Rick James

We have been lucky to get to know a wonderful range of kitty personalities. Some of the kitties we have fostered have been very girly girls. Katie and Trixie were girly girls, all dainty and cute. Others, such as Stella and Sally have been very laidback and just liked to hang out. There were also the pretty boys- the floofy Oscar boys come to mind. They were most concerned with posing and keeping their furs neat and tidy. Or the clever kitties, Evie being the prime example.

Then you have this little boy. Rick James. The best way to describe him is as a real man's cat. He was rough, tough and ready to rumble! I had a ball with him! When he first came to our house, he wasn't too happy. He was an only kitten (we have only ever had a single foster at a time four times, and those four times were all in a row!). He didn't get a wonderful start. The 'people' who owned his mumcat had kept him in a box most of the time. They tried to sell him through the paper, but weren't able to. When they dropped him off at the shelter, they said if they couldn't leave him there, they would get rid of him themselves. It horrifies us to think people like that are walking the streets. As a result, he wasn't very well socialised, and wasn't the healthiest of kittens.
For us, Rick was a lesson in the resilience of kittens. For the first day he was with us, he stayed on a blanket on the couch and barely moved a muscle. With the dawning of the next day, however, he seemed to realise that he had a new life now. And my how he decided to embrace it! He would have to be one of the most joyful, enthusiastic kittens that we knew.
Rick and my dad became great mates. Rick liked to shadow him around and try and be involved in whatever dad was up to. If dad had let him go to work with him, Rick would have been thrilled! He even wanted to help dad with the ironing!!!This is when Rick crawled into the pocket on dad's jumper. Yep. They were buddies those two.
After he learned to relax and eat well, Rick got a lot healthier. He was stronger and more energetic, and his coat took on a new shine and softness.
One of the best things was the chance to show Rick how to play, and have fun! We used to have such fun wrasslin'. He liked playing rough, which was fine with me! We had a great time together, and he always came back for more. He was always really gentle with people though, which was cool. This video shows us having a great rumble. The quality of the video is not great, but it shows what a tough little nut he is:)

Rick went to a great Forever Home:) Have a happy week!

We Are Home This Christmas!

I'll be home for Christmas;
You can count on me.
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree.

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love-light gleams.
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams.
-Kent, Gannon and Ram.

Pipi on the mantle, from l-r, Katie, Nigel, Archie, Basil, Trixie, Charlie, Rick, Bobby, Tom, Evie, Dohni, Manuel, and James. They all found their Forever homes this year.

Wordless Wednesday

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The Oddball

'Pop' was delivered to me late one night. He was the last kitten left from an 'oops' litter, and the people didn't want to take responsibility for finding him a home. When he came to us, he was very nervous, and had a few troubles with his cat manners. His coat was also very rough.

We immediately decided that 'Pop' just wouldn't do for a name. We christened him Rick James. As we got to know him, we learned how appropriate it was, with the little boy being full of the joys of life. For kittens like Rick, Fuifui is an absolute blessing. He is so kind and gentle with them, encouraging them out of their shells, but never forcing himself on them. Rick grew to worship Fui! He became a lot more confident too, and wanted to oversee whatever was going on. He didn't like it one bit if he felt excluded!

Rick was full of energy, and loved to be involved in anything and everything. One of his favourite past times was helping my boyfriend R with his ironing, wrestling any dangling pant leg or sleeve. He loved R, and would happily follow him around everywhere. Rick was a real boy's boy, and was happiest when getting down and dirty.

As his diet improved, he shed a lot of his old, rough fur, and a much softer covering began to grow through. His eyes became really bright and lively, too. When he arrived, he was very claw happy and quite rough, which led to a lot of scratches. With gentle corrections, he did very well, and learned it was not appropriate. We were very happy to send the well mannered boy he became back to the shelter for adoption.

When Rick got sleepy, he loved to come up on the couch for snuggles. He had a squeeky little purr, and was keen to express his opinion regularly- especially when dinner was about to be served! While he was awake, he was a really adventurous little boy. He and Fui had lots of fun together, and on his last night with us, we were treated to a period of super wrestling between the two of them. They were so acrobatic! And every movement was accompanied by a commentary from Rick- what a cutie! The kittens have been great for Fui in reminding him that playing like a kitten is fun. While Suey doesn't get involved with them, she appears to be inspired by them, and will regularly indulge in crazy play when the kittens have gone to bed.

Rick was a special little boy who would have fit into our family really well, and was a true test to our resolve! He found a great home with people who had gone to the shelter hoping to find a talkative kitty. They found a perfect match in Rick James!