Snow White the cat meets her fairy godmother

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Andersen

A fairy godmother took in a feral cat which had been badly mistreated and in a very bad way.

Four years ago, Rhonda Andersen noticed an angry little cat roaming the neighbourhood and looked after her for a few days but she soon disappeared and didn't return until last October in a much worse shape. She was skinny, dirty, matted, and had gloopy eyes.

Snow White, which Rhonda had called her, had stopped grooming herself and consequently, her coat was filthy with large mats of fur hanging from her throat and hip. Rhonda made a safe space for Snow White in her heated garage and vowed to make sure she would never have to fend for herself outside again. Her first priority was to help Snow White learn to trust her and to feel safe in her new surroundings. Slowly but surely, she started to relax and allow the occasional head scratch.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Andersen

Because of her high level of anxiety and distrust, Snow White was sedated while a veterinarian checked her out, recommending a full dental extraction and gave her treatment for an upper respiratory infection. While she was sedated, the clinic took the opportunity to give Snow White a nice spa treatment. They bathed her, cut away the mats, and even gave her a pedicure.

Rhonda was able to schedule Snow White’s tooth extraction surgery once the upper respiratory infection was cleared up and was happy to be told that the cat didn’t have to lose all of her teeth after all. These days, Snow White now lives the life of a princess with Rhonda. She’s starting to trust that she’ll be fed every day and that Rhonda is only there to love and care for her. She says: “Inside that matted, grungy mess was a sweet, docile princess waiting for someone to rescue her. She will live happily ever after!”

Original story here.

Cat burglar obsessed with pants

Pic courtesy of Sarah Nathan/Facebook

A cat in New Zealand has taken to stealing men’s underwear and its incredulous owner has now counted more than 60 items of clothing within two months.

The six-year-old cat, named Brigit has now become a bit of a social media sensation in her native New Zealand.

Owner Sarah Nathan says that Brigit has stolen 11 pairs of men's pants and a whopping 50 socks and she has now started posting leaflets around her neighbourhood apologising for her pet’s behaviour and asking if anyone is missing their underpants.

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Sarah said: "In our last house she'd bring home a bit of everything - men's undies, women's undies, togs, she even brought home a hockey shin pad and a jumper.

"She was much less discerning - now she's decided menswear is the thing - and it's a very specific kind of underpants that she likes.

"It's an absolute obsession. A night does not go by without her bringing things home. I got up this morning and there were another four socks in the house."

Cat helps autistic girl to communicate

A six-year-old autistic girl in Leicester has found therapy in painting and her cat.

Iris Grace Halmshaw was diagnosed with autism in 2011. Her disorder prevents her from speaking so with the encouragement of her parents she learned how to express her emotions through painting instead. Her beautifully abstract pictures are sold and the proceeds are used to pay for Iris' therapy treatments and art supplies.

In 2014, a new feline friend also helped to make a world of difference in Iris's ability and desire to communicate.

Through her research, mum Arabella had discovered that many children responded well to a variety of animals, from dogs to horses and they tried both, but Iris didn't connect. When her brother travelled to Sweden for Christmas and needed someone to cat-sit, Arabella was amazed to see the way they bonded.

She decided to reassess her assumption that cats were aloof companions and posted on Facebook asking about the most suitable breeds. Many people pointed her to the Maine Coon, a cat native to the U.S. She was excited to learn that they were friendly, intelligent, quirky, vocal and even fond of water!

When they brought Thula home from a local breeder, Iris immediately took to the fluffy kitten and cradled her in her arms in bed on the first night. Iris quickly gained confidence with speaking as she tried to tell her new pet what to do. She seemed to relax around Thula, stroking her ears and whiskers,and the cat didn't even mind when Iris held her tail.

Because Iris hated the sensation of things touching her skin, like clothing or water, getting dressed or taking a bath could be incredibly difficult. But as a water-loving breed, Thula hopped right in the bathtub. Soon, Iris began to take all of her baths accompanied by the kitten.

Thula just naturally seemed to know what Iris needed, adapting her behavior and becoming the perfect companion. If Iris became impatient in the car, Thula would walk over and sit on her lap to calm her down. If she had difficulty during the day or woke up at night, Thula would distract her until she had settled again.

Mum Arabella is a professional photographer. She has documented their journey through diary entries and photographs and now tells Iris’s story in her first book which includes many of Grace's paintings.

http://irisgracepainting.com/