Our two beloved cats had passed away the year before, and we knew we needed a cat in our lives. After seeing Freddie’s picture on the FOHA website we included him in the list of cats we wanted to consider. When we arrived at the cattery, Freddie was perched in one of the windows, watching the birds. We wondered why he was in the room for cats who needed special care, and they told us Freddie was very shy and easily frightened. He’d been brought in with an injury by one of the FOHA volunteers who’d found him in her yard but couldn’t keep him, and he’d been in the cattery for over a year. He’d been placed once, but had been brought back after five days when he refused come out from under a couch. If we chose Freddie, we’d have to take him on a fostering basis for a month, and then, if all went well, we could proceed with adoption
Well, it was love at first sight for me, and especially for both my husband and Freddie. When Peter walked over to him, Freddie immediately rolled over on his back, waiting to be petted, and we knew we wanted to give it a try. Freddie was the cat we wanted, but did he want us? We’d have to see. For starters, Freddie hated being put in a carrier, but finally he was in, thanks to two very patient volunteers. We did the paperwork, and Freddie was ours, at least for a month.
Following instructions, we kept Freddie confined in a small bathroom for several days, letting him get used to us in small doses. We felt more cramped in the confined space than Freddie did, and we soon moved him to our bedroom. For the most part, Freddie stayed under our bed during the day, coming out to eat and use the litter box, and at night, he’d come out and play by himself, racing around the room tossing and chasing play mice. Peter spent hours next to the bed with Freddie, talking with him and letting Freddie decide how much contact he wanted. Gradually Peter and I earned Freddie’s trust. Even when he felt comfortable being out in the house with us, sometimes he’d hide, and we simply couldn’t find him, and then suddenly he’d turn up. Now he’s usually wherever we are in the house.
From the beginning, Peter has been his favorite person. Although Freddie is independent, he wants to know where Peter is and stay close to him, whether he’s sitting on the arm of the chair while Peter’s reading the paper or lying next to Peter’s desk while he’s working on the computer. At night, Freddie sleeps between us, still getting up to play, but coming back to check on us from time to time during the night. He loves being on our deck, hiding behind flower pots to watch the birds. Or else you can find him asleep on one of the dining room chairs or on his perch by the front window
We thought we might have to find a mobile vet, because we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to get Freddie into a carrier, but to our surprise, Freddie put up little fuss when it was time to visit the vet. We discovered that Freddie had definite problems with his teeth and gums, resulting in his having all but his four canine teeth removed. Through the entire surgical treatment and recovery, Freddie was a model patient, cooperating even when having his stitches removed. He definitely feels so much better now without those bad teeth.
Freddie is simply a wonderful cat! He’s inquisitive and smart and he loves to play. He uses a scratching post or an area rug by the door for his claws and never the furniture. He is such a good companion for both of us, and we’re so happy that we have him!
