The Three-Legged Cat is Three

Last week was Satchi the cat’s third birthday.  To be more precise, it was his honorary birthday which the boys decided should be held on his “Gotcha Day’, the anniversary of the date we adopted him a year ago.  He celebrated with tuna for dinner and even more cuddles than usual.

He has changed so much in a year.  When we adopted him, he had just had his leg amputated and was very unstable in his movement.  He was also underweight and, while friendly, wasn’t that sociable.  Now he is a healthy weight, possibly even a little plump, and super fluffy and manages just fine with three legs.  While Satchi is still not a lap cat, he has become much more sociable, seeking us out for cuddles and affection, and cuddling up on one of our beds each night.  He also has an adorable relationship with Peanut.

We really lucked out adopting two cats who are the best of friends.  Our cats are just the best.

Peanut’s First Birthday

When we adopted Peanut in February, we were told he was three months old.  This gave him a November birthday.  The boys – particularly my youngest two – were very keen to celebrate Peanut’s very first birthday so they organised a little celebration party for him.  Peanut and Satchi shared a can of tuna, a special treat for them, and the humans got to eat some carrot cake.  It was sweet to see the kids making such a fuss for their cat’s birthday.  I cannot believe how much Peanut has grown in the nine months since we adopted him.  He is almost big enough to fit his ears now.

The Persuasive Letter and Peanut

Ever since we adopted our three-legged cat, Satchi, the boys have been wondering when we might adopt a second cat, a buddy for Satchi.  Our original plan had been to adopt two cats at once but that, for various reasons, did not pan out.  We wanted to give Satchi time to adjust to being a tripod, get stronger with his mobility, and generally settle in before we introduced another cat.  I began to ponder whether Satchi might want to be an only cat….

Then my 8 year old was taught persuasive writing at school as part of a unit of work on modes of writing.  He came home with this letter.

It was a plea for a second cat.  Another cat would be company for Satchi, there would be more cats to share around between Pict family members, and it would multiply the fun in the house.  It was pretty well argued, expressed with clarity, and heart-warmingly cute.  Ugh.  How could we say no?

Mr Pict and I chewed it over for a few days and then we caved.  Persuasive writing education won out.  Along with they puppy dog eyes of four kids.

We went along to another pet adoption event run by the same organisation from whom we had adopted Satchi.  As soon as I walked in, I spotted this tiny little scrap, a wee ginger kitten.  We knew, from discussions with the vet, that we had to have a cat who was also male and was younger than Satchi.  Bingo.  And incredibly he was still available!  The place was pretty packed but nobody had put in the paperwork for this adorable wee furball.  We spent some time with him, checked all his paperwork, and – woohoo! – he came home with us.

He came with the name Peanut and, just as with Satchi, we decided he should keep his name.

We have to gently introduce Peanut to the household and keep him and Satchi separate for a couple of weeks.  The youngest kids are delighted as it means Peanut is permanently resident in their bedroom and he is proving to be a snuggly wee thing.  My oldest son thinks he looks just like an ancient Egyptian cat and he is being treated like a tiny wee Pharaoh.

Less impressed with this new arrangement of small kittens behind closed doors is Satchi.  He wants in to meet Peanut.  He likes to hang out outside the room and sniff under the door, where Peanut is sniffling and snuffling away on the other side, and occasionally the tips of their paws meet.

I think so far they are mostly curious about each other but I would be lying if I said I did not have some trepidation about how it is going to pan out when they first meet.  Watch this space.

A New Member of the Pict Family

My kids have been asking for a pet for the majority of years they have been on the planet.  Back home in Scotland, we did have pet cockroaches for a while.  Seven Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches.  They were fascinating creatures and pretty easy to look after but they did not quell the boys’ desire for a more cuddly pet.  The youngest two have been campaigning for a dog for a few years now.  Specifically they want a pug named Russell.  For several reasons, that was not going to happen.  However, Mr Pict and I decided that perhaps we would be willing to compromise with another type of pet.  We hoped that a pet might help the boys settle further into life here, make it feel more like home.  Mr Pict and I had had a cat before we became parents so we felt comfortable with the idea of having a cat.  We broke the news to the kids and they were ecstatic.

We decided to adopt a rescue cat so set about visiting rescue places to find the perfect cat for us.  We knew we wanted a young cat but one who was no longer a kitten and it also had to be a cat who was good around kids and tolerated lots of noise and hectic activity.  We also wanted a cat who was good with other cats since our aim is to have two so that they are buddies for each other when we are away for the day.  On Saturday, we went along to an adoption event run by the local animal control department.  We fell in love with a fluffy grey two year old cat named Satchi.  He had a rear leg amputated a week ago as he was picked up off the streets with a badly broken leg.  When we spent time with him, he was very affectionate and very tolerant of being in a confined space with four kids and two adults.  We decided he had to come home with us.

The boys are over the moon and are loving having a pet to snuggle and take care of.  Satchi is adjusting well to the Pict family home and is pretty mobile already on his three legs.  I have never had a house cat before (although I have cared for many cats before, they have all been allowed to spend time outdoors) so learning how to tweak the care regime is interesting.  Already he feels like part of the family.