Hello People. My name is Baloo.
I was born 25th September 2002 and right from the start there were problems.
I was on oxygen for a long time before I took my first breaths and no-one thought I would survive.
My mum Cheeky had to have a Caesarian and was spayed because she'd had a lot of prblems. Her milk never came in and I had to be bottle fed.
Back then Jane hadn't had much success with hand rearing so she called her friend Mandy to ask if she could try and get me over those first few crucial weeks.
Mandy was a veterinary nurse at Lansdown Vets in Stroud and she would take me to work with her everyday. Everybody loved me there

Here I am at 3 weeks old....over the worst but another problem had come to light. I had no toes on my one front paw. Well nothing that resembled toes anyway. The problem was that the bones where my toes should be kept growing through the skin and it was really sore. I had lots of work done on that foot in an attempt to try and save it but in the end it would have to go. I love my bottle as you can see in the picture above and that's me just after Mandy's rescue labrador Meg decided it was wash time. She's really nice for a dog but she does go a bit overboard with the washing lark. I end up looking like that tatty grey teddybear that you buy in the shops!!

This is me at 6 weeks. Well folks I made it through and although my foot is still not right it doesn't stop me climbing curtains or chasing feathersticks and the invisible Martians.
By this time Mandy and I had become very close and Jane decided that if Mandy wanted I could stay with her. It was a foregone conclusion anyway and to say I fallen on my feet was an understatement. I had the best possible home a cat could wish for.

12 weeks old and my first Christmas. My foot isn't totally useless. I still have my thumb so I can grapple with stuff and reek havoc on the Christmas tree.

Bad News I'm afraid...The laser treatment on my foot isn't working anymore and the bones still keep puncuting through. It had got so painful that the decision was taken to remove my leg. Mandy thought it was the kindest and most comfortable option for me. I never used that leg anyway because it was too tender to put the weight onto. I'd basically been three legged since I was born so I wouldn't miss the darn thing.

Seven and a half months old and fully recovered. My coat has grown back and I'm managing really well. I can run and climb no problems.
Well that isn't strictly true..sometimes I run too fast and end up on my nose but that's my own fault for showing off.

Above is me with Mandy and below this is me at 4 years old.

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