After lunch I said I would just go to the vet and see him. When the receptionist took me to the back and opened his cage he merrily waltzed out and came to say hello. That was it , he couldn’t spend another night without a family. The receptionist then told me it wasn’t going to be as easy as that. I needed to meet the lady who brought him in as she had rescued him and she wanted to approve of the new owner as he needed a happy life. Apparently his previous owner had been tragically murdered two years prior and he had been left to fend for himself on the mountain. A kind neighbor would leave some food out . The lady who had brought him to the vet had just moved into a complex when she noticed this beautiful cat on the mountain. When she went outside she met the neighbor who had been feeding him . The neighbor told her the tragic story and suggested that she try and look after him. The neighbor was unable to as she already had cats which didn’t get along with him. So she decided to look after him. He was very happy to be loved again but the lady soon realized that she would be unable to give him the full care he needs as her job requires her to travel a lot so that is how he got to the vet.

Our meeting went well and Kitty came home immediately. My husband was rather shocked, but he was a good sport and decided to name him McEnroe as he made some interesting sounds when in the cat basket. Our daughter immediately fell in love with him. Following him everywhere and telling him stories.

He settled in extremely well but then I noticed one evening about six weeks later that he wouldn’t eat so the next day we went to our vet who ran a battery of tests. The vet phoned me later to say that I needed to pick McEnroe up and take him to an animal hospital as he was gravely ill and his body was starting to shut down. He needed specialized, round the clock, care if we were to save him. I immediately felt guilt for maybe having done something to have caused this by removing him from the mountain but my vet reassured me he had been ill for a while.

He spent a week in hospital which was awful as we all missed him terribly and we couldn’t be certain he would make it. The hospital was very kind and let us visit him everyday and by the sixth day he was definitely getting better so we took him home the next day. He showed signs of being diabetic so we are now making sure to manage his condition with a sensible diet. We are privileged to have such outstanding vets and veterinary nurses in our country.

McEnroe is a reminder everyday of how not to take things for granted as life can change so suddenly and that by opening our hearts even in the smallest way we can be gifted with such deep unconditional love.

Die Sondagaand sit ek my rekenaar aan, en my seun het laaste met die rekenaar gewerk en is die skerm by Facebook oop met die pragtigste ou hondjie denkbaar op ‘n foto. Met ‘n skok besef ek dat die hondjie ‘n nuwe huis soek en dat hy by Lucky Lucy Foundation (LLF) is. Net daar besef ek dit is die teken waarvoor ek gewag het. Ek het dadelik e-posse gestuur na LLF en die wiel aan die rol gesit, en op 15 November 2011 kon ek Bowtie aanneem. Dit lyk my Seuntjie het net gewag vir die nuwe hondjie want hy is toe op 1 Desember oorlede.

Ek onthou die dag soos gister toe ek en my seun Bowtie by Lucky Lucy gaan haal het: Hy was in die arms van die dame wat hom na ons gebring het, en toe hy my sien het hy basies uit haar arms in myne gespring, en net die trane begin lek wat van my wange af gestroom het. Hy was baie versigtig vir my seun, maar het in my arms die hele tyd gele oppad terug na ons huis toe. Hy het vir bykans 3 weke nie geblaf nie, was skrikkerig vir enige iets wat ‘n geluid maak, maar na 3 weke het hy besef in hierdie huis gaan hy nie weer mishandel word nie. Van dag een het hy my aangeneem as sy “ma” of “ouma” soos ek se. Hy sal my agtervolg waar ek ook loop in die huis, en wil net in my arms wees; sit op my heup soos ‘n regte babatjie.

Ek het met tyd uitgevind dat hy maar ‘n baie, baie moeilike lewe gehad het, en ek is net dankbaar dat ek vir hom die veilige hawe kon gee wat hy nie die eerste tydjie in sy lewe gekry het nie. Ons het hom beslis nie “gerescue” nie, hy het ons “gerescue” want met sy ou pragtige ogies en liefdevolle geaardheid, het hy so diep in ons harte geklim. Hy is ‘n voorbeeld vir mense om te sien hoe pragtig kan ‘n “weggooi” hondjie raak as hy net die regte liefde, behandeling en voeding kry. Hy was net ‘n bondel koeke toe hy by Lucky Lucy aangekom het, en vandag het hy die ou sagste velletjie denkbaar.

Hy en sy nuwe boetie is die Meirings se ALLES!!!!!!!!