Oliver at 15

Cats have been an integral part of our lives for forty years or so. Many have come and gone during that time. They have all brought joy to our lives. So many fond memories - much heartache over those who have gone. We have just two now. Oliver and Riley. Today is Oliver's 15th birthday and he has shared our lives for 14½ years since we rescued him at just 6 months old. He is a gentle, loving individual and begins to show his age...

Oliver's soulmate, Bertie, died last August, aged  a few days short of 15½. Oliver was inconsolable. They had been together for all of Oliver's life. I know he still misses him as we do. So, today is a special day and I hope, Oliver, that we will share many more birthdays. And try and excuse Riley for being so boisterous. He is only 3½....

Love you to bits....

The Grief of a Cat

How long does a cat grieve over the loss of a soulmate? A week? A month? Longer? Oliver and Bertie were constant companions for more than fourteen years. Oliver is now 14½ years old. His soulmate Bertie died 11 days ago. Oliver seems - lost. He still wanders the house and garden - alone. He looks for Bertie. His mood has changed. His demeanour is sorrowful. His eyes are sad. Mood changes - listless. How do you mend the broken heart of a beloved cat? It breaks my heart to see Oliver like this.

I miss Bertie so much, Oliver, as you do. I wish I could bring him back. But I can't. I know you are sad. So am I. I will comfort you as much as I can because I love you too.

And Riley is trying to be your new soulmate. I know he doesn't understand bereavement. But I think - deep down - he misses Bertie too. 

It's time to move on Oli....

Time to dream...

To sleep, perchance to dream... Do cats dream? It is said that when their paws twitch during sleep cats are "chasing rabbits". How do we know though? Riley does it. He is asleep now in what we call the Banana rest. It is made from dried banana leaves apparently.

Riley has lived with us now for almost six months. He is adorable, a wonderful, gentle natured animal. Rescued from a lonely existence to a home full of love. He is so worth it...

Riley - the cat who came to stay

For those of you who follow my blog (thank you) you will have read about our efforts to re-home a cat named Riley, who spent his days mooching around a Sussex village, abandoned, homeless, exposed to inclement weather, fed by a few - occasionally - but very much left to his own devices. My wife Ros and I first encountered Riley when we were holidaying in this remote village. He came to visit us frequently for food. We learned from various 'locals' of his predicament and made a promise that, if no-one would offer him a home - we would. And we did. 52 days ago to be exact. Before the weather here got really bad. Which it has. Occasional sub-zero temperatures already.

Introducing Riley at home has not been easy. We have two residents - Bertie, who is 14½ years old and Oliver who is 13½ years old. Our home is their castle. Intruders not allowed. So, here comes Riley...

And he has lived with us now for 52 days. And he has put on about 2 kilos because he eats like a horse and has bloomed into a very handsome lad, who has a wonderful temperament and tries so hard to avoid spats with Bertie, who as alpha male still treats Riley as an 'intruder'. Oliver, on the other hand, thinks Riley is 'OK' and will sit with him in front of the fire and even touch noses. Bertie's aggressive attitude has mellowed - somewhat - but I still need to keep a watch on him. But things are getting better. For those of you who know animals, as we do, constant love and affection will win through, eventually! Things have mellowed, 'spats' are now infrequent, tolerance is improving, albeit with a level of reluctance - (Bertie?!!) and Christmas is coming.

Riley is now a permanent member of our family. The 'harsh' coat he had when he came to us has blossomed into a soft, silky texture. He has filled out, not only in size but in spirit. He will chase Oliver in play and screech to a halt if he meets Bertie.  They will spit at each other and then slink away. And there is plenty of room to do that. It IS getting better.

Our reward, for Ros and me, is to see a cat who had been abandoned to wander around a village without knowing any real affection, to have captured our hearts. He has become a gentle giant in more ways than one and he is about to enjoy his first Christmas with folk who love him to bits. So, Bertie and Oliver - it's all about sharing, particularly when it comes to Christmas dinner!

Riley - Trials and Tribulations

It's day 4. We are constantly on the alert. Introducing a 2 year old cat into an environment dominated by two 'senior citizens' is not easy. The tension sometimes is palpable. We have installed Feliway plug-in diffusers in those rooms most frequented by our cats. The atmosphere should be saturated with pheromones by now. Indeed, Riley, the new introduction, is now so laid back he managed to perform a major 'stretch' on his favourite bed atop the pouffe, and performed a backward somersault and fell off. He quickly regained his perch with a rather indignant look.

