Hello!  I'm Demitri - DM to my friends! Welcome to my blanket.  I do not like to feel enclosed and so I don't like sissy baskets or boxes.  My favourite place to curl up is on my very own blanket or, given half a chance, in a big comfy armchair.  Jump up and join me on my best blanket while "Mum" tells you all about me ... DM was first known to David and me by the nickname "Dolly Mixture", but when he came to live with us and we realised our embarrassing mistake (ooops!) his name quickly became abbreviated to DM.  (This chap was no dolly anything!)  After a while, we decided that DM was a poor name for such a handsome boy and so we re-named him Demitri.  However, he still prefers the abbreviation of DM to his "posh" name, and so he remains, informally at least, our dear wee DM! As you can see, he is a gorgeous black and white, short haired cat with beautiful markings and emerald green eyes.

DM's Story ...
DM first came to call with us back in the summer of 1999.  Back then he was a very vocal, sleek and well cared for kitten, who desperately wanted Matilda to play with him.  She did engage in a little playful flirting but, as the summer ended, so did the fun and DM disappeared from our garden.  We didn't see him again for many months.  When he came back to beg for food at our backdoor at the beginning of 2001, he was practically unrecognisable.  He was not only thin and hungry, but dirty, biten and badly scratched from fighting for whatever little bit of food he could find.  It was only when he "spoke" and rubbed up against my legs, did I realise who he was!  We can only guess that perhaps his owners moved house and, as some cats will, DM decided that he didn't like the new place and made his own way back to his former haunts in Banbridge.   No-one ever came to look for him and as he definitely needed immediate care, we decided to feed him and soon, complete with new fleecey bedding, DM had moved into Matilda's long abandoned kennel in the back garden.  As his trust and confidence in us grew, he came into the house more and more and was soon happily living with us on a permanent basis.

In order to ensure Matilda continued to feel secure and 'Queen of her Castle', DM only had access to the kitchen to begin with.  Gradually however, as she became accustomed to having him around, he was permitted to enter the rest of the house.  This ploy helped Matilda adjust to sharing her home with her new "baby brother" and, for the most part, they enjoyed each others company.

DM Today
He is a very sweet-tempered and friendly little fellow who just adores having his head rubbed.  He has the loudest rumbling purrrrr we've ever heard!  DM is very much his "Daddy's Boy" and he and David have a great all-boys-together relationship, playing ball and climbing together.  He knows the sound of Daddy's car and runs to meet him with delight when he returns from work each evening.  At first DM was a bit puzzled by the cat-flap but, having watched his older "sister" Matilda closely, he soon mastered its operation and enjoys the independence it gives him.  He loves having his own "door key" and proudly wears the magnet (that operates the flap) on his collar like a medal!  As he matures, it is obvious that he not only possesses good looks but also intelligence and is a quick learner.  He has recovered well from his early traumatic experiences and, although still wary of strangers, he is happy and healthy. We 'guess-timate' he is now about 9 years old but he still loves to play with his toys like a kitten!  He has his own shallow toy box and, using his front paw, likes to choose and lift out the toy he wants to play with himself.  (Unfortunately he has yet to learn how to put them away again!!!)  His favourite toy is a ball with a bell inside it which he chases ferociously.

DM confidently believed he could win Matilda over by his good looks and charm and to a certain degree he succeeded.  However, being an older and more dignified puss, she tended to view "the child" with haughty distain and was not above putting him in his place when the necessity arose!  She was secretly fond of him though and woe betide any cat who tried to harm her "little brother" when she was around!!  She enjoyed watching him play, and would even rub noses with him in sisterly affection on special occasions.  Like ourselves, poor DM was grief-stricken when Matilda died and spent many days and nights searching for her. He is slowly coming to terms with the fact that she has gone and has the deep affection of his girl-friend, a little tabby cat named Fudge, who moved in with us.

DM is a very special and affectionate little cat.  We love our best puss very much and would be lost without him.  We are so thankful he chose us to be his family.

Dear Lord, Please hear our prayer for all animals. May they be well-fed, well-trained and happy. Protect them from hunger and fear and suffering And we pray, dear Lord, protect especially,  the little cat who is the companion of our home. Keep him safe as he goes abroad and bring him back to comfort us. AMEN.

Me, asleep on my favourite red fleecey blanket.

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