Algernon – A Beautiful BIG Snuggle Boy

1/07/12: Last night Kerstin sent me the first pictures of Algie in his new home. He is very well and loved, and he has kept his name. Martina and Stephi call him their little prince! ALSO it seems he already has his girlfriend. his parents were planning on adopting another cat from us, but by chance they heard of a blind FiV positive female, so have given a home to Lunita. She plays nicely with Algie and all is fine in their home so Algie has a cat friend and his world is complete. He looks fluffy, fantastic and happy in these new photos. We are very happy for him!

12/03/12: Still no photos but the latest news is that Algie’s parents would now like to adopt a FiV positive girlfriend for him!
17/02/12: Now I have news. For the first day in his new home Algie did not eat, but Kerstin thinks he just forgot because he was too busy cuddling! Yesterday came the news that his adopt ants are completely in love with him and think him SOooo lovely! We are happy here, and await photos.
10/02/12: Algernon does now have a ‘proper’ home in a lovely apartment with a lovely young couple, who had rushed out to buy everything for him, even before the final home check. They are very excited and I am sure will give him all the love he needs. He moves this weekend and I can’t wait for news!

01/02/12: Not such good news on Sunday morning. Only hours before Algie was due to set off to his new home, the husband phone to say that they had changed their minds and didn’t want a new cat after all. Kerstin actually thinks it is him and not his wife that doesn’t want our lovely boy. They are the ones who have missed out. It is frustrating because during the time he was reserved for them, other people have enquired, but I am sure Algie will find the right home soon.

22/01/12: News came through this afternoon from Kerstin, that Algie has his forever home, with a lovely family of doctors, in a big house AND with a safe garden! so he will be able to go outside again after all. Perfect! They have been thinking for some days, because after their last cat died at 20+, they had decided NOT to have another one. That was until they saw Algie’s photos. He looks just like their old cat, and they fell in love. I am SO happy for Algie that they did change their mind and I KNOW they will not regret this decision. He is going to give them so much love and joy. They will collect him next weekend and I am waiting for more news and of course photos.

For now enjoy some final photos Chris took of our beautiful boy including their last snuggle!

Our Beautiful Big Boy

Our Beautiful Big Boy

Last Snuggle With Buddy Chris

16/01/12: I now have the first photos of Algie from his foster home. All is fine. He was a little afraid the first night, as he is a big baby with new people. Apparently he was trying to hide behind the furniture but could not fit, so decided if he just hid his head then, because he couldn’t see the new people, they would not be able to see him! Later Saturday evening he came out from his hiding place in search of food. Slowly he has made friends with his foster Mum Monika and become more and more cuddly. ANd he is VERY hungry so eating well now. In the photos he is looking pretty relaxed and at home. Kerstin thought he was just gorgeous, and loved his thick, soft fur. She said he was very chilled out in his box, but this is no big surprise because Algie is a VERY cool, special cat!

11/01/12: The latest news is that our big cuddle boy is off to a foster home in Germany on the 13.01 transport. I am going to miss him, but I think Chris even more so as the 2 boys have bonded completely. You will have seen this if you have been following Chris’s daily TwitPics. Algie had his last vaccinations and tests at vet Miguel’s on Monday evening and is definitely good to go. His eyes are great, his ear mites are gone, and he is feeling very playful and happy. I am sure the journey will not be fun for him, but he needs more space now and I’m sure that being already in Germany will really help him to find his forever home fast. Everyone who met this beautiful cat, loves him, Martina in Germany loves him just from his photos, and I am sure that whoever adopts this amazing character will adore him. Good life Algie from all of us here. Enjoy my latest photos.

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Our BIG Beautiful Boy

Algie Playing With Smudge

27th December

22/12/11: I’m really looking forward to seeing Algie again on Friday. Thankyou to Chris for looking after him so well and for sending me through daily photos. I have just sent some of my favourites through to Anke in Germany, and below are some more of his gorgeous snuggle photos.

13/12/11: Big guy is doing REALLY well. This evening he played for the first time: chased a ball, fight with a mouse, and then after ‘pad pad’ for 20 minutes and some head butting (his favourite sign of affection) he then snuggled up against me and had a kip!

Bright Eyed

Loads more photos on Twit Pic and a few special ones below:

Update: 12th December All good at the vet. Stitches came out a treat although he had to have an anesthetic as he didn’t like the thought of the knife so close to his eye (can’t say I blame him). Eyes are great, but needs eye drops still 3 times a day for the next 7 days just to be on the safe side.

Stayed with the big guy until he woke up at his foster home, watched him eat loads and then bless him he fell asleep with his head in a food bowl. Left him fast asleep and looking very comfortable on the bed.

