The Moatman Interviews -S2- No.8 'kitty pride' featuring @FelineFancies1

*This week's camera opens on a beautiful lavender garden on a hot summers day. Unfortunately when our host learned that he would be getting to interview 'the cat woman' this week, he got the wrong end of the stick and became very excited. After disappearing into town for several hours he returned triumphant having acquired a 'batman' costume ala Adam West. It wasn't until we sat him down and explained that by 'cat woman' we meant today's guest runs a cat sanctuary that the penny dropped. A crestfallen Boff still in Batman guise minus the cowl sits opposite this week's showbiz guest, who's wearing a baseball hat with faux cat ears (to make him feel better) and sipping a pina colada. Yes, this week's guest is a former west midlands lass who moved to the bright lights big city of Canada, and runs a cat sanctuary for down on their luck kitties. 

Hello my darlings! we've gone all Alfresco to make the most of the summer before the rain starts, today I'm joined by an ex-pat (not in the Eastenders sense) who has something of a feline persuasion, yes, today's guest is @felinefancies1 all the way from Vancouver Canada.

Thank you so much for joining us today, I do hope the trip across on Womble Airways was okay and that you're not too jet-lagged. I have several questions for you to help us get to know you better and I promise not to use the P word (oooh Mrs Slocombe!). Firstly, I wanted to ask how do you end up running a home for special need cats? and how many cats have you got?

I have five and I take in cats with various medical complaints because nobody else wants them. Life is life no matter how long you have left. 

*Boff wipes a tear from his eye* that's a beautiful sentiment, I also found myself down on my luck in 1989 when a failed stint as a roady for Status Quo left me without job and home. Fortunately I found the wombles who took me and trained me up. As they say, keep Britain tidy, and where there's muck there's brass etc. 

anyway I digress, looking after sick and out of luck cats sounds like a lot of work, but it must be very rewarding too. Have you always loved animals? and did you have any exotic pets as a child?

I have always loved animals and as a matter of fact I did have a tortoise. That's about as exotic as it got in Birmingham in my childhood. 

...indeed, the Wombles are like my pets really, except that they can talk, and have opposable thumbs, and boss me around. Would you ever considering opening a home for Wombles? Uncle Bulgaria is getting on a bit?

I have enough cat fur to deal with without adding Womble fur to that. *At this point Feline produces a brush from her handbag and gives Boff a quick combing to demonstrate just how much fluff you can collect sat in your back garden under shade. 

blimey, thanks, and what about music? Bungo's love of Drum n Bass is well documented on the blog, and we've seen your Duran Duran pictures, I wanted to ask do you ever do any kind of jazzercise classes for your cats? It's kind of a dream I had once.

My youngest cat has bouts of the flying red horse and does a late night circuit class around our home using furniture as obstacles to leap over. Its too fast for rest of us to join in. 

Anyway! enough of the cat part of your life, I wanted to ask you some non-cat related questions too. So if you're know as the 'Cat Woman', does that mean you're dating the 'Bat man'? (Boff gestures to his own costume) Is there a Joker in your life?

There is a Joker around here somewhere but usually its best to ignore. *Boff's crime fighting ears prick up at this point and he orders Wellington and Orinoco to do a sweep of the garden for any master criminals lurking in the flower beds*

I see, and of cause you were born and raised in dear old blighty before leaving for Canada, was it strange being in a new country and did you miss Britain? what were those early days like?

I landed on the East Coast of Canada first in bitter cold conditions but only stayed a couple of years before heading to West Coast and much more relaxed lifestyle. It was like another planet the first few weeks.

..and do you have any amusing stories about setting up the cat home in those early days? any scrapes or odd goings on?

There are oddities every day around here. One of my first senior rescue cats did choir practise at 3 AM every day. I'd never wanted to kill a cat before then. I didn't of course. *Boff sympathises, Bungo often regales the whole household with his urban dance beats at all hours of the day and night*

Indeed, and of cause you can take the girl out of Britain, but can you take Britain out of the girl? Are there any specific things you miss about the old country?

No you can't take the Brum outta the girl! I miss Marks and Spencers underwear. Oops I think I was supposed to say family. *Boff blushes*

how, err, interesting, and what about Canada, what are your highlights about living in Vancouver? would you recommend any of our readers pay Canada a visit in the future?

Vancouver is a delight! Relaxing and beautiful beaches and mountains.

Well my darling, our interview is almost at a close, there's still plenty of booze left and I promise to top up your sun cream in a moment, but as a final question I wanted to ask you about cat nip. Do cats really go mad for it? and have you ever used it for nefarious purposes?

Nip is the drug of choice in this home for now. Although too much of it and we all become combative. *sounds like strong stuff to me*

outstanding, well my darling that's it! our interview is completed and I even made it through the whole thing without saying pussy once.