I Live with Joan

Hi, I’m Susy, short for Susannah. I’m 13 years old. I have lived with Joan since I was 11 weeks old. It’s good that I live with a person with a disability because Molly, my mum has a bad leg after getting into a fight so I knew something about disability already. I never walk near her legs, in case she falls over me.

When I was placed on her lap for the first time I just knew we were going to get along fine. Joan thought I was beautiful. I’m black and white and as soft as cotton wool. I am Joan’s first cat. We had a lot to learn about each other. It was strange how she stroked me with her left hand and poked her fingers into me. Now it doesn’t feel right the way other people stroke me. I soon learnt that I must sit on her left side to get any attention. Joan went to work for 3 days a week for a long while. She insisted that I stayed in the kitchen while she was out. What a laugh it was, her crawling on the floor trying to catch me! She threw silver paper balls into the kitchen for me to chase, but I caught them and ran out again before she shut me in. She won in the end, but I learnt to open the door and get out. When the phone rang, I heard her voice on the answering machine. Where was she? I often knocked the phone down, when looking for her.

Joan had plenty of callers after I arrived. They came to see me naturally! I was often picked up and cuddled. As I grew older, I didn’t like being handled. So I wasn’t very popular with the vet. When Joan picked me up, she dropped me a few times, so she stopped.

I must also tell you that Joan fell over quite often. At first she could pick herself up with a struggle which was a bit stressful for me to watch! I felt so helpless. Then she started wearing a ‘Safe & Sound’ pendant to summon help. The only thing I could do was to lay beside her and wait for the ambulance to arrive. Joan burst out laughing, saying, “Are you waiting to be picked up too?” If the ambulance men were a long time coming I would get bored and regretfully I would walk away and leave her. When they arrived, they always made a fuss of me.

Unfortunately, walking around her home became increasingly more difficult for Joan because of her arthritic pain in her back and shoulders. Eventually, she bought herself a ‘swish’ electric chair to use indoors. It is very comfortable to sleep in during the night. I love sitting on Joan’s lap, riding about from room to room with her.

I expect you know all about Joan’s shoulder operations. That has been a difficult time for us both. All these different carers coming in to help her. They were very noisy when they arrived in twos first thing in the mornings before it was light. Joan was always shouting at them, “Mind my shoulder please.” Or “Stop you’re hurting me!” There was nothing for it, but for me to stay very close and watch every thing that was being done for Joan. Joan still needs personal care and I still make it my duty to watch the carers to make sure they look after her properly. She is still having physiotherapy; the Physiotherapist is allergic to me and doesn’t really appreciate my presence. However, she shouts at Joan sometimes so it’s important for me to keep an eye on her!

Hopefully, Joan’s physical problems will become more stable and we can grow old gracefully together and I will continue to make her chuckle at my antics.