Amy's Story

[Helen]

Meet Amy, a three year old Blue bi-colour Ragdoll...



Amy has been in fostercare with us since February, when we took guardianship of her from an animal rescue in Sunderland.
Amy is three years old. She is now fully vaccinated and is neutered.

When she came into fostercare, she had already been in three homes and was a very poorly Raggie. She was very under weight, had a very poor appetite and was a frighthened, unhappy cat. We were told she had been neutered and she had undergone surgery just three weeks before we had her, we are told, to remove an ulcer from her neuter site. Within a week of being with us Amy was exhibiting very obvious signs of calling and so our vet took blood to test her hormone levels. The results of this showed she ahd raised oestrogen and so she had to have investigative surgery. During the op, our vet found an entire ovary and this was removed. He also found some old internal damage, caused by some kind of trauma, possibly an RTA, possibly a kick. Her bowel was split and adhered to her stomach and one of her kidneys was damaged. She underwent an opertaion which lasted nearly an hour and our vet feared she would not survive. Amy was very weak and had a 6" long scar down her tummy. She is a fighter though and she fought hard for many days and I am pleased to say went on to make a brilliant recovery.

Amy is now a healthy, happy Ragdoll. She is gaining weight and she has an appetite! She is no longer depressed, but playful and loving. She is a very quiet Ragdoll, who does have a tendancy to hide in her igloo bed, if she feels worried or stressed, but she is growing in confidence and with the right family, she will become a wonderful Ragdoll companion. She is gentle and loves to be groomed and fussed. She has bonded closely with us as a family and so we know that in the righ home environment she make a wonderful Raggie companion

Whoever gives Amy a home will need to be aware that although her damaged kidney is functioning normally at the moment, we have been advised by our vet, that in the future it may fail. Her other kidney is normal and working just fine. She is not unwell nor is she on any medication or special diet, but her owners need to be willing to cope with this in the future, should Amy's kidney fail. They also need to be aware should Amy exhibit any signs of kidney problems and have her vet checked ASAP.

Amy needs a very specific home. We are looking for a quiet home, with no children under 10 years or chance of any and no dogs. She will need company for part of the day, so if you work full time hours and your home is empty all day, then you will not be a suitable family for this little cat. She really does need human companionship, the more the better. She needs someone who can dedicate lots of time to her and will be very patient. With love, time and commitment, she will learn to trust her new family and will be the Ragdoll that we know she can be, but it is likely in the early days of adoption she will be shy and will tend to only leave her bed when no one is around.

Amy is a very special Ragdoll and she has had a sad life up until now, so we are looking for a very special family for her, where she will be accepted for the cat she is and given a life long home. She has been moved too many times in her short life and she deserves a forever home, where she will be loved and spoilt.


Thank you,

Helen

[Helen]

Amy continues to blossom and is a very healthy, happy girl now.

Darren and I will be visiting her potential new family over the coming weekend and all being well she will be joining them at the end of June, once they have returned from their summer holiday.

Will keep you posted.

Helen x

[Helen]

Darren and I met Amy's new family over the weekend. We feel sure that they can give Amy the love and care that she deserves. We shall be taking Amy to her new home, after 25th June, when her new family return from their holdiay.

[Helen]

We will be taking Amy to her new home on 26th June.

Little Amy has been with us for over four months and in that time we have been through an emotional roller coaster with her. Thankfully, this little Ragdoll has the fight and determination far beyond that of any cat we have met before and she has not only made a complete physical recovery, but she has come on in leaps and bounds emotionally. I think she will always be quiet and shy, but she is continuing to grow in confidence day by day. She loves to sun herself and lies on her back with her legs in the air. She comes when we call her and she chats to us when we are with her. She loves to be groomed and fussed and although not a cuddley cat, she has so much love to give. She is playful and has a definite cheeky streak.

None of us know what Amy really endured before she fell into the hands of the original rescue who had her and then came to us, but now her future promises to be a safe, happy one, with a lovely family and a little Siamese cat, who is almost as quiet as Amy! She will be taking her igloo bed with her of course, along with her gift from Teresa, a beautiful pink knotted fleece, made and sent especially for her. Amy loves it!

Amy has become so special to us and but for already having 11 cats, she would be staying . We are going to miss her so much, but we know her new family will give her all the love and care she needs for always and that soon Amy begins her happy ever after.

Thank you to everyone who willed Amy well with us, to all those who sent donations to help us with her vet care and to all those who donated to the online auction and raised money in that way. Thanks to your help, love and support, Amy has a bright, happy future to look forward to. Thank you to Teresa for Amy's beautiful blanket.

Helen xx

[Helen]

We took Amy to her new home yesterday. The week day traffic was kind to us and Amy coped well with the two hour journey.