Few photos of today for you to enjoy below.

Update: 10th December The big fella is feeling good! Earlier today he was snuggled up to my face, head butting me when I stopped stroking him and this evening for the first time he was out of his ‘igloo’ when I popped round, stretched out on the bed.

Not only did he want a fuss, but for the first time we had a play! He was happy to chase and chew a toy, and got a little over excited and scratched my hand, which was great as it proves he was just focused on playing. Not a malicious bone in this guys body, he is going to make someone very happy indeed. It is impossible to think that he has been out on the street for so long he is such a loving cat!

Have posted some photos from today HERE

Update: 9th December I (Chris) have been looking after the big guy since Sands went to Germany and the UK and this is one huge, lovely, kind, loving cat! He is happy enough been on his own in the safety of the foster home we have found for him, and I am doing his eyes three times a day. No fuss from the big fella, and his eyes are looking really good.

He is enjoying some fish that I cooked for him but more than anything he wants a fuss! Can’t get enough love: straight up on the bed, ‘pad pad’ on the blanket, loves having his chin and cheeks rubbed and generally is basking in the attention.

Took photo below with the iPhone earlier of him doing some ‘pad pad’ on the blanket.

This is Algie a huge tomcat that I have been feeding in the garden of an empty house for some months now. At first I thought he was a big feral boy, but over the last few months he has slowly gained confidence, and become extremely friendly. I now think that like big Beau before him, he started life as an owned cat, was then abandoned, and his time on the streets has made him a little wary of people. My plan wasn’t to bring him in until I had a good chance of a home for him, but I think it is obvious from his photos that Algie had a big problem that needed sorting. Yesterday he walked happily into a wire catch cage in search of a bowl of tuna, and I was able to take him to Miguel for castration and to get a diagnosis on what I thought was a lingering eye infection.

Algie it turns out has a condition called Entropion, which is also seen in humans and is often genetic. This is where one of his eyelids turns in and by doing so causes his eyelashes to rub against the cornea causing irritation, inflammation and often pain. Algie could well have had this from birth but I have only noticed recently. As he has got older his eye-lashes, very soft in babies, will have become more coarse, causing more problems. The good news for him, is that it only required a relatively simple operation to stitch his eyelids back into the correct position, and after a week of anti-inflammatory eye-drops he should be feeling much more comfortable. Algie has I think had a pretty horrible time, as when I first saw him I was very concerned about some big wounds behind both his ears. I quickly realised that he was doing this to himself, scratching because his ears were infested with mites. He is now on his 3rd treatment with Advocate, and Miguel thinks 2 more will be required to finally sort this, as his condition was so bad.

As you can also see from the photos, this big bruiser of a cat is actually rather a cuddle boy, and a gentle soul. He sat very calmly with one of his huge paws out while Miguel did his blood test and seems a completely non-aggressive cat. I am smiling about this because I delayed some weeks before catching him, worried how this giant of a cat may react. He is obviously feeling rather sorry for himself for now, but I am sure is also rather relieved. There is however another problem. During Algie’s time on the sheets, like so many un-castrated males, he has been infected with FiV. I think in Algie’s case this should not be a big problem, as he is such a big strong boy, but he will now need the right home, and his wandering days are over. He needs to be an inside cat to avoid infections, and problems like Peter’s, and also to ensure he does not pass this on by biting another cat.

Everyone who came into Miguel’s last night was amazed at Algie’s size as most Spanish cats are slim with big ears. He is I think at least 8kg of pure lean, muscular tomcat! Nicolas, who works with Miguel, told people he was a ‘polar bear’. He IS absolutely gorgeous!!!

For now he is in a cage, and we are taking him to Pam’s for cuddles with her husband John. Tomorrow he will go to my now empty kitten room, and I hope to find a foster home for him over the next few weeks, or this poor boy is going to get rather lonely. Another reason why Algie needs to live inside is that I already have my suspicions he may, like a lot of white cats, be deaf. When I went to see him this morning he was fast asleep and did not move when I called him, only when I touched him. this MAY because his ears are still full of mire dirt, so we will have to see. We have a few problems to sort out, but he is worth it. Algie is a big character cats, who loves to rub against you and be stroked, and outside in his garden he talked to me a lot. He was also well know in the immediate area as he liked to walk around quite a large area, and along with the bad times, I think he has had some good ones, mating with many a female cat. We have all heard him calling over the summer!!!

Our Gentle Giant

Our Gentle Giant

Our Gentle Giant

Our Gentle Giant

Our Gentle Giant