Rosie

A story of a cat that has resided at Chichester Cattery

This is Rosie Webster. Jessica Webster sent in this photo and story about her.

Rosie was found by my Auntie Caroline drinking swimming pool water on the Saudi British Bank compound, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in April 2000. She wasn’t seen after that for a few weeks. One month later a security guard on the compound saw her with 5 kittens. My Auntie Caroline went to investigate and stroked her while she was feeding her kittens which proved that she was definitely not a wild cat.

Over the next two weeks Rosie moved her 5 kittens to 4 different locations keeping them in secret, quiet places. Auntie Caroline asked her vet to catch Rosie and her kittens which he did very quickly carrying the kittens in a carry-box with Rosie trotting along behind. They all went to live in luxury in my Auntie Caroline’s spare bedroom. The kittens were about 5 weeks old and this was Rosie’s first (and last) litter she was only approximately 9 months old herself. Rosie had her neutering operation soon after she was found.

Homes were found for 3 kittens when they were 8 weeks old. Rosie and her two other kittens, Lucky and Marble, carried on living in Riyadh until my auntie’s family moved back to the UK bringing them too. Rosie, Lucky, Marble and my auntie’s 2 other cats, Sam and Elsa, were in quarantine for 6 months from March 1st August 31st 2001. Homes were found for Lucky and Marble while they were still in quarantine and so they went directly to their new owners on August 31st.

Rosie went to live with my auntie but was having lots of fights with Sam and Elsa and would not settle so she asked if Rosie could come to stay with us for a while until she could find a new owner. Mummy, my brother and I were delighted but not sure how Daddy would react as he has never let us have any indoor pets before and he is not keen on cats. We conspired a plan and told him that Rosie would only be staying for a while, so luckily he agreed. He continues to tell people that she is just temporary!!! (but we know otherwise) even though she has been with us for just over 9 months. She is very settled with us and has lots of cat friends including her next door neighbour which we say is her boyfriend and call him ‘Lover Boy’ and a stray cat which used to live in our garage which we named ‘Down ‘n Out’. Her favourite place to be curled up is in her basket viewing her English garden through the conservatory window so very different and far away from where her life began.