08/09/2026
Happy 18th birthday to this little champion! šāā¬
In 2008 I was working at Dr Jana's Vet Centre in Lavington and at the time we were doing the work for Albury Cat Rescue (ACR).
I remember around early to mid October we were inundated with roughly 3-4 litters of kittens at the same time - all around 6-8 weeks of age.
We were fortunate to have the relationship with ACR to be able to get homes for these types of kittens and from memory we used to re-home as many as we could ourselves through Jana's clinic.
So these kittens went into 'the system', one by one they were given health checks, vaccinations, worming, flea treatments and any sick ones were treated as they needed until they regained their health.
Finally they were microchipped and desexed to be ready for new homes.
One by one these 16 kittens found homes, some quickly, some slowly, until there was only one kitten left.
This silver tabby was actually the one that caught my eye from early on as every time I walked past his cage he would meow quite loudly at me to get my attention. He would push through the group of kittens to the front of the cage so that I could see him and I still remember he would head butt the cage bars and start doing somersaults.
I pulled him out of the cage a number of times, he would hit the bars so hard I wanted to make sure he was ok.
I remember it was a Friday evening and I had just seen my last patient. I was ready to go home but I made the fatal mistake of walking past the cat ward on my way out. I heard the head butt, I heard the cage rattle. I thought to myself 'ok buddy, you've been in here 3-4 weeks and you have no company for the weekend'.
So I thought that I would give him a break from the hospital for the weekend and take him home for a couple of days AND bring him back with me when I came to work on Monday.
I think sometimes animals choose their owners rather than vice versa.
He knew he was destined for life with me even though at the time I wasn't in a position to get an animal - I had recently returned from living overseas, I was temporarily living with my parents and supposedly I was on my way to Melbourne for work.
I named him 'The Weapon', for the speed at which he was able to run up mum's curtains.
Anyone who knows 'Weaps/Weapo/The Little Man' well knows he is anything but a 'Weapon'. He is a gentle, kind soul that hasn't been in a fight in his life and he has an affinity for sick or unwell people.
In the early years that I had him I went through a period of ill health, he didn't leave my side. In years since then we have had people come and go from our home that are going through health challenges and again he has sat with them, slept on their bed or followed them around the house. Now this is a cat that ordinarily doesn't like to do any of those things. He likes to be in the same room as you (sometimes), but not on you, does not ordinarily like cuddles and if you hold him 'freezes' because that has been his kind way of saying 'I don't like cuddles but I'm not going to scratch you to get away from you'.
I still remember it was Megs who first got Weaps to sit and have a cuddle but knowing him well I have always wondered whether that was because he sensed she wasn't overly well herself and hadn't been since she was 14. I didn't want to burst that bubble for her, I knew he was again quietly going about his work.
So today marks 18 years of age for The Weapon, roughly 18 years minus 10 weeks since that fateful Friday shift at Jana's.
We have had some narrow misses, it's true that cats have 9 lives. Snakes, cars (he decided to curl up inside mum's car engine a couple of years ago), a rogue Dachshund in Cairns that got under our house and thought Weapon didn't need his tail, a black German Shepherd named Frank that is now 3yo that we also love, not to mention some narrow misses the other way with our kids too.
I do remember retrieving Weapon's claws from our daughter's head at one stage because he wasn't happy with her treatment of him. Likewise he signed our son's head around the same age right in the middle of the forehead.
Fortunately the kids have survived, they all have both their eyes and as they say 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'.
He's missing his tail, otherwise he is in great health. He has moved through 3 different states with myself and then later on my now wife and eventually our three children. He has moved house approximately 6 times with us, seen a marriage, the birth of three children and outbluffed a number of dogs that have thought about grabbing him. He has also made many lives (including my own) much richer because of his presence in them.
Today I'm raising a glass to The Weapon. We gave him a cat nipped filled toy mouse because that was his favourite thing as a kitten. It often resulted in some unusual postures and positions randomly around the house as he passed out from extended periods of manic behaviour playing with these mice.
Happy 18th birthday Weapo! Looking forward to many more of them ahead.
Rob, Megs & Family š» š
