Dear Readers, our latest foster cat is about as different from the chatty, outgoing Jolene as it’s possible to get. Abbie is fourteen years old, and from the few glimpses I’ve had so far, she’s a very pretty long-haired cat, whose whole life has been turned upside down in the past few months.

Abbie was adopted from the RSPCA when she was four, and lived for her whole life with a lady who lived alone. Abbie was an indoor cat, something she chose quite early on, having been terrified by the neighbourhood feline tough guys. She would run and hide as soon as any visitors came, but was devoted to her owner, sitting beside her on the sofa, curling up at the foot of the bed and generally being an undemanding little shadow.

Then her owner died, and since then Abbie’s life has been very different. A kind neighbour looked after her for a while, and then she’s been looked after by the RSPCA. Now she’s with us, and we’re hoping that she’ll settle and come out of her shell a little bit so that she can go to her forever home.

Whoever adopts her will, I think, need to be someone with the patience to let Abbie get to know them at her own pace. She won’t work in a busy household, or somewhere with other pets. I suspect she hasn’t had much to do with men, but it will all depend on the personality of the owner. It will be no good trying to rush things with this cat – at fourteen she’s set in her ways, and while I’m sure she will start to show her personality and become a bit more confident, she’s unlikely to ever be a lap cat.

Poor Abbie. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there’s an experienced cat owner out there willing to give her the time and space she’ll need. Give me a shout in the comments if you, or anyone you know, might fit the bill!