By: Helen Lee
“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior” — Hippolyte Taine
Hi there ☺ I’m Helen; Volunteer Team Leader here at Tyneside Adoption Centre. I joined the Cats Protection family in 2017, ready for the opening of our shiny new centre in 2018. I adore the part I play here; helping cats by recruiting and looking after the vital team volunteers, who all work so hard to care for the cats who come through our doors. Volunteers really are the backbone of this organisation and I love every minute of working alongside these kind and generous individuals. They really help me to remember just what is important in life.
When I’m not caring for cats at work, I’m busy caring for my own crazy kitten at home; Goose.
On the 29th of March 2019, Goose was brought into Cats Protection’s care at just 12 weeks old, after his owner became unwell and was unable to care for him and his rapidly growing feline family – there is a lesson to be learned here – neuter your pets! – Cats Protection can provide assistance to those who need it – you need only ask.
Goose came with a female cat, Maverick, who was not his mam, and a male cat, Toby, who we were told was his brother and also his dad!
What comes next isn’t surprising really…
The vet told us he had a congenital condition called Microphthalmia, meaning that he was born with abnormally small eyes, along with having conjunctivitis. As a result, his normal sized eyelids had curled inwards, meaning his fur had been rubbing painfully against the surface of his eyes. Aside from this, overall he appeared happy and healthy. He was cheeky and full of zing from the get go.
A few days later, on the 2nd of April 2019, he underwent the surgery needed to repair his eyelids, so that they would fit comfortably around his eyes, relieving him of pain and aiming to retain his eyesight – that is, if there was any.
Great News!
The surgery went as well as it possibly could and he could come back to the Adoption Centre that same day. This is where our story really begins.
I was due to have a week’s holiday – nothing planned, just a week of annual leave. And this poor baby needed some serious aftercare. As well as the drops he had been put on to treat the infection, he now needed regular lubricating drops to add moisture to his eyes as they healed. 6 rounds of drops at even intervals throughout the day. With a whole week to myself, I decided to take him home, TEMPORARILY I must add, so he could receive his treatment and live life as a normal kitten should. At this time I was not looking to adopt a kitten, I was looking to adopt an older cat.
But then I fell in love
Within an hour of him being in my home, I just couldn’t see how I could possibly bring him back. We decided the living room would be his sanctuary room.
There’s just the two of us so it would be a good place for him to get used to his new environment without being overwhelmed. We opened the carrier and watched as he scuttled very particularly around the room, stepping slowly and using his whiskers to touch the surfaces around him. We had this inseparable bond, he would sleep in my arms and I would stay sat for hours as I didn’t want to wake him.
We would have mad kitten hours where we would play non-stop – his favourite toy was a kitten sized mouse which rattled as it moved. It was becoming evident that his eyesight was not great. He would misjudge distances and occasionally bump into the furniture. Nothing wrong with his hearing though. For days we were convinced there was a ghost in our house, as he would all of a sudden stop, ears pointed up, following something across the ceiling. It wasn’t until one day, when it was relatively quiet, that we noticed he was actually following the sound of planes as they flew over our house.
Things were getting serious, we had a decision to make. We weighed up all of the factors necessary before adopting him. Having a pre-existing eye condition meant that any future issues related to his eyes would not be covered on insurance and lets be real, he was likely to have some recurring issues. Also, I hadn’t planned for a kitten. They’re a lot of work and can get up to all sorts of mischief in a short period. Working full time, I had to come up with a way to keep an eye on him.
So we made a start kitten proofing our house. The curtains were taken down (he’d already climbed these many times and the sun kept shining through all of the new little holes). All cables were wrapped, nooks a crannyies blocked and we bought a nanny cam. Luckily for me, I live pretty close to work and could easily pop home on my lunch. My house mate also worked shifts so actually, he was never left alone for very long. Also, if you have pets and don’t have a nanny cam. Get one! The things they get up to while you’re away are very entertaining.
On the 16th of April 2019, we officially adopted Goose into our little family.
One year on and he’s still as crazy as ever. He’s confident and curious and his limited eye sight doesn’t hold him back one bit. He’s cheeky, demanding and he makes my house feel like a home. We still have the lubricating drops – when it was time to reduce them it became apparent that his tear ducts didn’t work efficiently, but we only do this every other day. When we play, we have to be creative. Toys that crinkle and rattle are his favourite (his actual favourites are sweet wrappers) and every day we find new ways of keeping him active. He has to be an indoor cat so we need to keep him busy.
You can’t walk down the stairs without him trying to ambush you, although he hides in plain sight. Does he think we’re all blind?? If he could be outside he’d definitely be a hunter. We hide his treats around the house and he never misses one. If he hears it drop, he’ll run to that spot and forage until he finds it. He’ll even find the more obscurely hidden ones. Enrichment toys are a must too although he’s figured out the ones we’ve bought so they don’t pose much of a challenge these days. We enjoy getting creative with an old game of Jenga, making some complex puzzles. He’s still never failed to this day. He’ll also play fetch… occasionally. His favourite toy is a jingly stick toy which is made from plastic mesh – easy to sink those claws into. We have to play with this every day. I really don’t get much choice.
I love my morning routine.
He sleeps under the covers and if I stir that’s it. Time to get up. If I’m not awake before 7.00am. I’ll know about it! He’ll zoom around my bedroom in protest until I get up and feed him. He only likes tuna too may I add, so only the highest quality cat food for his highness. He’s also quite prone to hairballs, which is common in indoor cats as they tend to groom more often. So we have a special dry food and a malt supplement to add to his food although, this doesn’t cost too much. It does mean that I have to travel to pets at home every month and I just can’t resist buying him a new toy or two… only for him to play with the box or wrapping it came in. Typical!
I can’t describe how much he means to me.
He makes a hard day seem so far away. I look forward to coming home because I know he’ll be there, waiting at the top step, rolling around the floor and showing off his tummy, happy to see me. I may now be the crazy cat lady I swore I’d never be, but I really couldn’t care less because the happiness I feel because of Goose is indescribable. The best thing I’ve done in a really long time was adopt this special boy. Not looked back once and never will!
Gorgeous Goose all grown up.
Helen Lee has been a dedicated member of Team Tyneside since 2018; first in her role as Cat Care Assistant, then Senior Cat Care Assistant, and now as Volunteer Team Leader. In her spare time, Helen enjoys listening to live music, board games, and cooking for her friends and family. Helen also enjoys making her own music, and is very accomplished in playing a number of instruments including the violin and keyboard in addition to singing – much to her neighbours’ delight!
Cats Protection Tyneside Adoption Centre 