Smokey, the Bandit and the Princess

These three elderly cats are among several senior cats to arrive recently at the Cat Sanctuary. Their combined names sound a little like the title of a fairy tale so it seems fitting that their stories be told together. All three of them are sweet cats but there, their similarity ends.

MW

Smokey is a beautiful and stately 17-year old Himalayan lady whose owner became ill and unable to look after her. Smokey’s appearance is described quite accurately by her name – her cloud of silky fur is a lovely pale grey with darker ears and face mask and bright blue eyes like patches of blue sky.

 MM

 She’s quite a striking cat and has a nice disposition, although she’s understandably still a bit uneasy around all the “divas” in the Moore trailer.

MM

Bandit, in the Single-wide, also sort of lives up to his name. There’s a slightly rakish air about him, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and large fluffy paws that give him a bit of a swashbuckling look. Despite his charming appearance, Bandit further lives up to his name by having a slightly nefarious side to his personality – he’s gentle and loving until you stop petting him, then you may get a swat or even a little nip, as if he’s saying that you’d better get back here, or else.

PH

Fourteen-year old Bandit is a diabetic who requires daily insulin, which is why he’s situated where he is – closer to fellow diabetic Garfield (much easier for Animal Care staff to treat both cats if they’re in the same building).

MM

Princess rounds out the storybook trio – she’s a 17-year old sweetheart who came to RAPS when her owner had to go into a care home. With her compact body and little bob-tail, Princess is very much like a black-and-white Sweet Pea, but happily without Sweet Pea’s unfortunate incontinence problems.

PH

Princess is the most recent arrival of the three so we’re still getting to know each other but so far she’s shown herself to be a very nice kitty – no signs from her of a spoiled royal expecting special treatment. Maybe she’ll convince the other would-be princesses in the Moore trailer to be more like her.

MM

Blog by Marianne Moore

Photos by Phaedra Hardman, Marianne Moore & Michele Wright