My cat, Hardy

She was born on the 24th February 1995 and that makes her 15 years old. She’s normally in very good health for a cat of her age.

When I left home in January 2007 to live with my fiancé, I could not take her with me as we live in a first floor flat on a main road and our landlords have a strict “no pets” policy.

Still, a flat is no place for a cat to live and so she lives at my mum’s house with her mum (Squeak), sister (Bonnie) and brother (Clyde). They have a nice big garden to play in and can come and go as they please ^__^

I don’t get to see her all the time, but whenever I am at my mum’s house I always make a point of making a fuss of her, that’s if I can get her out from under the bed…LOL

Back in March during our family get together for my mum and dad’s anniversary, I noticed that she had developed a lump under her left eye. At the time I thought nothing of it because she was rubbing up against things and it didn’t seem to be bothering her, but I decided I would need to keep an “eye” on it (pardon the pun).

Only recently have I felt that lump was getting bigger, so my partner and I took her to the vet. The vet who examined her did not think it was anything suspicious, but wanted to do a biopsy to see what it was.

She had the biopsy done later that week, and the results came through earlier this week. The biopsy showed that it is actually a low-grade tumor. The vets feel that it has been caught early enough and that they can remove it, although because it is in her eyelid, they will have to remove that and do a skin graft.

I am very upset by this, especially as it is coming at a difficult time for me, but she is my baby and I want the best care for her in her twilight years, despite the cost. She is booked in for the surgery tomorrow…fingers crossed all goes well!

Here are some piccies of my gorgeous kitty:

(btw, that ugly git holding her is me...LOL)