Introducing Rupert Edward

No, I've not had a baby. Rupert, also known as Eddy, is my new furbaby.
My darling Oscar had to be put to sleep in December 2012 due to an abscess in his mouth which was stopping him eating, and although he was an old cat who'd lived a long and happy life, it was still very painful to lose him.

However, I recently decided to get a new cat from the RSPCA, as I feel it's wrong to buy a cat from a breeder when there are so many needing homes in rescue centres all over the country. We only had to visit the centre once, before I met Eddy. He looked remarkably like Oscar, which put me off initially, because I didn't want to feel like I was replacing him, but as time went on, he seemed a perfect match. Many of the other cats for adoption were about to have kittens, or were kittens themselves, and though to start with I was interested in getting a kitten, I realised that the kittens would be snapped up eagerly by loving homes. A slightly older cat though, may not be so lucky, as he's not as cute and fluffy as an 8 week old kitten. However, something about Eddy caught my dad's attention, and he pointed him out to me. When I approached his pod, he seemed so eager to rub up against the glass and get to me, that I felt sad he was so cooped up in there. I asked a staff member for some more information, and found out he'd been removed from a home due to cruelty which made me sad. He was a very nervous cat when he first came to the RSPCA centre, but he settled there once he'd got used to his surroundings. The staff member asked if I'd like to go into the pen with him to get to know him and it was lovely, I took a few pictures:

I filled in the adoption application there and then, and I wanted to take him home with me the day I met him, but I had to wait for a few things to be sorted out first. So I spent my time making the conservatory (his room) as kitty friendly as possible, with toys and a litter tray and a comfy sofa with a soft blanket for him.

We brought Rupert home at the end of April, and he's settled pretty quickly. Estimated to be about 18 months old, Rupert's still very much a playful kitten, and quite a small cat. His favourite toy is is fishing rod, closely followed by his catnip mouse. I've put together some pictures of him, from his car journey home to fairly recently. He's my little buddy, and I love him to bits.

Love you all lots, Alley-Cat.

© Alice Daley 2014