The cat across the road is at least 20 years old.
As a stray, he followed our neighbours home from the pub one night and that was 20 years ago.
He’s an ankle swiper. His favourite day of the year must be the day the Ealing Marathon goes past his house – that’s a lot of ankles.
Despite his age, he is still the most dominant cat in the road and is more than a match for younger models.
Snowey is also an older cat – but only 17 years old.
He has come into the care of The Mayhew Animal Home as his previous owner has gone into care – so his world has been turned upside down.
Not easy at his age, especially as he is deaf. This means he cannot hear danger signals such as cars or other animals so he needs to be kept either indoors or have access to a garden only if it is a fully-enclosed area where he will be safe.
He is very friendly and enjoys lots of fuss. Deaf animals are not uncommon. Last year, The Mayhew homed a deaf Staffie, Gordon, who waited nine months for a home but who now has his own Facebook page charting life in his wonderful new home.
If you would like to be Snowey’s wonderful new home, you can meet him at The Mayhew, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green.
When you meet a deaf cat, it can be useful to remember that one way of helping to ensure they are not startled when you approach is to walk heavily so they can feel the vibrations.
In order to help people decide if they are ready to be a responsible pet owner, The Mayhew has produced a checklist of things to consider before getting a pet on its website.
It includes questions such as: Are you prepared to care for a pet for its whole life? Do you have time for a pet? Can you afford a pet? Do you live in suitable accommodation? Do you have pets already and is it a good idea to introduce a new animal?
As well as being helpful for adults, it’s a useful list to talk through with children if they are asking for a pet.
