Scampi was brought into the world in early August 2016. He had two sisters, but sadly all three were abandoned and found alone at around 9/10 weeks of age. They came into the care of Offaly SPCA and were looked after by a foster family for a couple of weeks before they came to me.

After growing up with cats all my life in the UK, now in Ireland I felt the time was right to bring some kittens into our home. After being shown photos of Scampi and one of his sisters I fell in love instantly and had to give them a new home. They were about 13 weeks old when they came to us and from day one they were such loving playful kittens and they relaxed into their new surroundings instantly.

Scampi and his sister Socks absolutely loved each other and would constantly lick each other grooming, sleep and play together. They had a terrible few weeks with cat flu, but with lots of love, care and attention and antibiotics they made it through.

I didn’t expect Scampi to be taken from us so soon. It was the most devastating day, and of all days Valentines day! After calling for him to come in and him not appearing I went out looking for him. Finding him on the side of the road just lying there was absolutely heart-breaking. My world suddenly collapsed around me and I just couldn’t accept this had actually happened and that he was gone. Through my tears Socks was always at my side wondering what was going on. She sniffed his body and her tail instantly puffed up and she moved away, she knew something had happened!

I constantly play back in my mind the events leading up to his death and think how I could have prevented it, and if only I had called him in just 30 minutes earlier he would probably still be alive.

Thinking about all the wonderful memories we had had with Scampi in the short time he was with us makes it that little bit easier. Knowing we had given him the best quality of life that we could have done, and knowing he was such an affectionate, fun, loving and gentle kitten we could have ever asked for.

I will miss the way he carried his favourite mouse around the house, and his little trills he would make. They way he always demanded to drink fresh water from a glass and not any other kind of drinking apparatus! I will miss the way he used to meow to get our attention and all he wanted was a good head-butt, rub and cuddle! I loved the way he would wiggle just before he pounced on his toys! Shower time will never be the same without him … without fail he would always sit outside the shower and wait for you and then lick your toes when you came out! He was a very loving licker! The first time he became “licking” obsessive was when he first sat on the back of the sofa with two paws on my partners head licking away for ages until we redirected his licking elsewhere! He was such a gorgeous kitten – he would have been such a handsome cat, with the most loving large round dark brown eyes and I am really going to miss his very long stripy tail.

Scampi died on 14th Feb 2017. He was just 6 months old. He was the heart and sole of this house, and turned our house into a home! He will always be in our hearts and he will never be forgotten! May his life live on through Socks!

Gemma

Puddy

Puddy was an extraordinary who once managed to travel 6 weeks to find his humans. He was a cuddly and calm cat but he had an adventurous spirit. He passed away at the young age of 9 years old suddenly collapsed outside the house one day. He is sorely missed by his humans and all of his cat sitters. You may read about his 6 weeks adventure in full here.

Saoirse

My lovely little lady, Saoirse passed away peacefully at home tonight in the warmth of her own home,on my lap and with her brother beside her.

She was the sweetest little cat ever, full intelligence and curiosity,and feminine guile.
She knew exactly what she had to do to be loved and for all of her 16 years of life, she did it consistently!

I will miss her so much.

A big thanks to Alice for her extreme kindness and concern and for putting me in contact with a vet,Julie from the company “Vets for cats” who carried out the task of putting Saoirse down at home in such a skillfull and sensitive way.

Aisling White

Maggie, my cat

Maggie’s mother was half-feral. Bearing her kittens in a garden shed, she moved them all one night, and left Maggie behind, at three weeks old. The owner of the shed, hearing anguished mews, rescued the tiny kitten, and she was treated for fleas, ringworm and earmites. When she was passed on to us, we named her Maggie for the soother-sucking baby in ‘The Simpsons’, because of the strength with which she sucked the milk from the tiny dropper I was feeding her with.
She must have been the runt of the litter, but she had the strongest life-force I’ve ever come across. Her peculiarities included an oddly shaped pupil in one eye, badly developed knee joints and hip joints, and a spiky-tipped tail which had not been finished off properly. She developed arthritis very early on, and I was advised that her pain medication would cause kidney failure in about five years. Maggie cheerfully ignored this prediction, and it only recently began to come true. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour, in January 2016, but it was very slow-growing, and had not yet begun to affect her.
Although she could not run fast, climb trees, or fight with her back legs, she had a feisty way with the two next-door cats, howling threats through the window, and occasionally chasing them with a sudden well-timed rush. She never caught anything in her life, of course, but liked to chase little balls and catnip toys.
Maggie was notorious among my family and friends for her very grouchy temperament. She used to attack visitors, and nipped the ankles of my nephew and niece when they came to dinner. She had to be put in kennels if we went away for any length of time, because successive friends flatly refused to visit and feed her after one experience – she would express displeasure by vomiting, and ignore them completely. For shorter trips, we used MaowCare, and Alice is one of the few people she ever took to. I must also mention Mary and Marjory Dobbs, of Rathfarnham, in whose cattery she spent many contented weeks over the years, and Cliodhna Murphy, of Martinstown Cattery in Kildare, in whose care she spent her final days.
In her latter years, she mellowed a bit, and actually allowed people to scratch her head. She stopped hissing at the grandchildren, and nearly sat on a lap once. However, she was always my cat, and never really took to anyone else. I will miss her dearly.

Helen Litton