Your very first kitty?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Jaffa was my first cat    I went to see him and his two brothers at a rescue 10 years ago and the little lad chose me as his future slave (I think he knew a soft touch when he saw one).  So he and one of his brothers (Magpie - in my avatar - sadly at rainbow bridge now) came to live with me.   

I wanted a pet other than a hamster but knew a dog was out of the question and, for a long time, didnt' think a cat was doable either as I live in a flat.  When I realised that it was possible to keep a cat indoors I decided that was the pet for me.  I spent about a year reading cat magazines and reading up about cats until a work colleague decided I'd spent quite long enough talking about it and it was time I actually did the deed!  I didn't have a car there so she took me one afternoon to a rescue she'd got dogs from and there was my little gingerbread man waiting for me!

[Team Svartalfheims]

Tuppence and Suzy were my first cats. Tuppence was a year older than me and Suzy was 6 months younger. There are photos of me as a baby in my playpen and Tuppence in it with me  Suzy was from a pet shop as mum said whilst she knew she shouldn't have got her as they would just replace her with another kitten she just felt so sorry for her as she was only about 6 weeks old and looked so sad. We are sure Suzy had some oriental or something in her with the awful noises she used to make when she talked to you, it was like a baby crying. Her and Tuppence were absolutely gorgeous cats though, Suzy was black mackeral tabby and white shorthair and Tuppence was pure black and very longhaired. Sadly Tuppence died after suffering a stroke at age 13 (he'd had 2 generals in the month beforehand) and Suzy seemed fine then didn't come home one day and we found her in the garden under a bush and the vet said she had a massive tumour in her abdomen so we had to let her go. I was absolutely heartbroken as whilst I loved both of the cats with all my heart Suzy was my little baby.

When we rang the lady who used to look after them when we went on holiday to let her know she told us that she had some kittens (she used to do rescue work as well) that had been rescued from a kitten farm in Wales. They'd been penned according to their breed in small cages that were absolutely filthy and the mum's were in an awful state due to having one litter after another. We went to see the lady with the idea of getting 1 kitten, decided that if we were going to keep them as indoor only then we'd need 2 so they were company for each other and when we got there we found that she had 3 kittens and well you can't leave one behind. Enter Ellie, Ollie and Mollie! Ellie is still horribly distressed by her past even though we have had them since they were absolutely tiny and she even runs from us still at times but she's so much better than she was all those years ago. It's heartbreaking to think what they went through in their first few weeks  All 3 cats will still run and hide if they see a man in a hat or hear a man with a Welsh accent.

When we got the 3 kittens we were told that Ollie was an NFC and that they grow to be much larger than domestic cats and were we ok with that. We'd never heard of NFCs and thought 'well they can't get that big'. Well he grew and grew and grew! I started doing more and more research into the breed and fell in love with them and their history and vowed that one day when the time was right I would breed them and that my first breeding girl would be solid black like Ollie. My mum and everyone else thought 'she's 12 she'll grow out of the idea'.

7 years later in 2005 I reserved Bilbo my gorgeous show neuter boy and started to look for a companion for him. I wanted a rescue cat however no rescues would home to me as I was a student so I went to just look at a litter of Bengal x Persians from an oops mating and fell in love with Tigger (who was called 'Pancake' by the breeder due to her flat face!) and brought her home, luckily she developed a nose as well as a beautiful nature! I started showing Bilbo to get more experience of the breed standard in the fur and I even took Tigger to 2 shows where she wowed the judges and the people who met her. I've met some lovely people through showing and spoken to more via email and despite some people trying their best to put me off getting a solid black NFC after a lot of searching and waiting Miss Boopy was born and arrived home in May 2007 and the rest as they say is history!

Ironically if we'd left any of the 3 kittens behind all those years ago it would have been Ollie as Mum initially didn't want another solid black just after losing Tuppence.

Well that's my rather long tale of my cats lol.

