Every week we look for interesting stories from cats and their owners. This week, we spoke to Chantelle from South Yorkshire. Chantelle lives with her fiancé and their seven cats. You would think they would be crazy with seven cats in the house, but they absolutely adore their cats. ‘Before I met my partner, I surprisingly didn't like cats. Once we adopted one, I was convinced. Seven cats later... We have to stop ourselves all the time from adopting another cat,’ says Chantelle.
Adopt, don't shop!
Chantelle's cats are all adopted cats or street cats.
"Don't let a cat's past scare you and save the cats that are often
overlooked," says Chantelle. She thinks it is important that they also get
a new chance. "We got one of our cats, Mufasa, from a shelter. They found
him on the street. We are very close to Poonam, the founder of Lola's Sanctuary. They do a great
job."
Rescuing a cat with a traumatic past has humbled me
MooMan
Poonam did not want to give up Mufasa, even though she was told by a vet that she had to put him down. ‘He had been kicked so hard that his bladder stopped working,’ she said. Poonam did everything she could and discovered there was some kind of medicine that helped him go to the toilet by himself. Rescuing a cat with a traumatic past humbled me immensely. It amazes me that MooMan (Mufasa) is able to trust us and love us after people treated him so badly. He is making progress every day and it is amazing to see him blossom.’
Happy cats
The couple takes the best possible care of their cats. They have even built a tunnel and a castle for them! ‘The cats have access to our garden, but they are not allowed to go beyond that. If something were to happen to them, I don't know what I would do. My fiancé has built a cat amusement park for them and they absolutely love it! They are very lucky,’ says Chantelle.
Cats have taught me a lot about consent
Gaining trust
Chantelle and her partner are very happy with the bond they have with their cats. ‘You have to gain their trust. With dogs, it's different. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but cats don't love you right away. You have to work for it, to gain their trust. And once they trust you and they come for that first cuddle or head massage, you just melt and it means even more. They have taught me a lot about consent,’ Chantelle says. The cats also help her a lot when she is struggling. ‘They are always and everywhere there. We consider them in every decision we make. I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and the cats are always there for me. Jim notices immediately when I'm having a hard time and always comes to cuddle.’
Their first scratching post
A litter box, a cat amusement park and a tunnel... The only thing missing is a scratching post! ‘We just bought our first one! We have the Corner Coon Blackline. It's in our living room because we love to see them enjoying themselves. There is such a big difference in quality from the other scratching posts we have. I honestly can't believe it. Louis is quite a crazy cat and he can jump on it like a maniac and the scratching post doesn't even move.’
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Read the following article
Is my cat deaf!
22.12.2021
Every week we look for interesting stories from cats and their owners. Samantha lives with her cat Bert in the UK. She wanted to give Bert a new home as, as a deaf cat, he needed a safe place. But was he really deaf?