So, there we were this evening, watching football on the TV, with three cats, all in the same room, watching each other, with Ros and me on constant alert to intervene at the first sign of "I'm 'avin' you!" But it didn't happen. Perhaps the pheromones have kicked in. I certainly hope so. But I am on a constant state of alert. Shenanigans will not be tolerated. Try telling 'Bertie' that!

But for all this, Riley is now home in our cosy, dry, warm environment, clears every bowl of food presented to him and sleeps like - well - a baby. I have never known a cat to sleep so soundly.

And on that note, it's time for me to get some sleep too. A cat-nap would be appropriate...

Good Friday for Riley

It's Good Friday for us. Riley is now home at Catnip Cottage. I could see that André was sad to see him go but he agrees that this is the best possible outcome for Riley. There was a little crying on the journey home, it must be bewildering for him. But he has now polished off a bowl of food and has settled down on the sofa next to Ros.

There was an initial spat with Bertie - to be expected, so we will keep them apart for a while. Oliver appears not to be bothered.

We will get there....

More on Riley

I visited 'the village' again yesterday and finally learned the true background to the plight of Riley. I saw first hand where a local resident had provided a cardboard box lined with a towel in his narrow porch, open to the elements, that Riley had slept in until the wind driven rain had reduced it to a sodden mess. I learned the true account of the so called 'owners' who are beneath my contempt. I reaffirmed my promise to re-home Riley, to provide him with a loving home, a permanent home away from the elements, a home where he will receive all the attention he needs, where his welfare will come first along with our other two cats. I know that Riley is just one cat amongst thousands that need a home. We cannot help them all. We can help Riley. And we will - this Friday. All the locals who have fed Riley on occasion want Ros and me to home him. I have heard all the reasons why those who have fed him cannot take him in. Well, we will. To all the nay-sayers your nay-saying is noted. But it makes no difference. We are going to take Riley and provide him with the home that he so desperately needs. That's it. End of.

Riley - volte-face

For those of you who have followed the tale of Riley - the cat who lives in Rye Harbour village - and my intention to re-home him, I received the following email from the person who led me to believe that Riley had been abandoned and left to his own fate. It has completely taken me aback as it is a complete turnaround from what I had been led to believe. I will be meeting with André on the 14th October to discuss the situation further. It has left me completely deflated, although if the content of the email is true then I have to accept that Riley will be happier in the environment that he knows, roaming as a free spirit. I will still have questions about the permanence of shelter for him when the weather gets colder. The following is the email I received:

Hi Mike, sorry to not have responded sooner, just lots of things to take care of recently.

At the moment I can tell you that Riley is well and he does seem untroubled by his life here. He is fed by the girls at the pub, and I understand he goes home at night for his dinner.

A Hungarian visitor at Harbour Lights mentioned his arrival and gave him milk and I found someone else giving him milk who lives on the other side of the pub. It seems Riley knows his way in through the window and makes himself at home there too with the owners blessing, as he seems to do wherever he goes.

I think he has the same nature as the other tabby Bengali that lived at the back of me, who was in every house and garden in the near locality. He often spent hours here and at my neighbours.

If I thought for a moment anything were untoward, I would be in touch straight away. I can only say he seems well and not at all bothered as he is always relaxed, never nervous or worried.

I don’t actually know the name or the person who owns him, and I feel you would get a negative response, as all the feedback says she doesn’t want to give him away.

I have to remind myself that the lady in question did post a “cat missing” message on the local Rye vets website, but in fact he was at the pub most of the time, where the fresh fish was plentiful.

I certainly would be in tune with you and Ros adopting him if I felt he were in any way at all compromised by his life here, as I know your feelings. As you quite rightly say he is not my responsibility, but several people, including myself, have always looked  out for him, ever since he made his presence felt.

My reservations are calculated. If you were to approach the owner with your name and address as a potential home, I am sure you’d get a refusal.  Should the hypothetical situation arise that he appeared less well and cared for in the near future, and then as it were, I were to inform you, and he disappeared, it may be obvious what has occurred.

I have purposefully not made myself known to the owner in case Riley ever needed cat-napping at some future point. Also I am concerned now, that I feel I may have painted a bleaker picture than is the reality; he is at the moment doing well roaming around all the loving locals who he treats as a cat stop on his travels.  

He does seem such a free spirit, and believe me if I thought there was something wrong I would be in touch immediately. I did initially feel that he needed a home, I feel the reality is that this was the natural conclusion of a cat lover who finds cats on their doorstep, freely feeding, curling up and going to sleep. He just seems at home wherever he finds a cat lover, willing to provide saucers of milk and bowls of food. He does the same here, which is why I wondered if he had a home. The reality is, he does, and just uses it as he pleases.