[lilycat]

9 years ago I decided I missed having a pet around the house and settled on a cat; I have to say, I'd never been owned by a cat before so didn't really know the level of servitude that would be involved 

Anyhoo, I thought a rescue cat would be the way to go so I got in touch with CP and ended up going along to a fosterers house to look at the cats there. I spent some time looking at the cats and kittens and a lovely long haired tabby girl caught my eye - her name was Lizzie but she was already spoken for  - now I do remember the lady saying 'Lizzie and Humphrey are brother and sister' but I don't remember really looking at Humphrey 

As I was standing in the caged walkway I happened to look to my left and came nose to nose with a tiny black and white ball of fluff...'oh that's Humphrey, he always tries ever so hard but no-one notices him'.  Humphrey was tiny but had climbed the wire up to my head height [5'7"], he was staring at me, opened his mouth and managed a silent meow 

He's still with me and he's the head of the kitty contingent - he's a benevolent dictator although he and I have the odd disagreement...I think I'm in overall charge and he knows he is       

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I have always had furries in my life ... my parents got two seal point siamese kittens about 1 year before they had me.  At that time we lived in a second floor flat in Hull and it was in the days when you could leave the baby in the pram on the doorstep.  The cats would always get into the pram with me and we would all be snuggled up together.  Rajah and Mitzi were my best friends and confidants for many years ... Mitzi was sadly killed in an RTA age 11 but Rajah went on until he was 17.  There were others over the years (my parents have never not had at least 2 cats) but these 2 were my first.  When I eventually moved out of home at 20 I was actually "catless" for a long time until one day one of my friends turned up with small, stroppy bundle of grey fur called Diesel.  Diesel was semi feral and although she lived with me for 5 years she was never really suited to the area I live in .... she now lives with my parents in the countryside and is incredibly happy.

As a child I remember watching a Disney film called the Cat from Outer Space ... the main character was a stunning Abyssinian and I remember vowing that one day I would have an Aby in my life..... 6 years ago I was finally in the position to be able to afford an Aby (I ended up with 2)  I am now the very round Mummy to Foxy and Zephyr. 

Sox was a gorgeous ginger and white cuddle bum who was a stray who turned up in the garden one day.  He had a flea allergy, was thin and at some point had broken his tail which had healed to leave a kink.  I took him in and he was so grateful ..... he lived with me for nearly 2 years but was sadly involved in and RTA last September .... RIP Baby you will never be forgotten.

Then last November I offered to help transport a little 5 month old Tortie from Nottingham to Kelly (who we all know from this site).  Things didn't go to plan as the Tortie terror escaped from her carrier she was 5 months old, lost in an unfamiliar area and didn't know me!!!!!  After an extensive (and I really do mean extensive) poster campaign she was found two days later.  It was agreed that she could stay with me for a week then I would transport her to Kelly the following Saturday ...... needless to say Portia (as she was known then) settled in so well with Foxy and Zephyr and me Kelly and I decided it was probably best if she stayed ... so she had a name change to Rosina (Rossi) and has been here ever since.

[puddypaws]

My first cat was a great big tabby called Timmy.  We got him as a kitten when I was about 9 (many years ago).  He was the softest cat you can imagine - he liked lying in my dolls' cot and being covered with the blanket.  It was Timmy that made me a cat person forever.

[Desley (booktigger)]

We have always had cats in our family until I was 16, when we movedto a main road, and had to rehome the cat we had (she had no road sense on a quiet road, she wouldnt have lasted on a main road). When I moved out, my housemate had 2 cats, so got some feline company then. When she moved out, I said I wasn't going to get a cat, as I was out quite a few evenings. 3 days later however, my neighbour asked if I would take on a pure white cat, as a bloke on the next street had said if she wouldnt help find a home for his mum's cat (his mum had died a few months previously, the cat had been pretty much living outside since), he would microwave her. So, my neighbours provided tray, bowls and litter, and we went to the next street and picked her up!! She wasn't a very grateful 14yo though, and sadly died after 9 weeks. I immediately went to the rescue, as I had realised the house was too quiet without cats, and a week later, picked Ginger up, so in 10 weeks, I had gone from 'I dont want to be tied down' to having 2 cats!! Then the year after started fostering, so Charlie certainly started something, and over 40 cats should be grateful to her!! Sadly, I dont have any pics of Charlie, but she was a pure white.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

I love this thread.  I particularly love Gill's story, which I only heard recently, as I think it's a purrfect demonstration of how cats are in charge!  In case we ever doubt it   

Our first cat was brought by my OH who, having refused adamantly to have a cat, then brought a little scrap of a black and white kitten home with him.   He'd been out driving one very windy and blustery spring day when a little ball booled in front of his bus.  He realised it didn't look right, so stopped to investigate further and realised then it was a little kitten.  He took her to the police station, but they said they didn't have facilities for looking after cats.  The local rescue was closed to further admissions as they had an outbreak of cat flu, so home she came.  She was well fed, and had a raggedy collar on (way too big for her), but was clearly way too young to be out on her own, and apart from that, she was in considerable danger.

