On Monday, Darrell and I went to see a new addition to our family, a male cat called Roger (newly named Akira). He is nearly ready to be rehomed, after being looked after by Perth Animal Rescue. Now if I am honest, I really didn't want another cat, after what happened with Picante and Marigold, but after talking to Kerrie, who we got Pippa from, she reassured me it was a good thing to do and not to worry so much.
Our cat, Pippa, is particularly timid and anxious, and she really does find other cats difficult to bond with. She isn't adverse to other felines herself, but, as in the case of Picante and Marigold, they took an immediate dislike to her, and she suffered from constant attacks and bullying while they were with us.
I am of the opinion, that she will be much better off with a kitten in her life, a companion she can bond with from a much earlier age, before learnt behaviour sets in. All the photographs I saw of Pippa before she arrived at our house, were of her content, happy, and in the company of other kittens. One has to remember that when Pippa was rescued, she had only recently given birth, so hopefully there is still a Mother cat instinct inside, just waiting for a small kitten to bring it out.
Akira has been looked after by Joanne at her home in Ginginup, in the hills around Perth. We drove forty minutes from our house in Midland, through typically rugged Australian countryside, to be met by Jo at her home, full of fostered cats. These animals are well cared for and so loving and friendly. You can see Jo spends a lot of time with them, and they want for nothing.
As soon as we saw Akira, we both fell in love. He is absolutely adorable. We are just hoping he will bond with Pippa in a relatively short space of time. Of course nothing is for certain, but we know Pippa is fine with other cats, so that is half the battle won.
We should have Akira in just over a week, and I will of course let all of you know how he progresses. As we both open the door to a new addition to our family, it seems our life in Australia becomes more established each day that passes. It is true to say our direction has changed out of all proportion, but at our age we are happy to live quietly on the other side of the World. This first year in Perth has been a success in every respect, let's hope it continues, very much in the same vein.
