My Life With George

George first came into my life, or I should say, our lives on Good Friday 2009. My former partner Andrew and I collected him from Mrs. Little who lived in Tallaght, he was thirteen weeks old having been born on the 19^th of January.

Andrew and I had decided on a cat having tried a handsome miniature wired haired Dachshund called Dexter who lived with us for three months before going to stay with friends while Andrew and I were on holiday in France. Having seen photos of Dextor romping about the garden with his new found friends (two female smooth haired Dachshunds) we decided that it was best he went to live with them instead of being cooped up in our apartment all day while we were at work.

I had done some research on the kind of cat that would best suit our lifestyles. I came across Mrs. Little’s website and her litter of Asian Self kittens. The breed are indoor cats who enjoy time to themselves but love to shower love and affection on their owners when they are around (why can’t I find a man with such admirable qualities?).

Having discussed the prospect of a cat with a rightfully concerned Andrew, we decided to give it a try. Andrew, wisely stayed in the car while I went to view the kittens and 15 minutes and a considerable amount of money later (Well George’s daddy Eddie is the Grand Champion of the breed), I emerged with our gorgeous bundle of joy.

I knew instantly that I wanted to call him George, his official name is Drumgowna Neopolitan, but that’s too much of a mouth full even for me and so Gorgeous George it was.

For the first few days Georgie boy hid in the hollow of a cat scratcher I had purchased in preparation for the impending arrival. I felt so guilty at having taken him from his mother and his brothers and sisters, however, one night while sitting on the couch watching TV, George suddenly came out of his hiding place and jumped right up on top of me for cuddles and the rest, as they say, is history!

George’s impact on our lives was instant, he loved to play and loved to sleep (I could do with a man with those traits too). He also loved to hide and there were many times when we looked with trepidation over the balcony in fear that he might have jumped to his demise in the excitement of chasing the birds – we lived on the 5^th floor!

However, I’m glad to say that he was usually found curled up in a drawer or in the bottom of a wardrobe or on the odd occasion, behind the oven.

At six months old we had our first drama with George when he was left into the vet for castration – ouch!

Having left my charge with the nurses at the vet’s I received a rather upsetting phone call informing me that poor old George had cancer and would require a major operation. One of his testicles had failed to drop, lodged in his abdomen and had become cancerous.

Well you can imagine how horrified we were, our poor baby, cancer! However, the staff at the vet worked their magic and the next day we collected a very spaced out kitty. We took him home with instructions to keep him warm and quiet for a few days. He looked a sight having been shaved from head to toe and with an enormous scar from his chest to between his legs on his tiny little body.

That night, we set up cushions and pillows and a hot water bottle on our bed and left him in the dark to sleep. I stayed with him for a while to make sure he was comfortable and went into the dining room for dinner.

Suddenly, Andrew let out a screech! I turned and there was poor George waddling up the hallway, swaying this way and that with the effects of the drug. He clearly knew that I had left the room and wanted to be near me. I picked him up, wrapped him in his blanket and made him comfortable on the couch where I stayed by his side all night. In the morning he was quite bright, but for the next few days while he remained poorly I remained by his side.

From then on, I was hooked. My relationship with George has grown to become an unbreakable bond and he is the most important figure in my life. Having George in my life has helped me to get through many difficult times in the last ten years. He is my best friend and confident and I would quite simply, be lost without him.

My new blog will be based on my imagined conversations with George who I find myself speaking to more frequently as time goes by. He doesn’t answer back, of course, although he can communicate a large number of things to me when he wants to.

However, by speaking to George and imagining how HE might respond to the issues I feel passionately about, I hope to present an unusual view point on this crazy world we live in and to encourage discussion and debate among my readers.

We hope you enjoy the journey with is.

D&G