Winnie and Winston: Our Journey to Cat Adoption

Pets are an important part of so many people's lives - mine included. We recently welcomed two very special furry friends into our home - and our lives - and I think it's about time I shared them with you, too! Read on to discover more about our journey to cat adoption and get ready to meet Winnie and Winston!

The Background Story

I've always been a big animal lover, but until recently, the only pets I had owned were my hamster, Scamper, and our family dog, Max. However, I always knew I wanted more pets, and when I moved into my own home a little over a year ago, I couldn't wait to welcome a new furry friend into my life!

I initially wanted another dog, but after discussing the pros and cons and deciding that introducing a dog to our household wouldn't be fair to the dog, we quickly set our sights on a cat instead.

We spent hours browsing pet shelters and animal charity websites in search of the perfect feline companion, even enquiring about a few cats only to learn they'd either already been reserved or wouldn't be suitable for us for one reason or another. After a little while, things weren't looking great, and it seemed as though our dream of pet ownership would have to be put on pause... and then we found Winnie.

Winnie's Story

I was the one who first pointed out Winnie's profile on the Cats Protection Northampton website. Small and dark, with bright green eyes staring out at the camera, she was adorable. We registered our interest, and before long, we had a date set to go and visit Winnie.

The fosterer told us that Winnie had previously been a stray, found heavily pregnant in Northampton town centre approximately six months previously. She had been rounded up and taken in by Cats Protection, where she gave birth to her kittens (who had all been adopted already) and waited patiently for a new home.

In the six months that Winnie had been under the care of Cats Protection, we were the first people to come and visit her.

She was gorgeous; I was smitten. We bought her home that day.

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💕

A post shared by Lorna Holland (@themaxdog) on Nov 22, 2018 at 5:25am PST

Perhaps due to her nature or perhaps due to her past, Winnie has always been incredibly shy and fearful. The slightest noise or movement makes her jump, hide, or even run away, and even now, getting on for a year since she's been in our lives, she is still incredibly cautious with us. Winnie is definitely not a lap cat!

We tried all the usual tricks in the book but nothing really helped. At this point, we finally decided to take the plunge with an idea that had been bubbling for a while - an idea that would either make or break Winnie.

Winston's Story

By this point, Winnie was very much my cat. She usually responds better to me and is a little more relaxed around me, which is why I took the back seat during the process of searching for our second cat.

We had stricter criteria in mind this time around - not only did the new cat have to suit our lifestyle, but it had to suit Winnie, too. We were given lots of tips to help us choose the right cat, but in the end, happenstance and a small amount of luck led us to Winston.

An appointment had been made to visit another cat staying with an RSPCA foster near Milton Keynes, but on arriving, the cat in question showed no interest in either of us. Instead, presented with a wide selection of cats up for adoption, of all varying ages, breeds, colours, sizes, and temperaments, we narrowed our search down to two cats.

The first was a chubby tabby, a former stray just like Winnie, who had been successfully introduced to the home environment and was now as friendly as anything. The second was a gorgeous grey who was so new to the branch, his details hadn't even been uploaded onto the RSPCA MK website.

I loved both, but it was not my decision to make. In the end, an unfortunate incident involving sharp claws, surprise, and a lack of forgiveness ended the agonising indecision and swung the vote once and for all.

The gorgeous grey came home with us that afternoon.

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I walked into the spare bedroom this morning to find he'd tucked himself up in bed 😍

A post shared by Lorna Holland (@themaxdog) on Jun 9, 2019 at 5:23am PDT

Life With Winnie and Winston

All in all, life with two cats started out a lot more smoothly than we thought it would! The two mainly kept themselves to themselves, with Winston demanding constant attention and Winnie being happiest on her own.

Now, several months down the line, they've had a chance to settle down and get used to each other's presence in the house. There is still the occasional hiss, growl, or swipe of a paw when someone gets too close, but overall, they're fine together, and we get on well as a two-cat, two-human household.

Although I never expected to be the proud mum of two beautiful cats, I am very happy that things turned out the way they did. Here's to many more years together!

If you are considering getting a new pet, please adopt, don't shop. There are thousands of pets waiting for their forever homes in shelters both in the UK and across the world - and like us, you never know when life will introduce you to your perfect furry companion.

Do you have any pets? Share your stories with me in the comments below!