This is a testimonial from someone who had to give up her cat, Pie.

Strawberry Pedigree Cat Rescue …”does what it says on the (cat) tin”. I had the heart wrenching, stressful and terrible emotional journey of giving up my family’s ragdoll Pie, who had become a huge and massive part of my life; the guilt, the tears and sleepless nights as well as the grief in re-homing Pie was immense and then there is the “social stigma” of “giving an animal away” as he could no longer live with my mum and me.

* Pie attacked a few times my sister’s cat. Pie then started to go into “full blown attacks”, maybe two or three weeks apart or a day apart, with his “ears back and slitty eyes” and “lunge” for no reason at all, it was totally out of the blue! The attacks were so random we could not connect why they were happening, I spoke to the vet so many times and had made several visits to his caring vet to try and understand this behaviour; Pie had never drawn blood and I always said that if he did we would have to reconsider. I kept buying him new toys to keep him stimulated and played with him more and more and more but we could not understand his actions

I Googled randomly and franticly on the internet “re-homing cats” and came across Strawberry’s website and telephoned, this is the best Google research I have ever done!

Fiona was wonderful and she listened and she listened, listening is a true gift, as I “rambled on” about the above in a state of distress and tears about my mum and Pie; the time Fiona gave me on the telephone was invaluable, she was so kind and reassuring. Fiona suggested a natural calming product for Pie, it had to be natural, but sadly after eight weeks the random attacks were still happening, although he never drew blood again. I telephoned Fiona again, many times, and she was so kind, understanding resourceful and practical and then… “I decided he had to go – and I knew they wouldn’t give up on him at Strawberry.

Wonderful people collected Pie and they had driven a round journey of two nearly two hundred miles from their home to collect him and then take him to his loving foster mum where he was assessed by his foster mum, their assessment has been spot on!

* Pie is now in his Strawberry “forever home with his forever mum and dad” thanks to Strawberry and volunteers. He is where he should be with all the things he needs for a long and fulfilling life, a couple who are in all day, a contained garden and an elderly male furry friend! Pie was bored and lonely and wanted outside and he could not tell mum and me but he did tell Strawberry volunteers and they read him like a book! Pie now climbs trees in a contained garden and “mousses”, he is an indoor cat that wants to explore the great outdoors! Strawberry don’t rehome many cats as any outdoor access, but they felt Pie needed an outlet and stimulation and they were right.

I believe that things happen and they happen for a reason and my family where there for Pie to take him to a better and happier place which brings him love, stability, companionship and the great outdoors.

On reflection I think my family were Pie’s foster family and his vehicle to get him to Strawberry Pedigree Cat Rescue, the best charity in the world!

Love you Pie and love you Strawberry… forever and ever.