Orket's stay with us

Orket is indeed a special cat. When she is relaxed, she lies around the house with her paws fully stretched out, even her hind legs, looking like a flying teddy bear!

We already mentioned that she needs to be handfed because she is a flat-faced Himalayan cat. She also needs to be groomed everyday, as her fur is not only long, but double-coated, hence it is very thick. She doesn't actually shed fur a lot, as her fur comes off in clumps and is easy to clean up after, unlike Slinky's which is all over the house.

Safety is very important to Orket. In Aswat's home she gets bullied by his aggressive male cat, Bayou, and she often gets so stressed out she sits under the sofa all day, only coming out to eat and use the toilet once a day.

Yesterday when she arrived at her foster home - ours! - we managed to calm her by placing her in our igloo. She also enjoys sitting on elevated areas, places which we do not let our cats go to like as table-tops and such, so we had to scold her to tell her no. She has not climbed on the table again so far.

But we found out that she is not really willing to use our cats' toilets. We came home after a late night out in the neighbourhood to find that there was poo and pee outside our bedroom toilet, on the floormat. We placed some of her poo in the cat litter box in the kitchen so that if it was indeed Orket's shit, she would know that is where it should go.

Last night, we placed her in the kitchen, with Scooter for company, as he is the most warmed up towards her. Also, I was hoping that when Scooter uses the toilet in the kitchen, Orket will know that that is the litter area.

However Andy woke up to find the kitchen in a mess! (Thankfully it wasn't me to discover it and he had to clear up the place, not me!) Orket had climbed on top of our front-loading washing machine, on top of which I place all my daily medications, which had been displaced on to the floor.

Andy then bathed Orket, as he enjoys the grooming and bathing part of taking care of cats the most. Orket had been repeatedly scratching her neck, so I guess a bath was timely. She mewed a lot while she was having her bath, prompting me to go check the toilet because I didn't realise Andy was bathing her at the time, I thought one of our cats was trapped inside the bathroom and didn't know how to open the door! Afterwards, Orket seemed to really enjoy being rubbed down with a towel. Our hairdryer is a bit loud, so she didn't really enjoy that, unless Andy placed the hairdryer further away, and on a lower speed.

Orket is a cat that likes quiet, you see. She is the kind of cat that suits someone who loves peace and quiet and just simple pleasures like lying around and watching the time go by. She is like a loving companion, quiet, uncomplaining. Kind of like the type of human being who enjoys sitting in the park with a book and an iPod, just watching the clouds and the trees move in the wind...

In fact, right now, she is doing just that - being by herself. Although worrisomely, she has retreated right under my sofa and I cannot get her out. I called Aswat, worried, but he said Orket likes to sleep under the sofa, so I guess I will just have to leave her.

I think Orket would do well for a human companion who has the same temperament as she does. A person who likes quiet, enjoys stroking a cat while reading a book, spending time to feed her and groom her once a day. She will also do well in a home with lots of safe places such as cat igloos or a cat tower, or simply a basket in a quiet corner of the house with little human traffic. In fact, she would do best in a single cat household, or with a young kitten.

Does that sound like you, dear reader? Then Orket would make a very loving animal companion for you. Being already 8 years old, she has only half her life left to go, and would be spending most of her remaining 8 years or so enjoying solititude, peace and quiet. She is a very loving cat, taking to us quickly - just last night, her first night here, she already became very manja towards me, rubbing herself against my legs.