If I should die - Monkey

Ah.

Where to begin.

At the time of writing (February 2014) Monkey is 13 turning 14 years old some time this year. Monkey is a large black and white de-sexed female domestic short hair cat. She was born in a feral cat colony in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Australia, sometime in 2000. Monkey was trapped along with her relatives and brought to the Waterworks Road Vet Surgery in Ashgrove, a Western suburb of Brisbane, for rehabilitation or euthanasia.

Monkey and her relatives were wild. They could not be handled without thick welders gloves and were terrified of humans. Monkey was named 'Daisy' because of her cow print markings. She was approximately 4-5 months old. I was the animal attendant for the vet surgery at the time, and it was up to me to clean and tend the feral cats. They all fell ill with cat flu, and required medication. After many weeks of care in isolation, where the only person she was seeing each day was me, Monkey became attached to her care giver, but was still vile with everyone else. All of the other cats from the colony were euthanised.

I adopted Monkey as it was clear that she had become imprinted and would not be able to be re-homed elsewhere. Her name change came a few weeks into coming home with me. It just suited her better.

Monkey has a very strong and wilful personality. She is still fearful of anyone who she does not know well. She has proven that she is able to develop attachments to people other than me, and while I remain her favourite person, she would cope with re-homing given enough time and understanding. For this reason I do not want her to be euthanised if I should die. Yes, she will present a challenge, but she is still special and frankly quite a personality. She is capable of expressing great joy and deserves to be allowed to live out her natural days.

When Monkey was between 1-2 years old, she had a (assumed ) run in with a car and her rear left leg was broken. It was repaired and sports three metal pins in a teepee shape. It has affected her life very little, but I do think it aches from time to time. I only say this because she seeks to keep that side of her body warm. She especially likes to sleep on an open lap top if she can find one unattended. Warning, this leads to her accidentally changing keyboard and lap top settings.

Monkey hates cold weather, and it makes her angrier than she normally is. In warm weather she likes to sunbathe. Monkey likes to 'find' her water outside, and prefers to drink from puddles. She will drink from a water bowl if she absolutely has to. Monkey also prefers to toilet outside, and will only go in a litter box if presented with no other option. She will hang on for a long time in the hope of being able to go outside.

Monkey is very much a inside/outside cat. She would not be happy if she had to be an indoors only cat. She knows how to use a cat door. She is kept in at night with the other cats, but does like to be let out/let in/let out/let in/let out/let in and will do this dance for a few hours with you before settling down. She doesn't go far, only to have a drink or to toilet, so I tolerate this ridiculous behaviour. Monkey sleeps on our bed, both during the day and the night. She has done this her entire life and it would not be fair at this age for her to have to stop. I'm not even sure she would allow this to happen.

Monkey can be violent and is not afraid of using her claws. She does not like to be picked up and carried or cuddled and will hiss, spit and complain loudly. When you put her down, do so with extended arms, as she will spin around and try to slice you open with her claws. However, she will choose to sit on you sometimes, and at night she will spend the entire night trying to sleep on you. It starts from the moment you go to bed. She will approach your face and start breathing on you, touching your face with hers. It is really creepy and very annoying and it has been my life for almost 14 years now. She will attempt to nestle in beside you, and will object loudly if you push her away. If you do push her away, she will just wait until you are asleep and than begin assaulting you again. You may or may not get used to it.

She has a very strong and strange personality. When she gets to know you well she will approach you when you are seated and attempt to make out with your face and your hair. If you don't have hair, she will make out with your bald head.

She hates dogs and can be violent with other cats. However, she lives successfully with 4 other cats and 1 dog. Two of the cats she can be quite mean to, one of them she ignores completely. However Boo Boo the cat is so disarmingly sweet that she has even bewitched Monkey, and Monkey quite likes to play a gentle chase game with Boo. Other animals get used to Monkey and learn to avoid her, not the other way around.

Monkey has a good appetite, and has eaten Hills Science Diet Adult Chicken dry food her entire life. She is used to it being available for her 24 hours a day. She also has a wet food breakfast daily, and prefers single serve 'posh' tins of a saucy flavour. She will eat pouch food, but only Gourmet Perle. Attempts to feed other brands result in a waste of money.

Monkey would need a long adjustment period for a new home. She would have to be kept inside for perhaps a month while she gets to know and trust you. She will spend the first few days hiding under a bed or behind a couch. She is NOT suited for family life with young children. She may learn to tolerate teenagers, especially if one of them is animal mad and spends a lot of time earning her trust. 

While I understand re-homing older cats is difficult, and that her personality is less than delightful, Monkey is a rewarding cat to have in your life. There is something quite disarming about being able to win her trust. It's like some sort of test that you feel special about having passed.