After we advertised and no-one came forward, she remained with us for four years.  She was a funny little thing - fircely independent, an inveterate hunter and a bit of a diva, but she was lovely.  Then she disappeared around 3 weeks before Christmas that year and we never did find her - even though we took the area apart looking, advertised and scoured the metro lines and roads just in case there was a body.  I missed her terribly.  And a little like Gill, I wasnt a cat person, having always had dogs, but I'd offered to give a home to a kitten someone was trying to rehome, and that was when hubby firmly put his foot down.....  he had all sorts of objections as to why we shouldn't have a cat - mess, smell, leaving them at home during the day when they could get up to mischief, having a dog etc etc.   Funny how all those objections got swept away so fast!  He's now definitely the Daddy, and if ever any of ours have been poorly, he's the one who insists on cheffing up masterpieces for their delight and delectation, and he's the one whose firm and capable hands keep them steady.  I'm just the one who slaves away at the rest without so much as a thank you     

[JackSpratt]

The first family cat I can remember is a wonderful long haired ginger and white cat called Gem. I used to trail her round the house (I was a toddler at the time) and she was pretty patient with me until she got older. Then she told me when she didn't want my company!

The first cat I've cared for is currently on my knee! Twelve years ago I decided I wanted a cat to share my home with me. We've always had animals around in my family and my flat felt empty without the presence of one that interacted freely with me! My partner at the time took me to the local RSPCA and I chose a kitten called Spitz, who was a dark torti. I went back the following week to be told Spitz had succumbed to cat flu and hadn't made it. The RSPCA assistant asked what I wanted to do, and remembering how many cats they had there needing homes I said I would go to the cattery and see the other cats. I walked in and a few pens down, in the middle of all the other cats, eating and generally chilling out was Old Mog. She was clinging to the door crying. She looked so desperate to be out of the pen and loved it was heartbreaking - I knew then which one was coming home with me. She's 17 next year and the amount of feline siblings she has have grown. Although she loves attention, she's never been outrightly nasty to any of the other cats and has accepted newcomers with good grace each time. I think fate intervened; albeit in a sad way, to ensure she came home with me that day.

[lucy]

WhenI was about 12 my Mum split up with her OH (not my Dad) who ended up stalking her for about 15 years. In the middle of all this my much loved King Charles Cavalier spaniel died, leaving my Mum on the run from OH, with no home & 2 traumatised children. She said we could have another pet once we found a home. My brother & I wanted a cat as we  felt disloyal replacing Sally with another dog, & our godmother said she would find us a kitten. Once in our new home she turned up with one cat basket with 2 black and white kittens - Billy and Tipsy - saying "I didn't ask if I could bring 2 as I knew you'd say no"! Billy and Tipsy were with us until they died of old age about 5 or 6 years ago. I think Mum eventually forgave my Godmother! 

[jetcleo]

I got my first cat when i was 13 years old, my dad got her as a gift for me but i think she was really for him as i only stayed with my dad at weekends.  When she was a year old she had kittens, well one kitten and the next day she attacked the poor little thing.  We took them both to the vets that day, the little kitten had to be put to sleep and Smokey had to have an emergency op as 3 other kittens had got stuck so she'd been in that much pain thats why she attacked her baby.

Sadly two years later Smokey was hit by a speeding car and went to the bridge.  That was in 1995, i then got Jet in 2001, he'd been dumped as a 6 week old kitten at a local rescue centre.  Cleo came along in 2003 and Ralphie this year

[pappilon]

Thanks 

It brings back so many memories but also makes me so sad .

Sorry Gill, i didnt mean to bring back sad memories, i just thought its nice to sitback and remember the little friends who came to our lives and made a difference (Stamped their paws in our hearts)???

[pappilon]

OOH, i wish i hadnt started the poll now , can we just do this tread as every one tells their stories. its just so lovely to hear it , dont matter how or when??Up to you peeps

For the oldies like me we can call it memory lane

[berties mum]

Helen, I love the kitten pic of Tiggy and Benji - bless!

