26th March 2009

Soc has now been in the care of the UKRCC for over a year, in fact he celebrated his year anniversary with us on 26th January.

Socs was a very poorly boy when he first came into foster care and needed a very high level of care, due to regular and sometimes severe asthma attacks. He also has a neurological problem which causes an eye shake and the vet believes he has had several small bleeds on his brain. On ocassion he was so unwell he required an emergency vet to visit him at home and on more than one occassion, we did fear that we were going to lose Socs. However with the love and dedication of his foster family and regular veterinary assessment, we can now happily say that Socs’ condition is stable.

He is on life long medication, which is necessary to control and treat his asthma. He is given medrone(2mg), a corticosteroid, every other day and millophyline(100mg), a respiratory stimulant, which he requires three times a day. In addition he has an inhaler, filiar50, which he has on alternate days to the medrone and also whenever he shows signs of an asthma attack. This drug regime has given Socs a new lease of life, he is well and happy and has very much become part of his foster family.

Socs has a huge character and Kelly, his foster Mum, describes him as being very nosey. His nosiness tends to get him into trouble and into situations where he finds himself needing help! He has a fascination and, it would seem, a need, to stick his head into anything where he thinks it will fit, bags, boxes, buckets..... he is often found stuck in the floor bucket, in need of ‘rescue’. He does not seem to learn that putting his head in the bucket is a bad idea and it has become part of Kelly’s routine to prise him out! Socs also loves to explore open cupboards, but unfortunately, although he is quick to jump inside, without being noticed, he is not so good at getting out, before the cupboard door is shut, so he has had to learn to develop a ‘Please let me out’ cry, so Kelly can find him and set him free. When Socs first arrived with his foster family, he used to love to sleep on top of the wicker laundry basket, snuggled into the lid and this was just fine, but, over the past year, Socs has gained weight, due to the steroids he has to take. Now the laundry basket is just not able to take his weight, but does this deter Socs? Oh no! He still climbs up and snuggles down for a snooze, only to fall in, as the lid gives way under his weight and it is not unusual for Kelly to hear Socs and his ‘Help I can’t jump out’ cry and to have to go and remove him from the laundry basket.

Socs was not too happy to be groomed when he first arrived with Kelly and Steve, but now he loves his daily brushes and his coat is beautiful, with a thick, lion like, ruff. He is a confident, friendly Ragdoll, who loves his family. He is particularly bonded with Steve and he likes to sit up on the back of the sofa, behind him. Socs is also fully integrated with the other cats he shares his home with. To begin with , he and Teddy, a naughty, but lovable Birman did not really get along, but now, Teddy and Socs are ‘partners in crime’ and Teddy has been teaching Socs some of his naughty ways, most recently how to drop bottle tops and other small items into the printer! Socs also loves to chase around the house with two of his Raggie companions, Raggles and Herbie and despite his health problems he has no difficulty in keeping up with their antics.

Socs never goes without and lives in a cat friendly home, where all his cat needs are met, with an array of tall climbers, scratch posts, bed and toys, all of which he uses and makes his own. Socs’s favourite gadget is his drinking fountain, so you can imagine how disappointed he was when his fountain broke over Christmas and he did not have it until Kelly could replace it. According to Kelly he was very grumpy and sulked until he had a new one!

As you will tell from this brief, but action packed, description in a day in the life of Socs, he has a wonderful quality of life. He is settled and happy and lives alongside his companions and humans, loved as much as ever he could be. We are all very aware that Socs has a life limiting condition, in the form of his asthma, but also that he is harbouring a neurological problem which may lead to health problems in the future. In addition the medication he has to take for his asthma is likely to cause problems long term, but for now Socs is a normal, happy Ragdoll, living life to the full and for as long as this continues the UKRCC remain committed to him by meeting the costs of his veterinary fees and supporting his foster family. A year ago, when we launched Socs Appeal, such was our concern for him, we never dare dream that Socs could have such a fulfilled, happy life and there were times when we feared that Socs would not see 2009.

As you can imagine, the strength of character Socs has shown and the way he has defied even the prediction of the vets, has left us all feeling absolutely overjoyed. For a cat like Socs, every day matters - Kelly, Steve and the UKRCC are here to make sure that he has the very best life and that every day he knows nothing but love and care.

Thank you Kelly and Steve for all the love, care and commitment you continue to show Socs. May you have many more years with him and all the laughter he brings to you.

We continue to receive donations to Socs’ Fund and to date have received monies totalling £1500. His medication and vet care is costly and so all that money has been spent, but we thank all those, who gave, for helping us provide Socs with the very best care possible and finding a solution to stabilise him, so he can live every day to the full and carry on being the nosey, lovable boy that we know and love.

If you have not encountered Socs’ story before, but feel you would like to help make a difference in his life, please make a donation. Every penny counts and will help us to fund his medication so we can give him many more days of Raggie love and fun.

How Socs' Fund is Used

Every penny of the money kindly donated for Socs, has been used to fund his veterinary care and to help his foster family give him the very best life possible.

Below is an example of the veterinary costs for Socs, for one year, excluding blood tests and other veterinary investigation:

To read more about Socs, please visit the following archived pages.

30th January 2008: Socs' Appeal is launched

2nd April 2008

9th October 2008