Misty - A tale of acceptance
Misty arrived at Crown House Vets in Rochdale as a stray cat suffering from cruciate ligament tears in both back legs – the cause of which was unknown. After being treated and spayed she moved to Oldham Cats to be rehomed. She had won the hearts of all the staff at the vets and they would have loved to have kept her as their surgery cat, but she is not a big fan of other animals – nor vets for that matter!
She came home with us on bonfire night in 2021 and was totally unfazed by all the noise outside. She is very much a daddy’s girl and took a little while to accept me being there too – often choosing to attack my bare legs and arms. It took some patience but we got through all the doubts that this behavior raised.
It’s now nearly 4 years later and we truly can’t imagine her not being part of our lives. She has a very strong, snazzy personality but can be so loving too – it just depends what mood she is in. She still has ‘wonky’ back legs and a sassy, bum wiggling walk but it just makes her more adorable.
We’ll always be grateful to Oldham Cats for bringing her into our lives
-Carolyn and Ian - Misty's servants
Rodney - A tale of destiny
Our Rodney arrived at the rescue in a terrible state. Matted, emaciated, terrible dental problems and sadly, FIV positive. We spent months treating and rehabilitating this beautiful boy. No matter what we put him through, his calm and resilience shone through. We placed so many appeals to find a home for Rodney, including posters at our designated Vet, and one day a lovely lady saw this poster and was curious. Very soon after, Laura and Gary visited Rodney at the rescue. They saw through his tatty coat and crooked smile and fell in love with him anyway, and after 130 days in the rescue, Rodney went home. Ever since then he has lived the fairytale, he still needs meds everyday but he is doing incredibly well and is the biggest floofball ever! Rodney's slaves say he loves to play and makes us chuckle everyday with his little ways - he is such a happy cat, and very persistent if you try to ignore him!!! They are so glad to have come to the rescue that day, it was truly meant to be.
Then....
Now........
Frankie - A tale of perseverance
Frankie's (then Bruno's) new Mum and Dad took him home in October 2024 with the idea of him becoming a friend for their very lonely female cat - Lucy. When they tried to introduce them, Frankie was very boisterous around Lucy and it scared everyone a little bit. There was some hissing and swatting and it wasn't what everyone was hoping for. After a couple of days of trying, Bev and Dave were too worried for Lucy and decided to return Frankie to the rescue as a failed adoption. To say they were devastated was an understatement, they had fallen so deeply in love with him and felt just awful seeing him back in a cage. It was seeing this sadness that made everyone take a step back and think about doing things differently and having one more try. Bev & Dave took in all the information they could about introducing cats, positive reinforcement, what was play - and what was aggression. Armed with this knowledge and support from us they went home with Frankie to try again. When we received a phone call from Dave a few days later we feared the worst - but no! The most magical turn around had happened - Frankie and Lucy were now inseparable! Grooming each other, sharing beds and playing day and night! Lucy was not a lonely girl anymore 'He was what she needed' remarked Bev. Their bond grows stronger everyday thanks to their Mum and Dad's determination, open-mindedness and perseverance. What a truly happy ending.
No more grumpy face!
Wobbly William - A tale of devotion
William is an amazing boy who has a condition called Cerebellar Hypoplasia. He arrived at the rescue having been found nearby in a tiny box. Between a few of the volunteers, we helped him beat the odds and survive. He has been our gorgeous boy since he arrived at the rescue. He is 8 years old now and doing well. He is mainly an indoor only cat and has had very little interaction with other cats (A fellow volunteer Gill has had him at her house with her when he was younger but that’s the only time he has had contact with other cats) Gill using her physio skills helped him to walk originally in a walker but he preferred to do it in his own inimitable way and he manages well with little tumbles and an occasional A over T. As long as he has a soft landing he just gets up and carries on to get where he is going. William tends to find his way around using furniture, walls and sometimes your legs for stability. He is incapable of jumping or climbing and his toys are all floor based. He loves chasing feathers and anything with bells on. His dad made him a feeding station which he uses all the time but be warned he can do backward flips out of there from time to time! Beware - he is a mucky eater, regularly turfing his dish if he doesn’t like what you are giving him.
William makes us smile every day with his antics, and he and his canine brother are inseparable.
- Barbara and Ken - William's slaves
Jessie & Freddie - A tale of companionship
I fostered brothers Jesse and Freddie in 2022 when they were kittens, they had a rocky start, suffering from cat flu and needing extra TLC. Of course by the time they were well enough to be adopted I couldn’t bear to let them go. There were times when I wondered if I had done the right thing adopting both of them, especially when they were climbing the curtains and knocking ornaments off shelves, but having two cats doubles the affection, amusement and companionship for them and me. It is lovely to see how bonded they are, they play together, eat together, groom each other and get into trouble together, double the entertainment! They have been there for me through some tough times, their calm, comforting presence calming me and their antics making me laugh, I couldn’t be without them.
Mr Bojangles - A tale of hope
In Late 2020 a cat was brought into us in a shocking state. Malnourished, wounded and traumatized from surviving on the streets. Not surprisingly we discovered that he was FIV+. In the first days he was almost catatonic, he would only eat or move in the night when nobody was there. The first sign of life came when Faye wrapped him in a blanket to take him out of the cage for some contact, being wrapped up seemed to do something for his nervous system and for the first time we felt his body relax. Soon after that Faye discovered his love of being combed, he just melted! From then on there was no stopping him. Once he decided he was safe, he cast a spell on every volunteer that met him.
On the 2nd January 2021, Mr Bojangles' wish was granted and he went home with an amazing lady that fell for him. Together they have faced challenges, but Mr Bo (as he is now known) continues to thrive and they are utterly devoted to each other - he even has his own instagram account! He can be seen wandering around demanding food, sleeping on laptops and protesting at any door that is closed to him! Mr Bojangles is proof that no matter how bad it seems, there is always hope.