On arrival Amy sat in her carrier for a while, but was happy to be stroked. She met her new feline companion Sasha, who came to have a peek, but retreated quite quickly and jumped up onto her Dad's knee! Bless her.

We lifted Amy out of her carrier and she made a bee line for her igloo. She did not bury herself under the cushion though, but snuggled down and was peeping out the front.

Amy's trust in people is very fragile and we fully expect her to be very quiet and shy for a while. She is likely to spend most of her time in her bed, where she feels most safe, but she has a beautiful nature and she will learn to trust her new family, a little more each day, until she feels completely safe and comfortable. Then Amy will be able to return the love and commitment they are going to be giving her, many times over, I know. They are very quiet, gentle people and Sasha, is a sweetie and a real baby, so Amy will go on to have a happy, safe life in a homew here she will be loved.

Amy touched us as a family in a way that no other Ragdoll has. She was such a fighter, amazing even the vet with her recovery from the surgery she had. She gave us her trust and we shall always love her. Today she is very much being missed, but she is in a fantastic home with lovely people and we know she has a happy future with them and Amy had her Happy Ending.

Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout Amy's 5 months with us and donated towards her care.

Thank you to Amy's new family for giving her such a wonderful home.

Helen

[Helen]

We have an update from Amy's new family today and the news is brilliant:

Last night's email:

Amy is fine-she has been hiding away but has also come out quite a bit. She has eaten her 'as good as it looks'-is ignoring her dried and she has now used her tray twice. She has done a lot of purring as well as we have found that we can get her out of her igloo with showing her the brush as she loves a good brushing, as you know. She hasn't ventured out of the lounge yet but I think that is to do with Sascha who is being a bit vocal in her disapproval.

Sascha is better than she was - she has started being herself with us again but seems to be really nervous of Amy. I know this will settle down though and I hope they will get on ok.

We all love Amy and she will get just as much attention as Sascha (which is a lot).

and just a few moments ago:

Hi Helen, Amy is doing even better-she has been up on the window sill and looked out of the window. She is really eating well. She has ventured towards the kitchen but was put off by Sascha who hissed at her. I think it is Sascha who is preventing her from doing even better, but as you say she will come to accept her and then Amy can relax over the whole of the house, not just the lounge!

I knew Amy would show us all what a brave little lady she is and that she would be a happy Raggie with her lovely new family. Feel over the moon today, knowing this special little girl is already settling so well.

Helen x

[Helen]

It is just one week since we said good bye to little Amy and entrusted her to her new family. Today we had the following update and it is just the best news:

Amy comes out a lot and has sat on my lap and her and Sascha were chasing each other round last night! Sascha has eased up quite a lot and is beginning to accept Amy. Amy is absolutely lovely and a big hit with everyone. She is eating really well and is now tucking into her dried as well. She now sits with her paws hanging out of her igloo looking really chilled. She still runs for cover at sudden noises but she is so much better-it is more than I could have hoped for after less than a week.

[Ragdoll Welfare]

After a seemingly brilliant start, Amy encountered a few problems, when her new feline companion Sascha decided that she did not really want Amy in her house and the odd hiss and spit became more aggressive, with Sascha ambushing Amy at every opportunity! Amy is emotionally fragile, after all she has been through and the reaction of Sascha towards her caused her to withdraw and lose confidence. Her new owners were very worried about her and wondered if things would ever settle down, but with our reassurance, support and advice over the last weeks and months they have been able to get through this difficult time. The news now is very good and 4 months after Amy joined her new family we can report the following:

More good news re Amy. She and Sascha seem to have called a truce! They both eat in the kitchen at the same time now, which is a miracle! They sit on the settee together and generally tolerate each other most of the time.

Amy goes from strength to stength with us - she follows me around, waits for me outside the bathroom door, sits on our laps and is generally a very happy cat.

The most amazing thing of all is that she never goes in her igloo, although it is there for her, just in case.

Amy is a spirited, brave little Ragdoll and we knew that given the time and commitment that she needed, she would settle down and Sascha would come to accept Amy in her home.

It is worth saying at this point though, that adopting a Ragdoll is not always straight forward, especially if there is a history of cruely or neglect within the Raggie's past. To settle an older Ragdoll can take many months and every Ragdoll the UKRCC rehomes requires total commitment, patience, understanding and time to allow them to feel completely secure and settled.

[Ragdoll Welfare]

It has been a while since we had any news of Amy, but Christmas often brings us news of UKRCC Raggies and this year this included dear Amy.

The photos tell all really.....Amy is happy, settled and content and the problems that she encountered when first going to her new home are all but forgotten. Amy will always be a very special cat to us, after all she went through and the time she spent with us and to know she is now with a family who cherish her and care for her, is just wonderful.

Amy has a companion, a siamese cat called Sascha, who was none too pleased when Amy first turned up, but now they are friends, as the following photos will show.