Eric & Georgie

Just before Christmas 2008 we received this lovely email and loads of photos from Melissa & Barry. We're a bit late putting it on our site, but it's a great story!

Dear Chestnut Cat Sanctuary,

Update on Eric and Georgie - adopted on 24 October 2008.

As we get ready for our first Christmas with Eric and Georgie, we wanted to give you an update on how well our new family is doing.

After moving into our new home last summer, Barry and I were really excited about welcoming cats in our home after living in a flat for so long. We started looking for a pair of kittens to adopt and had clear ideas about what we wanted, right down to the colours and character. We had names picked out too!

We came to Chestnuts and after talking to the staff, we discovered that because little kittens need so much attention and care, our work commitments meant we should consider slightly older kittens, aged 9months+. But there were none there. We were utterly disappointed.

But after some gentle encouragement from the team, we were introduced to this timid but loveable two-year-old two-some. Needless to say, we fell head over heels for them and have never looked back.

When we finally took them home in October, both Eric and his little sister Georgie were incredibly nervous at first. But after just a few hours behind the sofa, curiosity forced them out to explore their new surroundings and they had soon taken over our front room.

In just a couple of days, they were ready to brave the rest of the house too. Stairs were particularly intriguing for a pair who had lived in a flat previously. They kept running up and down, and looking at each other as if to say: There's more up here!

We have just started to introduce them to the garden, which they have watched from the window and through the kitchen door in quiet fascination for weeks! They're so excited and get braver each day. Georgie usually stick close to her brother's side, but today I watched proudly as she headed outside by herself for the very first time. It's only ten minutes at a time so far before they run back inside, but I suspect the weather has as much to do with that as nerves!

Georgie is an incredible squeaker who meows for England. She calls her brother to come and play when he's upstairs, calls us to tell us she's hungry, squeaks just to find out where we are in the house or just to let us know where she is.

Eric is a polite gentleman who sits by his bowl when he knows it's dinner time and waits for you to invite him onto your lap or the bed. He now sleeps on my feet every night and wakes us up (after the alarm has gone off) by jumping on our toes.

Both of them love to play - whether it's fighting with a scrunched up pair of socks, a toy mouse or a bouncy ball - or simply chasing each other round and round the house when they have their daily "mad half hour". And both love to be fussed over. Georgie enjoys rolling over around your feet until you stroke her, while he likes his ears rubbed until he falls asleep! They get jealous if their sibling is getting more attention, so push each other out of the way to get to your hands!

Thanks both, for your letter and pics!