We made a conscious decision to adopt an older cat, and when I saw Pele aged 14 it was love at first sight for me. I cannot believe that his previous owners took him to the vet to be put down.
We call him Pele the Paw as he has this endearing habit of putting out his paw very slowly and carefully before he does anything, whether it’s touching you (beware as he does not know about retracting his claws) or jumping down from his favourite chair.
My husband always brings me a drink in the morning and Pele accompanies him, so Pele also now has a special mug placed on the bedside table where he has a drink, before settling down to have a cuddle, followed by his morning exercise of stretching each leg out in turn, while having his tummy rubbed. Having indulged in this exhausting routine it is downstairs for a hearty breakfast.
He is a wonderful companion and as I am writing this he is sitting beside me purring loudly. I might add he is also fond of trying to help me write on the computer, and I frequently write with his head resting on my wrist! We also have a couple of guinea pigs who come and sit on our knees sometimes at night. Pele is very good and has never displayed any hint of aggressive behaviour towards them but just curls up beside them. When we come home he is normally in the hall waiting as he has heard us return. He likes to go outside and patrol the boundaries, and then return for a snack.
In short, I would urge everyone to adopt an older cat. He is just so gorgeous and such a character and so affectionate. I am just grateful to Eileen and Howard for letting me have him. It must have been an awful wrench for them as he is just so lovable.
