact that their claws are sharp!

Here is little man at around nine-ten weeks, he still had one of his brothers living with him as he was bought by my Aunt and Uncle for my young Cousin. They bought on of the little tabby boys, and called him Burtie.

Here is the naughty little man again, around eleven weeks wanting my hand to pet his head. He was so cheeky and full of life. He managed to fall in the bin... Twice. He didn't learn the first time, we should of known he was going to be thick as anything... And, he really is thick! Sadly, this photo is only a week or two before little mans first operation. We'd also decided that if we were to have a ginger, he'd be called Garfield. So ladies and gents. This is the story of our two wonders - Jessica and Garfield.

Garfield, was born with a sticky out belly button which, strangely enough, he used to like us poking at. He'd purr more and almost smile. When he was either thirteen or fourteen weeks old, I got a text to say Garfield had been coughing and his belly button went rock hard. Mum and Dad took him to the vet. We then found out that sticky out belly button was a hernia, and it was his stomach poking out. Not the actual organ, you couldn't see it. He had an operation to have it fixed and, then he was a cone head for about a week.

Before his operation, Jessica constantly fussed over him - he kept trying to feed off her right up before his operation, even though he was on solid foods and he wouldn't have been getting milk. It was more of a comfort we guessed. So, Garfield came home. He went up to Buster, and Buster just stared at him it was like "Yes, you have a cone on you're head, you're still small and annoying" - then Jessica walked in the room. Well, bless his heart he ran up to his Mummy, and BAM! She walloped him over the head with her paw and hissed and spat at him. Oh dear, Mummy doesn't want to know... Or she didn't realise. I felt so bad, so I just gave him a gentle cuddle. He then went for a sulk in my room, and that's this picture here. He has the right ump here.

Jessica got pregnant five times altogether, she was a fantastic mother and brought all her kittens up without any help or intervention ever needed. In all five of her births, she gave birth to five kittens each time. Lots of tabbies, gingers and even a beautiful grey girl, who I wanted to keep.. She was beautiful!

In one of her last litters, a couple put down the money for one of the tabbies in that litter but wouldn't be able to get him until I believe he was about 9-11 weeks old. He was so attached to his half brother and Mummy, it was adorable.

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The little tabby also loved Buster, and Buster was fantastic with him. It seemed when Jessica got her motherly instinct back she loved on Garfield again, like he was a little baby.. And he of course, as you can see lapped it all up.

Nope! You are seeing correct! This is one of Garfield's half brothers, from I believe was Jessica's second litter of kittens! This little guy was obsessed with Garfield, they were always cuddling, and Garfield (Secretly) loved it.

I'd say Garfield and Jessica did notice when Buster had died, Jess was quieter and Garfield didn't have anyone else to annoy and play with other than Jess.

Garfield's personality grew very quickly, he was a funny, thick crazy animal who wasn't scared of anything, except sweeping brushes. This photo was taken in Winter 2008... Garfield's first Winter, and encounter with snow. Most cats would touch it, and run back in. Not this kitty. He creeped around in it for a while... Then came back in, realising it was cold. He really was thick. Maybe he hit his head those times when he fell in the bin!

He was thick, but so affectionate, and wanted all the fuss he could get. Here we are, in 2008. I'm around fourteen here. A hard part in my life, due to severe bullying, but they did really, really help.

Jessica was equally affectionate, and just wanted to be on someones lap, or apparently chest. She would literally just flop and snuggle.

I'm eighteen in these photos, Jessica is would have been five and Garfield four. She apparently loved to nuzzle into faces, as well.

Here we are, me aged nineteen, Jessica looks like a much older cat here, she was six and Garfield five. These were taken just before I went away for my twentieth birthday, and may have been the last time I saw them.

I came back from America in 2014, and due to Garfield and Jessica's deteriorating health, they were re-homed to a vet, who has another ginger cat called Garfield.

Garfield was never a completely healthy cat. At a very young age he was diagnosed with gingivitis which I found funny when I was younger, cos he was ginger. It got worse, and he eventually had to have a lot of teeth taken out, before this he actually used to smell rotten, and it was coming from his mouth.

Jessica, we believe was abused before we got hold of her, and she never really recovered from that, fast movements used to terrify her, and it got much harder as she got older.

I do find it really sad that all four of them were gone, and I never got a chance to say goodbye, I miss them all to this day. I've found some more photos I'd like to share with you, they're some of my favourites.