Will
After introducing Stan in our first blog post, in hindsight we might have thought about starting with our first furry babies - and Stan was not actually first to join our family…so it’s only fitting that we rectify that oversight, but be grateful that none of our furries whilst cute, fun and cuddly, are any good at reading.
Will, our 11 year old - “elder” in the family - began his story in the UK, where he was born alongside his brother. My princes, Will and Harry, and they were “my” since they actually came home with me just before I met their Hooman Daddy. I had wanted another cat since losing my childhood baby and went to see Will and his brother with the intent of only adopting one but could not separate them having immediately fallen in love with these gorgeous little faces, with the longest whiskers you’d ever seen.
Will has always been timid, but he loves his cuddles and his favourite place is on the bed, curled up next to his Mummy, or on his Mummy’s lap - there’s a theme - especially a belly rub, and he’s slowly getting used to having a 5 year old, 2 legged master in the house…
When we decided to add Stan to the family, Will and his brother were understandably apprehensive. A dog? Really? But when Stan came home and was only a third of their size, they did look at us as though we’d gone mad - surely this thing is not really a dog?? Absolutely convinced it was all some sort of joke, it definitely made the integration process considerably easier than expected and Will and Stan in particular, formed an instant bond.
When we relocated from the UK, Will had already lived in 2 houses, and a couple of years later, we moved again to house number 4. A week after our arrival (we later figured out that he had most likely had a run-in with a big ginger tom who must’ve scared him off in the night), he failed to appear at breakfast time as he normally would have. I knew straight away something had happened. For 6 months, I pounded the pavement every day, plastered huge, bright posters on every pole and fence I could find, rang every organisation I could, posted regularly on socials and even snuck out late at night to drive back to our old house, several suburbs away, on the off-chance he’d tried to find his way back. I fielded awful prank calls, and followed up several leads that turned out to be false hope, but I never gave up.
Then one Saturday night 6 months after he’d gone missing, I got a call from a man who said his niece had spotted a cat in his yard and she had thought it matched the posters she’d seen months earlier at her school. My husband by this stage was getting used to my unrelenting certainty that Will would return although he thought it unlikely by this stage. When I arrived at the house, Will appeared, meowing at the top of his lungs as if to say, “Is that you Mum? What took you so long?” I rang my husband who was in shock, scooped him up, placed him in his carry bag, and brought him home. 6 very long months, Will had survived on his own through winter and had only been about a mile from our house all along.
Another move later, Will has now lived in 6 houses and 2 countries - 2 continents in fact - and quite enjoys spending his days lazing about, enjoying long brushes, belly rubs, and cuddles. He has a feathered friend who he shares his food with (yes, not all cats live up to stereotype) and his favourite new luxury is a cat pole, which we’re using to help him get better acquainted with the latest member of the household—our German Shepherd. Will is tough for his size but the GS can be scary, so it’s taking some time but we are making slow progress.
Will’s resilience and gentle spirit are a constant source of inspiration for us. He reminds us that even the smallest creatures can have the biggest hearts, and that love and determination can overcome any obstacle. He’s an integral part of our family and, in his own quiet way, one of the inspirations behind the treats we create for pets like him - except that as a cat, he’s notoriously fussy and we are still working to perfect our new product line :)
Stay tuned for more stories about the animals who inspire us, and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out our gallery on the website for a peek at Will and the rest of our furry family!
#PetBusinessLove
#PetInspired
#MyPetLifeTreats
#LifeWithCats
#FurryFamily
#PetStories
#CatLovers
