Today's content is dedicated to the cat lovers, just cute and cuddly goodness..

As I go down the rabbit-hole of writing every day for 30 days, there's plenty of opportunity to try new types of content, as well as going deeper into the details of life to see what people find interesting. I wanted to share some photos and stories about our cats for the more cat-inclined readers.

Percy (6, male)

Percy has the shortest legs you've ever seen on a domestic short-hair. He has a thick, grey, double-coat fur. He also has a super high-pitched mew, and likes to give us backtalk! He's gentle and kind but can be downright stubborn.

His kindness usually extends to strange people, depending on their scent, but he has also been super tolerant of strange cats. There was a year where we fostered about 10 times (about 11 cats and 1 dog, if I remember correctly). He was able to get to know the other cats very quickly, and befriended them very quickly too.

Percy really lost the genetic lottery, with dental issues, arthritis, his short legs, and at 2 years old he got a partial urinary blockage which nearly killed him. Both of the cats are raw-fed now, which as great for their hydration and overall health. Every month he gets an injection of Solensia, which has been extremely effective for Percy's arthritis. Between the injections, and having the younger and more energetic Widget around, he has changed dramatically in the last few years. He's much more playful and happy than before.

He loves food, especially chicken. The only problem is that he's chicken-intolerant. If he has too much, he gets this itchy skin condition which he tends to scratch so hard he bleeds. No chicken for Percy.

He's also been very anxious lately, but I'm saving that story for a whole other blog post... For now I'll say we're looking after him and he's been feeling better.

Percy was born in Queensland, then we shipped him over when we moved. I wonder if he meows with an accent?

Percy's dental issues

Did you know cat bodies can just decide to re-absorb their teeth? Feline Tooth Resorption (FTR) is a real condition that caused Percy to need a handful of extractions. Often the teeth look fine from the outside, but the damage will show up on x-rays. Even though this is a very painful condition, cats hide their pain as much as they can. So unless your vet does regular x-rays (and most don't) your cat could be in constant pain without you knowing. Make sure you get regular feline dental x-rays. Also, download the feline grimace scale app to learn facial expressions that might indicate that your cat is in pain.

Widget (2, female)

Widget has no tail! Based on the lack of a tail plus her overall personality, we think she might be a Manx. She has soft, thin, black fur. Her legs are slightly long at the back, and she has a slightly unusual gait (another hallmark trait of a Manx).

She eats everything in sight - onion skins, plastic, alfoil. She digs obsessively - particularly in corners - both inside and outside. She loves pats on the rump. So, she's basically a dog. She can also climb a tree in about 0.2 seconds, then won't climb back down again. No trees for Widget...

Widget is a kind, cuddly kitty with loads of playful energy. She's usually tentative but accepting of people, but she seems to really hate people that smell like male cats. She talks in short chirps (her name at the rescue was "Quack"). She also chirps whenever someone sneezes. She might be confusing sneezing with hissing, but I like to think that it's her way of saying "bless you"!

Despite her playful nature, she's also a massive scaredy-cat. She's terrified of the vacuum cleaner, and disappears whenever there's a hint of cleaning happening. One day, she found a new hiding spot and stayed there for ten hours! We thought she'd snuck out of the house completely!

Widget's missing tail

Note: Mild TMI warning.
A genetically short (and by short, I mean non-existent) tail comes with inherent health problems. A short tail usually means a malformed spine, or spina bifida. Spina bifida can result in problems sending signals around the body, which can cause additional problems, and there's a potential for further health complications as she gets older. There's a fairly high correlation between spina bifida and Manx breeds (we still need to set aside some budget for a DNA test though, so she might not be a Manx).

Last tidbits

Our cats are both gentle chatterboxes who love cuddles - Widget in bed or in your arms, and Percy on your lap. They both seem to have major health problems, but we do what we can to keep them happy and healthy. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and if you want more check out their Instagram account, which Victoria updates from time-to-time.