The first cats in my life were my parents' cats Monty (all black) and Jingo (grey tabby), who were already six years old when I was born and both died of brain tumours, Jingo when I was six and Monty when I was nine.  We had a succession of rescue cats afterwards who all ended up being casualties to the main road outside our house, and then my parents adopted a boxer dog when I was 15 and stopped having cats.  I missed having cats and couldn't wait to have my own house as an adult so I could have kitties of my own.  Three years ago my best friend was adopted by a stray ginger female who turned out to be pregnant, and when I saw the two-day-old litter, I fell in love with Bertie and Tilly and begged my landlord (I was renting at the time) to let me have kittens.  Bertie has now been with me since he was six weeks old; Tilly died at 11 months and I miss her to this day, but Bertie now has Bella and Minnie to keep him occupied 

[zoe (tiggy + pipins mum)]

My first cat was called sox i was still living at home when we got him as a kitten with his brother sammy they were both ginger, It was about 7 years ago now he sadly died 29th of june last year because some  poisened him

[hannah (weeny)]

   its hard.  they make so much difference to everything 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Thanks 

It brings back so many memories but also makes me so sad .

[hannah (weeny)]

i love that story gill  

for me it was love at first sight when i was about 3.... although i admit i dont actually remember. but i'd been on about wanting a cat and when we went to get one apparently i most definately chose my baby girl ^suzie^.

although i recently found out the cat thing has always been with me... when i was a couple of months old someone gave me a little toy, pinky, who i slept with every night and literaly wouldnt sleep without. anyway i still have her, but shes more than a little battered now, and so i was quite shocked when my mum told me a couple of months ago that pinky was a cat!!!   i think cats are in the blood.... even if its not recognised for some time gill  

[Tiggy's Mum]

What a lovely thread 

My first cat was Tiggy  I was 10 years old, me and my sister had a hamster each and unbeknown to us my parents were waiting for the last hamster to go to Rainbow Bridge before we got two kittens.  When the sad day came and Adrian the hamster passed on my Mum and Dad asked if we'd like to get two kittens.  I was so excited and started reading cat books, I decided that I'd like a ginger kitten and my sister had her heart set on a grey one. 

The local vets had two kittens handed in by a memebr of the public as they had been dumped on a skip at just a few weeks old, the vets handreared them and at around 4 weeks old Tiggy and her brother Benji came to live with us.  My dream had come true as Tiggy was ginger, Benji was a gorgeous black tabby with silver stripes so kind of grey that my sister longed for 

Tiggy & Benji as babies 



Benji left for the Bridge in November 99



I lost Tiggy in February this year after almost 19 years together 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I have told this story on here before but Kocka was my first cat and she walked into my garden in London one Bank Holiday Monday in August,

I hated cats and she kept on walking towards me despite me staring and hissing and clapping hands. I had never seen a cat like her before and I thought she had gone and went back to my sunbathing, The next thing I knew was a very furry body lying between my arm and my body, she just moved in!

All I had in the fridge was salami and milk and she was very hungry.

I stopped her from going in the house cos I thought she must belong to someone but she didnt and I think she must have been dumped in the alley between the houses and I discovered later that she was covered in fleas and also had probs with her teeth.

She was so adorable that I found myself rushing to the supermarket at lunchtime the next day to buy some cat food , just in case she was still around when I got home. I also rushed home that night so I guess I was in love 

She taught me everything I knew about cats and how to pander to her needs, she was such a good teacher and a wonderful character. Its because of her I am now owned by four furry devils. 

Kocka lived with me for 10 years and sadly went to the Bridge on 23 Jul 05 and she will always be loved and so missed.

[ccmacey]

How nice to be taken back to the time I got my first babe. I have always loved cats and when I got the chance I brought 2 little ones into my home to call my own. I loved them from the start, I think it was the cute and feisty factor for me. Ted was cute (and still is) Renie was feisty and a funny little thing.

I still have my first babe Ted, he is 4 now. Renie sadly went to the bridge at 16 months, I still miss her. She will be my little pot of gold waiting there for me 

What a nice topic 

[pappilon]

I wonder sometimes, am i the only one who cant remember where her first fury friend came from? ,Since it was 40 years ago ? Eventhough i have her photo with me holding her!Or may be some of you peeps have more clear memories ?or it wasnt that long ago???I know it might take some of us to seat back and think  ,or may be you got your first cat later in life?So if you have few free moments lets go back and remember your first baby ,and how she/he came to us?