Angie - they were put into the CP by their owner, as she was moving abroad to be with her boyfriend and couldn't take them with her. As far as I'm aware, they were with her since they were kittens and had been well looked after and loved.
But the story doesn't end there.
When they were first put into CP, they were adopted a first time by a 19 year old girl. She'd had cats all her life, and her mother had passed away recently, so she took them on to keep her company and for comfort (partly, anyway).
The CP lady heard nothing from her for 2 weeks, and got in touch by email and voicemail to ask how they were settling in, and to arrange a routine check. She heard nothing. A few days later the girls grandmother was in touch (who had been looking after her after the girl's mother passed away) and said the cats really weren't settling in well.
Apparently, since the day she took them on, they'd been hissing at her, clawing at her, snarling, scratching furiously at doors and windows to get out, and Minsky (or Georgie as he as known then) wasn't using the litter tray and instead going in the bath every time. And in the two weeks she'd had them, they hadn't calmed down before.
Unable to cope with their behaviour any longer, they were taken back into care by the CP. The glasgow branch as no cattery so all cats are kept in foster homes. The fosterer said, when she got them back, that they were not like the cats she'd known the first time she took them on. And they didn't settle with her the whole week they were with her; Minsky / Georgie was still using the bath and they were still desperately scratching at windows and doors to get out.
So I was told all this before I took them on. I was prepared to give them plenty of time, care and the space they needed to settle, as I thought to myself that no cat could live a full life of scratching, hissing and snarling - they'd have to settle eventually.
The day the CP lady brough them round to ours, she opened the doors to their carriers and out they wandered, tails held high and whiskers cocked forward. They sniffed around everywhere, explored the place, and walked under our legs in the couch. They allowed us to stroke them. Half an hour after she'd gone, Minsky used the litter box!
The second night they were sleeping on our bed. We've never had one hiss, scratch or snarl out of them. They've been nothing but affectionate and loving since we got them; friends who came to visit said they were amazed they were so laid back and friendly after having them only a few days.
Minsky has never used the bath, or anywhere but his litter tray, since we got him. Darcy scratches at the front door, but that's for attention, and they've never scratched at windows.
I and the CP lady don't know why they were so unhappy with their first adoptive home; but I can't imagine them ever being angry or unfriendly and it breaks my heart to think of them like that.
Apparently their first owner was very doting and brought them up from kittens with all doors opened and allowing them in everywhere, so on nights we've tried to shut them out the bedroom it's really not worked as they're so used to being allowed where ever they want.
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So that's a brief history of my two boys before we got them!
Slightly traumatic, and confusing. But now I think they're two very happy content cats
). it did eventually work but took ages!
