This is my article published in the Euro Weekly News today. It features Bono, one of our very special rescue cats.
Bono is another of our very special cats. When Pam and I first rescued this beautiful tame siam-mix kitten we had no idea how much trouble and laughter he would bring to everyone. He was very easy to catch, seemed adorable, and although very hungry, looked fine. We could not understand why anyone would want to abandon him, until his foster Mum rang us to say Bono could not eat!
Literally he could not open his mouth to eat at all, and it remained a mystery to our vet Begona, exactly why, during all the time we had him, and all the treatments we tried. We finally came to the conclusion that it was something to do with his jaw structure, as a result of his mixed Siamese/Persian heritage. Slowly as he grew his problems eased to the extent that he could feed himself, slowly and messily.
During his almost 2 months with us, our challenge was to get enough of my ‘meat smoothies’ down him to sustain his growth. In the first weeks much of it ended up all over our clothes as we pushed it with syringes into the small gap in his mouth, and Bono repeatedly sneezed! I liquidised dry and wet food with water and vitamins and this concoction spurted everywhere! Bono meanwhile was always hungry and always willing to go through this, and he continued to grow and put on weight, even whilst we wondered if this would ever have a happy ending.
We did literally save his life, whilst our German girls looked for a home for him. It was a lovely German doctor who was chosen from many who wanted Bono, and she flew in from Switzerland to adopt him. Now he lives in a lovely house with a garden and a beautiful Russian blue girlfriend called Desdemona. He dines on pureed steak etc. and when we last heard his mum was considering an operation now that he is fully grown. We await more news. Our boy has been renamed Nathan, but to us he will always be Bono, our little rock star!
The photo below is of him looking VERY contented, not long after he settled into his new home in Switzerland.
Nathan / Bono