We have a rescue-cat story your listeners may be interested in.

In 2001 we rescued a 5 year old tabby Persian cat who was almost at death's door. He was one solid mat of fleas and fur, his jaw had been broken and allowed to set crooked, his teeth were shattered, his throat was choked with fur, and his ribs stuck out as he wasn't fed properly. He was at deaths door, and being terrorised by a big dog which his owner had brought into his house. He was clearly desperate to be loved. He would walk up and down the street, meowing at strangers, desperate for them to pick him up and cuddle him, so that he could close his eyes and feel safe and loved, albeit if only for a fleeting moment. But he was in such a wretched condition, no one would touch him. He would creep through other cats' catflaps in search of food, only to be shoed off.

We did not want another cat -- we had two -- but it broke our heart so badly to see him, so we "bought" him for a bottle of cheap champagne (all we had in the house at the time!). It turned out he had come from a rescue centre where he had to have his fur shaved off, as he'd been completely neglected for the first years of his life. Unfortunately, his new owner didn't groom him either -- she had no idea just how high maintenance Persians can be! -- and soon lost interest in him.

After being shaved of all his fur yet again, and having to wear a romper suit as it was so cold, when he arrived here at Tom Cat Towers to live with us he was so depressed he wouldn't even look at us for 3 months. Then, as if a light was switched on, one day he came across and gave me a kiss, a huge mog-snog on the nose, and made the career decision he wasn't an unwanted cat anymore -- he had humans, who adored him utterly, to supervise!!

He goes out for walks on a harness and all the neighbours come talk to him. The local Rottweiler is in awe of him! He drinks milk from a bottle, and the whole house is run around his whims and fancies! We are the love affair of the century.

Tushots, as he was renamed, was the key to writing a series of humorous and unusual books primarily for adults, the first of which is currently sweeping America by storm and has become a "cult" book. He has been interviewed on radio in America, where 2 million listeners are falling in love with both him and his feline friends; Stinker of the Yard, Britney Kitney, Mewkus Willi Whizkas and others.

"Willi Whizkas, Tall Tales and Lost Lives," by Paws and Claws, published by Zymurgy, is available on Amazon, and was the featured book for April and May 2006 on CFA.ORG, the global website for all things cat.

Yet Tushtots, the shaved Persian, and Willi Whizkas, a large pale grey Maine Coon cat who live with us in Tom Cat Towers here in Stafford, are taking it all in their stride. They were featured on Animal Radio in America, they are reviewed on global websites, and have fan mail from all over the world as people are reading the book and seeing their own rescued cat in the tales, and we're complimented that people are enjoying the book and having a good laugh -- which is great, as it was written for fun, as a private muse never intended for publication. We're just as bowled over by its success, as the cats are.

We just thought your readers may be interested to see a feline success story, a cat who nobody loved or wanted, hitting the jackpot in life!! He is now an international celebrity cat!. In America, narrated Christmas chapters from the book were broadcast to over 2 million listeners by a national radio station. BBC TV are coming to film him in a couple of weeks! We answer his fan mail for him as people write to him from around the world and enclose pictures of their own rescued cats!

The cats are also featured on the daily mews website where they have kindly placed some photos of the characters along with some info about Tushots rescue.

www.thedailymews.com/Williwhizkas/introwilliwhizkas.htm