COCO AND SMOKEY
In 2012 I lost my rescue cat to a tumour in his stomach , I thought I wouldn't get another pet but every week I saw adverts in the local papers for adopting cats. In April 2016 I saw Coco advertised in the Maidenhead Advertiser. I thought he sounded a bit of a challenge so we made an appointment to go and see Beverley and Coco.
SMOKEY (back) and COCO (front)
We asked if we could look at all the cats and we finally met Coco in the penultimate pen on his own and next door to him was Smokey who was pressed up against the mesh the whole time. We said to Beverley we would let her know. About a week later I phoned up and said I would like to adopt Coco and Smokey but because of work commitments I couldn't have them until 7th June.
On June 7th the boys arrived and that evening they had their baptism of fire , a new home and in the evening a terrible thunderstorm both of them hid under the dining room table and chairs.
SMOKEY BEFORE AND AFTER HIS LION CUT
In August 2016, on the hottest day of the year, Smokey came in the kitchen and collapsed on the floor panting. I rushed him down the vet and was told he had heat stroke and they suggested he had his thick coat shaved .He was kept in overnight and doused in a couple of buckets of cold water (the vet said he could see the steam rising from his body he was so hot.) He was given fluids. He wasn't very pleased. The next day I picked him up and he had had a lion cut, (see photo) Now every year in June when they go for their jabs he has his lion cut.
For Christmas 2018 the boys ere given Alexei feeding bowls and earlier this year they got a Le Creuset bowl each, a water bowl and a storage jar they have become right little yuppies
Every Saturday night the boys are given a treat of half a dozen prawns - they are in the kitchen the minute I open the fridge.
Smokey was in the dog house at the weekend. The boys were having their prawns. .Smokey had finished his and sneaked over to Coco's plate where there was one left
While Coco was eating the penultimate one , he proceeded to pinch the last one and ran into the hall . I chased him and he ran half way up the stairs and started growling at me and wouldn't let me have it back. He then ran into the bedroom still growling at me but I managed to get it back and give it back to Coco. I ended up twisting my knee by chasing him the naughty boy.”
The story about Smokey having heat stroke is a salutary warning to us all. He had not been outside for long and had been lying under a bush so your cat doesn’t have to lie in the blazing heat to fall victim to heat stroke. Ed
