Adopting a cat

Learning from animals

“I love all animals, big, small, hairy or not,” Marlene says. According to her, we can all learn a lot from them. Marlene can tell plenty of special or fun stories about all her furry friends. Maybe it's because they have all been rescued, and sometimes have already been through a lot. That is why it is only logical for Marlene to adopt rescued animals.

Her two Labradors, Milo and Gary, were adopted at a later age from LabRescue. In addition, the oldest cat Denver is now already 20 years old. In 2002, Marlene adopted her together with her little sister Farley, who unfortunately passed away at the age of 4. But Denver has long since not been alone. Marlene has since taken in 6 more cats. Including Clarrie, he was found with an injured front leg, his leg no longer healed and had to be amputated. "He moves just as fast as his four-legged family members!" Marlene says about her three-legged boy. Ruby, Noog, Ripley, Kirkland, and Emmi were also added to the big cozy family.

Cat foster mom

Since 2019, Marlene has also been involved with the organization Cheltenham Cat Rescue “they do amazing work, not just for cats,” says Marlene, who just this week welcomed a 7-week-old tortoiseshell girl named Miso.

In addition, she currently has 6 foster cats and kittens at home. They all had a difficult start, but now they are doing well and are staying with Marlene until they find a new home. Hats off to Marlene, as she has already cared for 103 cats/kittens for Cheltenham Cat Rescue!

Watch out! Kissing zone

With all the animals in the house, Marlene has ensured that there are nice resting spots everywhere. Especially Ruby feels like a true queen at the top of the lounge resting place of the Panther cat tree. Enjoying the view outside, she can simultaneously keep an eye on all the action inside the house.

The Maine Coon Tower is conveniently placed between the living room and kitchen. Conveniently, so that every time Marlene walks by, she can give the cats a kiss on their heads. When they lie on the platforms or hammocks, they are also at the perfect height to occasionally give Marlene a swipe. “I call it the kissing zone, that’s probably also the reason why I get the strange swipe!” Marlene says laughing.

Every advantage has its disadvantage

The advantages of having cats far outweigh the disadvantages. Actually, the list of advantages is endless, but especially the coziness and never sleeping alone are the nicest for Marlene. Besides, her bed is always wonderfully warm. And her lap too, sometimes at inconvenient moments. For example, when she is sitting on the toilet.

When we insist on naming one disadvantage, she really has to scratch her head and think very deeply. Then it turns out that the advantage of the warm bed is also a disadvantage. Because although it is wonderful in the winter, it is not so nice in the summer.