mowat ~ as in Farley

What can I say about Mowat?  This little dumpling of curls is the absolute love of my life … yes, self-proclaimed dog-person, with a cat so firmly planted in my heart I’ve begun to question which side of the fence I’m really playing on.  I suppose at this point I’m a crazy-dog-and-cat lady.

Mowat came into my life through a very measured decision-making process and almost two years of failed searching. I had spent those two years searching for a companion for Mirabelle after the loss of her feline friend.  She was lonely.  And after a lot of research and consulting with experts, I knew it was more likely that a Rex or other oriental-breed would be the best match for Mirabelle’s quirkiness.  I also knew that a kitten would be the best fit; (a) Mirabelle would adjust better with a younger cat, and (b) a kitten would adapt better to the dogs.  There had been a couple of almost-adoptions, but nothing ever seemed to pan out.  So … I decided I would need to seek out a breeder … for the very first time in my life.

In 2018, before the Covid-boom on puppies and kittens, you would have thought it would be easy to find a Rex kitten.  However, as I searched websites, I found that what appeared to be the most long-standing breeders weren’t even accepting new names on their waiting lists. (Now, however, since the high-demand for covid puppies and kittens, I have found that these breeders I once considered ‘reputable’ are now pumping out so many litters, it is the kittens who are on waiting lists to try to find homes.)  As I had already been waiting over two years, I expanded my search, and found a more local breeder with an available litter of Devon boys.  I had been told by many that the best fit for Mirabelle would be a male, and – with five boys to choose from – I figured this would be my best option.

Mowat looked only slightly different than his brothers … somewhat smaller, and a coat that was more scraggly than his molting brothers.  He had been the runt of the litter, I was told, and had been supplemented with handfeeding.  This played partly into my choosing of him, as I felt that this kind of early-handling would bode well.  And boy, was Mowat ever a cuddle-bug.  I will never forget the first night I brought him into bed with me … I’d had him barely a week or two … and he was still so small.  He snuggled his barely 2-lb body under my chin and didn’t move the entire night; neither did I, for fear I would crush him!  And that is where Mowat has slept almost every single night since.

Mowat didn’t come without his own health issues.  As mentioned, the breeders I had hoped to work with to acquire a kitten had waiting lists so long at the time that they weren’t even taking new names.  So, I ended up – by chance – finding a breeder on social media, and – while I love this boy more than words and am so grateful for him every single day – I recognize my mistake.  While the litter was well cared for and incredibly socialized, this was not a breeder who appeared to health-test or breed for the betterment of genetics. In fact, it is now my understanding that Mowat’s litter was the result of an intentional breeding of mother to father.  All of this may have played a hand in Mowat’s bad jaw conformation, his lower jaw being set so far back as to cause the bottom canines to punch into the upper palette instead of clearing the top gums.  Aside from the incredible discomfort this obviously caused him as a kitten, the ongoing trauma in his mouth had to be rectified in order to prevent infection.

And so, by the time Mowat reached 6 months of age, he’d had three dental surgeries to remove teeth that were causing problems … all performed by the top dental vet in the area.

Because of his on-line following over on Instgram, I am routinely asked for the name of his breeder.  Please understand that – due to my experience with Mowat’s conformation – I do not give out the name of his breeder, nor will I ever bad-mouth his breeder.  I am simply just not comfortable doing either.

Unfortunately, and typical of cats, the relationship between Mirabelle and Mowat did not pan out the way I, and others, had anticipated.  You can read more about it on Mirabelle’s page.

Mowat can be a bit of a firecracker … racing around the house with his new brother Macon … trying to get into the dog treat jars … and pretty much screaming from the catio whenever he can’t be out in the garden with me.  He rules this house, keeping everyone in line including any visiting dogs.  It doesn’t matter that he is a mere six lbs … he’s more than capable of putting any dog in its place and commanding respect.

I love this bold, affectionate cuddle-bug more than words can possibly describe.  He touches my heart in a very different way than other 4-leggers in my past; perhaps it’s because he’s the only animal I’ve really had from a baby, I don’t really know.  But having had him almost four years now, as I write this, I can tell you, I still squish him to my chest countless times a day and exclaim: “God, I love you SOOOOO much!”