The ragdoll cat that won my heart
<p><em><strong>Over60 community member Margaret Robinson from Sydney recounts how a special little kitten won over her heart despite all the trials and tribulations. </strong></em></p><p>This story is about my eight-year-old ragdoll cat Tammy. I first heard about ragdoll cats one evening whilst watching Better Homes & Gardens with Dr Harry. He spoke highly of their gentle nature and happened to mention that this breed would definitely suit a single elderly person. I do work full time, but if there is one thing I do know about cats, it’s that they sleep all day. I immediately did some research on how I could get my hands on one. What I wasn’t aware of was how active they are in the early hours of the morning – I don’t think I have slept a full night since Tammy came into my life.</p><p>Tammy was only nine weeks when I was invited by the breeder to come around and choose my kitten. When I arrived the breeder told me that she thought I would be perfect match for the last little kitten of the litter. I have no idea why! She definitely looked like the runt of the litter –she was all cream coloured with a beige tail and her ears were grey. Here is a picture of her at the age of 10 weeks.</p><p><img width="498" height="530" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2489/margie5_1_498x530.jpg" alt="Margie 5_1" style="float: left;"></p><p>She had the bluest eyes and I fell in love with her instantly. I had to wait another six weeks before I was able to take her home.</p><p>Very excited to pick up my little baby, before I collected her I had already decided to call her Tammy. Unfortunately when we arrived home, she immediately dove under my bed, and did not put in another appearance for four days. I had taken some leave so I could see her settled in to her new home so I was very aware she had not ventured out from under my bed. I was beside myself with concern, but no amount of coaxing would draw her out. I put a bowl of water just a short way from the bed plus some of her food, and eventually it was pure hunger that caused her to come out.</p><p>She was a delight, as she grew older I noticed a special little personality emerge; she loved to play hide and seek and jump out at me when I was least expecting her to. She would carry things in her little mouth down the stairs and I would often find a sock or pair of undies in the stairwell or in my lounge.</p><p>As Tammy was the last to be born of the litter and the last to be weaned from her mother, the breeder warned me that she had struggled with Tammy when she introduced her to food. It was only when I got her home did I understand what “struggled” meant. So unfortunately the poor little thing constantly had a dirty bottom due to diarrhea and my white shabby chic bed linen had to be packed away. She learnt to have her bottom washed on a regular basis and discovered her voice, often screaming her lungs out when I was cleaning her, this lasted for all of seven years of her life.</p><p>Full of personality, if I did not give Tammy wet food as well as the dry food, she made my life a misery, in the middle of the night she would cry and if I ignored her, she would jump on me, or sit on my face, with her tail under my nose. Not my idea of how I would like to wake up!</p><p>Tammy definitely has a voice on her. If I could only understand what she wants it would make our lives easier. She is a grazer meaning she eats little bits throughout the day and in the evening I need to give her a tablespoon full of cat tuna. If she is hungry and gobbles that down and I make the mistake of giving her more, I will pay for that in the morning with her wet bottom. So with much trial and error, some expense, I am pleased to report that the type of food is straight off the supermarket shelf and it has now been nearly a year since she has had diarrhea.</p><p>She is a gentle loving an affectionate pet, she follows me everywhere I go, I cannot even go to the toilet without her sitting under my legs, when I shower she is at the door crying because she does not like to be apart from me for long. </p><p>My beautiful Tammy <img width="496" height="335" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2490/tammy-009_496x335.jpg" alt="Tammy 009" style="float: left;">has turned from the ugly little runt, to a beautiful cat with the bluest eyes that stare so lovingly at me when I am not watching her, if I look up and catch her staring, she closes her eyes slowly and looks away.</p><p>We still have a battle of wills in the early hours of the morning as she is bored and feels it is time for me to pay her attention – so all the fun begins. First she begins to knock things off my bedside table, and has discovered my lamp turns on and off with a touch. With the light on, she then begins to tap at other things – I have a spray bottle filled with water, and I give her a couple of squirts, but she is a clever little minx, and thinks this is a game. The other thing she does, which is very cute but oh so annoying, is her manic charge around my unit in the early hours. This is usually after she has used the litter tray… it is called the victory run! I think I forgot to mention that she does not like a dirty litter tray, so having made use of it at 3am in the morning it is nothing for her to come and let me know it is time to clean it. I think she is the only cat in the world that does not cover her business. Instead she jumps out and scratches the floor outside… good lot of use that is, Tammy!</p><p>If I do not obey, she will then go into my ensuite that echoes, and she cries and only stops when I get up and go to the other bathroom to sift out the used litter.</p><p>You are asking, why? I love her to bits whilst she has these extremely annoying habits, all she has to do is climb into arms and purr and I fall in love with her all over again…</p><p><strong>Do you have a story about your pet to tell? We would love to hear it! Get in touch with our editorial team at contribute@oversixty.com.au</strong></p>
