By Elizabeth Hunter via SWNS
A pilot traveled six hours and 300 miles to adopt a pair of cats after spotting them on social media.
Belinda Wall, 45, drove from her home in Horsham in West Sussex to the Great Ayton Animal Centre near Middlesbrough to adopt paired cats Angel and Rosie.
The cats’ previous owner owned multiple pets, but the pair were removed by the RSPCA after concerns for the pets’ welfare.
Belinda had previously taken a trip to Middlesbrough in July to visit an old friend from the RAF, Jenny Kirschmann.
The pair, who hadn’t seen each other in 10 years, discussed how Belinda was keen to get a pet.
After returning home, pal Jenny, who runs a cake shop in Middlesbrough, tagged Belinda in a Facebook post about cats Rosie and Angel – and Belinda knew straight away that she had to meet them.
Five months later and the cats are looking forward to their first festive season with Belinda in their new home.
“I saw them and I couldn’t believe it, it just felt so right,” said Belinda.
“I was keen to adopt a young bonded pair of cats as they’d keep each other company, and I also love ginger cats as I think they have wonderful personalities – they were both perfect.
“I slept on it and when I woke, I realized I couldn’t let it go.
“The fact Rosie and Angel were so deserving of a loving home and after such a special and emotional reunion with Jen and the fact she’d seen them and sent me the link.
“Everything seemed to align and the distance didn’t perturb me – I like a road trip – so I put in an online application form.”
Belinda heard back from the animal center a couple of days later to say they were interested in meeting her and she drove back up to North Yorkshire – during her next break from short haul flying – on 15 July.
“I turned up at the center and I’ll never forget it,” she said.
“I went into their pen in the cattery and Angel came up to me first to say hello. Rosie was a harder nut to crack but I gave her time and eventually she came over too.
“That was it for me and I knew there and then they had to come home with me.”
Along with a goodie bag full of cat treats, toys and blankets from Jenny, the cats made the six-hour journey back to Belinda’s house the following day.
For the first three days Angel, aged three, and Rosie, aged two, didn’t come out of the spare bedroom, but step-by-step they became braver and Belinda says their progress since has been amazing.
“We’ve built up such a great bond, they are my world,” she said.
“They’re loving the autumnal fall and playing in the wind and the leaves.
“Rosie will come in to see me every morning at about 4am and her little face just melts me. Angel always repositions to a bed on the landing at night, as if keeping watch, and she’s always there when we wake.
“Rosie is more timid with other people but she’s always the first to go outside, whereas Angel is more sociable. They’re very different characters but they complement each other perfectly.
“They’ve added so much to my life and I feel blessed to have them, although if they hadn’t crossed Jen’s radar I would never have met them, so she has played a huge part in this story too.
“I’m the sort of person that goes with my gut feeling and I’m so glad I did.
Beverley Dunn, Cattery Supervisor at Great Ayton Animal Centre, said: “Angel and Rosie were very shy cats when they came into our care because of their past experiences.
“They needed a quiet, patient home with someone who was able to give them time and space.
“We knew when we saw Belinda’s application that she would be able to offer them just the sort of environment they would flourish in.
“It takes time and patience to rehabilitate cats like Rosie and Angel which is why we have launched our Join The Christmas Rescue fund-raising campaign so we can help even more animals like them.
“We firmly believe the right match is out there for every animal in our care – sometimes it’s just a little further away or takes a bit longer to find, and we’re so grateful to Belinda for really going the extra mile for Angel and Rosie.”
