"Te Akau Lockdown Love"

Welcome to Day 11 of our new feature - as our world around us changes indelibly, we want to bring some smiles and sunshine every day - yes a small distraction but it does everyone good to be able to smile when times are tough.

So a little from left field today as we introduce not one, but two residents living the 'life of lockdown' at Te Akau Stud.

These two today have wonderful lives from a very distressing beginning ...

Meet Misty and Willow - mother and daughter - Te Akau's resident barn and office cats.

Let's take you back to February 2017 - and it's a day easily remembered. It's Saturday about 7pm and Karyn has just finished up her Chairman's duties at the Waikato Racing Club's major Group 1 day.

On her way home, she had just turned into Te Akau Road and something caught her eye on the opposite side of the road.

Deciding to do a u-turn, she found a friendly, tiny white cat with two even smaller, very young kittens sitting on the road. The mother cat is barely out of kitten-hood herself and her ears are sunburnt and weeping.

It's plainly obvious - they have been dumped.

Figuring they might be hungry, out came ham purchased for Sunday's lunch and they all devoured it ravenously. So what to do?

After about 20 minutes and with nightfall not too far away, the decision was made - in the car they go - mother then one kitten and then ... the second kitten disappears into the bush! That one is retrieved some 30 minutes later and off the trio heads to their new home without a second thought - only the hope they wouldn't have an accident in the car!!

Today Misty and Willow are pest controllers extraordinaire, despite being fed twice daily. Their self-procured contribution to their fine dining menu is outstanding. Misty's other girl Pepper sadly lost her life on the road a year later.

When you come to Te Akau Stud Misty will likely be on a throne somewhere, be it horse rugs or hay bales. She is a striking looking cat with one blue eye and one green eye. Willow has determined that the office is a much smarter place to spend her days after her partying antics all night - and sleeps everywhere from keyboard, to filing tray to the boss' chair - whatever takes her fancy!

One thing is certain, their lives changed for the better the day that woman in heels and hat stopped and gave them a lift!!

#loveinthelockdown

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