How I met Twinkle, my first cat

Having decided to adopt a cat, I headed to the local rescue centre to see who was available and hopefully find a good match! I was looking for a companion to keep me company. I really wanted to give a home to an older cat and perhaps a black one, as I had heard that they can struggle to find homes. Not sure what to expect, I headed over to the cattery section. 

The very first cat I saw, I fell for. She was a gorgeous black fluffy ball who ran up to me and meowed. After spending a little time stroking her through the bars, I peeled myself away to see who else was available. However, I knew she was the one. I spoke to the staff and learnt that her name was Twinkle and she was around a year old. The next step was to meet her, and I was nervous as I didn’t know if she would like me. I needn’t have worried; she came running up to me and let me stroke her. Purring started shortly after. The only problem was that she wasn’t available at the time as she was awaiting sign-off by the vet. My heart sank. I wasn’t able to reserve her, so waited for a call that she was available for adoption.

Finally, the call came. The policy of that centre at the time was that the first to go in person to apply would be top of the list. I was at work when the call came so I left straight away and drove to the centre. Pulling into the car park I was so nervous! Heading straight to reception I had everything crossed. 

I was first! I got to meet her again and fill in the forms to apply to adopt her. The following day, the rescue came to my home to conduct a house check and then I was able to collect her that weekend. Full of excitement, I went out to buy everything I thought I needed: beds, bowls, toys, the food that she was already on, a collar, scratching posts, litter box and litter, and a carrier. I cleaned the bowls, litter tray and cat carrier ready for their first use and prepared a room for her to settle into, making sure that the room I chose was quiet, had lots of places for her to hide in plus her food, water, a few toys, scratching posts and litter tray. I also cleared the room of anything that was not cat friendly and removed delicate items from window sills and shelves just in case!

Collection day was finally here! I collected all her paperwork, ensuring I knew when vaccinations, flea and worm treatments were due. It was a lot to take in but luckily the rescue wrote it all down for me. Popping her into the carrier we then headed to the car. I took her into the room I’d prepared and opened her carrier to allow her to leave at her own pace. She came straight out so I stayed with her for a little while, watching her explore her new environment. 

Later, we gave her access to the rest of the house, and it was great seeing her explore. I hadn’t realised what small spaces she could squeeze herself into! Bedtime rolled around and I headed upstairs. A short time later, Twinkle joined me on the bed. I wasn’t used to having pets on the bed and was worried I might hurt her in my sleep. I kept checking she was OK by gently placing my hand on her and feeling the gentle rise and fall of her fluff. 

A few hours later, I woke up and checked her again. She felt a bit flat and wasn’t rising up and down. Panicking, I kept my hand where it was and turned on the light. Relief flooded through me - my hand was on her back legs and she had a puzzled look on her face! In the morning, once I woke up, she came up to my face to greet me. We spent the day playing and putting together a cat tree. She seemed keen to help and wanted to be involved in everything I was doing. By evening she was cuddling up on the sofa, and I think that we both felt very lucky to have found each other.

That was over 10 years ago now and I still feel so lucky to have found her. Twinkle is a wonderful companion - loving, playful and sweet. I have also learnt that she rarely meows, which makes her reaction to me that day even more special. I am grateful every day that we chose each other all those years ago.