Obviously it’s not for me to say what you might do to satisfy any inferred concerns. But if you were to meet the owner (sister of owner) she would tell you he comes home every night gets fed and goes off on his rounds again. This is the local feedback. She may even wonder why there should be any concern for him. As I have said already, I have purposely not approached sister of owner, I haven’t tried to find out a name; it’s a small village, news and gossip travels quickly, and I thought it counter productive for any future plans.

I can only repeat that currently Riley is fine, and I am a bit concerned about transmitting what may well be an overreaction about a cat with a roaming spirit  to you and Ros.  

I am more than happy to have a pint and a chat should you feel you wanted to visit.

Best wishes  André

Rye Harbour Village and Nature Reserve

Rye Harbour village figures a lot in my current jottings, for reasons those of you who read my blog will know. Rye Harbour is a village located on the East Sussex coast in southeast England near the estuary of the River Rother: it is part of the civil parish of Icklesham and is located some two miles downstream of the town of Rye. The village has a large car park, two pubs, a shop, a café and a gallery and tea room. The Rye lifeboat is stationed here.

The RNLI Lifeboat Station

Having recently holidayed here with my wife Ros, met Riley - the cat we want to adopt - enjoyed the hospitality of the William the Conquerer public house, Rye Harbour village is a place I could happily relocate to.

View of the village from the nature reserve

The village is 200 years old, having been built on an extension of the shingle beaches, progressively deposited by the sea over the last 800 years.

The Rye Harbour Nature Reserve was established nearby in 1970 and it now offers special wildlife experiences to 200,000 visitors a year. It has national and international designations and is home to more than 150 rare or endangered species.

The vast expanse of shingle that borders part of the NR

Moorings on the River Rother

The area is vast, rugged and wild to a great extent. A wonderful place for those with an adventurous spirit. For those of us who never really grow old....

And I cannot resist another 'look' at our holiday cottage 'Harbour Lights'...

Tenterden - a Jewel in Kent's Crown

Remiss of me not to have posted much of late; I am somewhat preoccupied with concern for Riley, the homeless cat in Rye Harbour village - the cat I have offered to re-home - and it's rather complicated. But that's another story.

During our vacation earlier this week we visited the town of Tenterden in Kent. This is one of the most beautiful places I have been to, a town with a broad tree-lined High street that is bordered with a well-tendered area of lawn.  It is good to see a busy town centre which is home to many small boutiques and antique shops, as well as craft shops, book shops and various banks, side by side with larger national retailers.

The town boasts no less than six public houses:

• The Woolpack, next to the Town Hall.
• The White Lion, in the High Street.
• The Vine, in the High Street.
• The William Caxton, in the High Street.
• The Crown, at Ashford Road in St. Michaels.
• The Fat Ox at the corner of Ashford Road and Ox Lane in St. Michaels.

Following are some photos of the wonderful buildings in the High Street: a pictorial tour as it were - 

'Riley' - for the love of a cat

The following is the text of an email I sent this afternoon. It helps to explain the story of 'Riley' - the cat in Rye Harbour village:

Hello André

Ros and I are back home from our wonderful break at Harbour Lights; it’s 46 miles door-to-door and took 1½ hours.

It was a pleasure meeting you and I have added to you to the short list of people who I consider friends. Thank you again for the World Music recordings you burned for me. We played one in the car on the way home and it helped to subdue the rather melancholy mood I was in - still am. It’s all about Riley…

The little guy has captured our hearts; we never asked him to walk into our lives - but he did. Perhaps we shouldn’t have fed him - but we did. Perhaps we shouldn’t have allowed him access to the cottage - but we did. In just four days we came to love that cat. Yesterday evening he arrived for his tea; this was after you and I had spoken at length outside the pub. Riley had his tea and we had our dinner. Ros went to watch TV and Riley climbed into her lap and went fast asleep….

Come 10pm we had to part company. I opened the door at the back of the cottage to see if he would leave of his own accord. Several minutes passed before he ventured out onto the patio, washed himself for a few moments - and then he followed the garden path - and was gone.

This morning as I packed items into the car he appeared and wandered in the front door. We had one sachet of food left and gave him that. And of course we had to carry him out before we left. As over-sentimental as it might sound, it broke my heart. Looking at him as I drove away, on my mind for most of the journey, still is.

Please do let me know what develops with Riley’s well-being. So concerned now about the colder nights and inclement weather. If no-one offers him a permanent home, then he has one here with Ros and me and Bertie and Oliver, our two cats. That is our commitment. Perhaps he would be happier in the environment he has come to know but that is no substitute for the love to be found in a permanent home.

Do keep in touch André and send news of Riley....