In the Beginning: a tough start for a tiny cat

I first met Lucy when she was about 9 months old. I'd never looked after a cat before, so I didn't know whether she was fully grown at 9 months or not. I was told that she would not get much bigger than she already was, which surprised me, as she seemed very small.

New kitty, 2008

 

This is a photo of Lucy very soon after she came to live with me. She still had some kitten features back then, and she was described by the RSPCA as a semi-longhair - in other words, she was a short hair cat with a bushy tail and a few other bushy bits.

How Lucy Came to Live with Me

In November 2007 I moved into a flat (apartment). Having wanted a cat for a while, I decided to approach local rescue organisations to see if I could rescue a neglected cat. The following spring I contacted my local RSPCA branch in Strood, Kent to see if they could help me - and if I could help them. I like black cats and, when I they told me that black cats were very difficult to find homes for, I decided to look specifically for a little black cat, and one that could live happily in a flat. I visited the RSPCA cattery later that week and was introduced to several black cats who were used to living indoors. However, one cat stood out for being affectionate, tiny and cute - a little black cat called Metallica.

My new little cat watches the laundry, 2008.

 

As soon as I heard Metallica's story I wanted to help her. She was 9 months old and had been rescued from a run-down house full of 16 cats. When she was rescued, she already had a litter of very young kittens, all of which soon died because she was so small and malnourished and not up to being a mother. She was barely more than a kitten herself, and was not cut out for such a tough life. When I met her, the RSPCA had begun to help her: she had a pink patch on her left side where she had been shaved and spayed, and had an ID microchip inserted under her skin. 

 

I first saw her in her temporary cage at the RSPCA cattery. Though she was (and remains) a nervous cat, as soon as I spoke to her and stroked her face she started to purr quietly. I realised there and then that she would be happy with me, and I agreed to take her home. However, I didn't like the name Metallica, so some thought would be required to come up with a new name!

 

Lucy as she looks in 2013.

 

Join me next time to find out how Lucy got her name, how she got so much fur, and more!