The street life is no life for a cat, and the life of a feral cat is even harder. Humans are seen with caution and great suspicion, and food and shelter are not often guaranteed. And worse, the unwanted litters of feral cats often have difficulty being adopted into loving homes. Thankfully though, there are kindhearted folks who don’t seem to mind if these kitties won’t be affectionate or need more patience or care. I recently came across the story of two beautiful cats named Holly and Ivy out of England who were granted the opportunity to see just how wonderful life as a pampered house cat can be. I caught up with the cat mom hoping to share their heartwarming story, so keep reading to learn about Holly and Ivy’s journey to a happy nine lives.
How did Holly and Ivy come into your life?
I saw Holly and Ivy on the RSPCA Macclesfield Facebook group. Their original adopters (reservation) fell through so they were ‘advertised’ again. They had over 100 comments on the post of people admiring them and others wishing to adopt. I was quite late to the post and almost didn’t apply as I saw that they had once again been reserved. They were approximately 8-10 weeks old at the time of the advert. My husband and I had been living at his parents to save up for our own house, which we completed in August 2016. It needed a lot of work doing so we stayed with my in-laws for a while longer whilst my father-in-law completed the needed work and decorating. I saw the advert of Holly and Ivy in January 2017 when we hadn’t officially moved into our own house, but I knew it wasn’t far off ready and I knew I couldn’t live without cats (I’ve had cats since I was 4 years old).
I completed the screening questionnaire and within 24 hours we were invited to visit Holly and Ivy. I was ecstatic! I wasn’t hopeful with the amount of interest they had had. We visited them and Holly instantly took to my husband, she would not leave him alone! She was playing around his legs and feet and scratching at his jeans trying to climb onto him. Our minds had been made up there and then. Ivy however was a completely different cat. She was very timid and scared. She only came out to see us briefly and then went back to hiding. Ivy had a bad eye infection at the time too which we have found out since adopting that they both have feline herpes, most likely passed from their feral Mum.
Their mum was handed into the RSPCA as part of their TNR program. Once she had recovered, she was released back to the farm she was found on and the farm owners adopted their brother, Noel. Their names were given by their foster Mum as they arrived around Christmas time. We were told that they would have their issues due to being feral and that Ivy would never be a cuddly lap cap. That didn’t bother us, we just wanted to provide a good home for them. We took them home in February when they were around 12-14 weeks old.
They are both poorly cats but they live their best life with us. They both have Feline Herpes causing frequent eye infections and respiratory issues. Currently, Holly has been affected the worst with around 2-3 eye infections yearly. Touch wood, Ivy hasn’t had many at all! They both have issues with their knees, which was discovered when Ivy started limping around with her back leg off the floor. A vet visit later and they’re both diagnosed with Luxating Patella which means their knee caps dislocate. This happens quite frequently but since the first incident, they’ve always been able to pop them back themselves with no fuss. As they get older though this can worsen and they may need surgery on their knees. Holly also has problems with her hips and her back legs are bowed inwards. She’s not a keen jumper and loves having her hips massaged!
Because of their knees and poor health, they are house cats. They have 3 stories to play around in with toys and cat towers on every floor. They are allowed out into the garden in better weather which they enjoy when they have company. They can’t jump very well so it’s never occurred to them to try and jump the fence. They’re also scared of their own shadows so leaving the safety of their own garden would terrify them.
How were their names chosen?
Their foster Mum named them and we decided to keep them as they suited so well.
How do they get along with one another?
They adore each other. Holly is quite independent and will often take herself off somewhere away from everyone to sleep during the day, but she loves sitting with her sister when my husband and I are settled in one room of the house. Ivy loves Holly. She always tries to sit with her and cuddle into naps which doesn’t last long as Holly likes her space and will eventually get up. They play together frequently and groom each other at least 2-3 times a day. They’ve both had to go to the vets for surgery on their teeth at different times (Both have had 3 teeth out each, Ivy having had 3 big teeth removed) and they missed each other terribly. She was looking around and crying.
How would you describe each of their personalities?
Holly is very independent. She can entertain herself and loves her own space. She is however very chatty when she is around and has a lot to say! She loves visitors to the house as this means extra treats and someone new to play with. She isn’t a cuddle bug but tolerates a cuddle every now and then and will let us know when she wants to get down. She comes to say goodnight when we are in bed each night and then departs until morning.
Ivy is a massive baby! Considering no one thought this timid kitten would every come out of her shell, she’s amazed everyone. She is the fussiest, sassiest, most demanding diva around. She loves to be centre of attention, she loves to play and will scream the house down if my husband is in a different room to her and she thinks she can’t find him. She sleeps on a blanket on the bed next to my husband every night and cuddles in. Ivy isn’t so keen on visitors but she has taken well to the in-laws when they visit.
What are their favorite hobbies?
Holly is a typical cat, enjoys chasing the sun to sleep in. She will often be on the top floor on her tower at the window, silently judging the neighbourhood. She loves to sleep. She also loves to watch Cat TV on her iPad (YouTube) and will ask for her iPad when she wants it by trying to swipe our phone screens. She can sit there for hours.
Ivy loves to play and cuddle. She always wants to be in the vicinity of myself or my husband. She likes to shout when in a different part of the house, but is rather restrained when in our company and chirps a lot. She has a favourite blanket (not sure she realises we purchased 3 as moving them around the house became rather tiresome) which she nuzzles and pads with all 4 legs for comfort and then falls asleep. She is quite rag doll like in the sense she flops when you pick her up.
What’s something special you’d like for people to know about Holly and Ivy?
Holly and Ivy are both very poorly cats and require a lot of time and money to keep healthy. They are worth every penny and every second invested in them. I think people need to be aware of the health issues that can come with owning feral cats and be in a position financially and time wise to be able to offer what they need.
I’d like to give a special “thank you” to Caroline and Mark for allowing me to share Holly and Ivy’s sweet story with all of the Cattitude Daily readers. Not all feral kitties will ever know what it’s like to be a spoiled house cat, and I’m glad that Holly and Ivy were given the chance they deserved to find out what it’s like to be loved and cared for.
