Lets Chat About Cats - Episode 28 Featuring Chris Poole AKA Cat Man Chris - Dad of Cole and Marmalade

01/14/22 • 122 min

Sometimes in life you may hope for a moment when you can speak to someone truly special and I feel so honoured and lucky to have spent over 2 and a half hours with my next guest. They say some people are born golden because they have beautiful hearts & even more beautiful souls, this is the only way to describe Chris Poole.
He is one of the gems of the cat world.
He is a gem not only for the incredible work he carries out in TNR but for his simplicity, his humbleness & genuine heart. There is no ego to be found, he's always thinking he can do more, or doesn't do enough & thinking of ways to give more back to the loyal fanbase & supporters he clearly holds so dear to his heart. He is gentle, kind & truly wears his heart on his sleeve.
You can see happiness & joy oozing from every pore when he speaks about his rescue work but not least when he speaks about his beloved Cole, Marmalade, Jugg and Zig Zag. Chris's face lights up & you can tell he is living the dream of being able to do what he loves everyday and make a difference to so many cats.
The conversation covers many personal topics close to Chris's heart & at times is very emotional, so much that Chris had to pause to gather himself, he still carries overwhelming feelings from the court case where he fought to be able to continue his Cole and Marmalade work & share their lives with us, the lucky people of the world. Thinking of the support he & his lovely wife Jess received all he can think is that he needs to do more, give more, to thank everyone somehow, rather than accept it for what it is... that people adore him, respect his work & love his beloved sons Cole and Marmalade.
Chris opens up about his early days in the UK, how he came to live in Florida, he shares more about baby Cole & baby Marmalade and the struggles with cancer for both boys and the most recent passing of beautiful Cole.
You will hear from Chris about one of his first rescue missions where he helped rescue over 40 cats from a terrible hoarding situation & what it was like being at the forefront of the rescue.
He shares information about Chalky's Cat Crusade Inc (chalkyscatcrusade.org) an organisation Jess is involved with as well as local shelter who help Chris with his rescues & fosters Home - Happy Tailz Cat Rescue, Inc
You can follow Chris , Cole & Marmalade
Instagram @catmanchrispoole
Facebook Cat Man Chris | Facebook
YouTube Channel Cat Man Chris - YouTube
Instagram Cole & Marmalade @coleandmarmalade
Facebook Cole & Marmalade | Facebook
Website Home - Cole & Marmalade (coleandmarmalade.com)
Chris is one of the people who truly make a difference in the world. Often it is not all about the "doing" & is sometimes more than that, people are loved because of who they are & what they represent. Chris is a beautiful soul & the world is better because of his presence. He has clearly captured the world & we are lucky to share in the lives of sweet Cole & Marmalade too. Chris has really made a difference in my life over the years & I have always admired his work & joyful nature & I certainly feel so very lucky to have been able to speak with him, to feel his joy & also share his pain. Thank you so much Chris & also thank you for allowing me to "meet" Marmalade too!
Hope you enjoy listening!
Fiona X

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Previous Episode

Lets Chat About Cats - Episode 27 Featuring Ashley & Dapper Dan The Diapurrman

This episode is dedicated to the amazing Ashley who is mom to Dan a paralysed kitty who is living his best and fullest life ever thanks to her care and love!!
Dan was adopted by Ashley and he was her first experience with a special needs cat but she knew she wanted to open up her heart and home to a special needs kitty and give them a wonderful life. She was lucky to be chosen as mom to Dan and when everything was sorted he came to live with her.
Ashley learnt quickly how to express his bladder and ensure his toilet needs were catered for every day and picked it up so easily. Dan is easy to care for and Ashley chats about how living with a special needs kitty doesn't have to be difficult or scary.
She describes his routines and what things to look out for in paralysed kitties which helps her ensure Dan is in tip top shape and healthy at all times. For anyone considering adopting a special needs kitty or in particular a paralysed kitty then Ashley will set your mind at ease and hopefully give you the confidence to enquire about doing so or perhaps try even fostering one while they wait for their golden basket.
Ashley also set up Biscuits and Breadsticks which is a non profit organisation who foster neonatal babies and paralysed babies too. They give special care to neonatal's who would otherwise perish on the streets and by doing so help free up spaces in shelters who may not have the facilities to care for these little sweethearts during the night which is the most crucial times for some of them.
Biscuits and Breadsticks also run a special initiative called Project Purrmaid which donate Purrmaid tails to paralysed kitties preventing them from suffering painful rubs on their legs if they are dragging themselves around on the floor. A lot of the drag bags available are expensive and often not even comfortable. The purrmaid tails are handmade by volunteers and the costs covered by donations. Sponsors are matched with their own purrmaid so they can continue to follow them on social media and see them in their new purrmaid attire!
You can find this amazing initiative at Biscuits and Breadsticks where you can read all about Ashleys work and even donate to help cats just like Dan.
Please follow Dan on Instagram @dapperdanthediapurrman
Thanks for listening
Fiona X

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Next Episode

Lets Chat About Cats - Episode 29 - Featuring Georgie Mummy of Toby Quinton and Leo AKA Tummy & Gummy

In this episode of the podcast I had the absolute pleasure of chatting to the lovely Georgie who is mum to Toby, Quinton and Leo.
Those who follow them on Instagram will know them as Tummy & Gummy and will surely know their story so far....and for those who do not then I will try not to spoil the episode but it is an emotional one and Georgie shares some truly intimate details of the journey she has ben on so far with her beloved fur babies.
From how her journey started through the adoption of sweet Herbie to the adoption of Quinton, Toby and then the adoption of Leo.
The conversation flows through the journey of Georgie meeting Quinton and Toby for the first time, bringing them home and includes the health issues of Quinton battling cancer when it was discovered he had a growth in his mouth and spread rapidly. Quinton did not live very long after his diagnosis and in all honesty the story is still very raw and recent. The bond between Quinton and Toby was incredible, so loving and also heart-breaking when there is of course loss and one living without the other.
Georgie also shares some information about the condition Toby has which is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which you may know instead as EDS.
EDS is a disease characterized by deficient levels of collagen, the protein molecule necessary for providing strength and elasticity to the skin and ligaments, along with much of the rest of the body, in simple terms the skin is fragile, can be heavy, droopy and tear. because of the lack of collagen which makes our skin spring back. Add this to cats who have claws and you can understand why they can easily hurt themselves. It is a condition which cannot be cured but can be managed and Georgie gives tips and information on how to limit injury or even spot or treat injury. She lets us in on the secret of how she knows Toby has injured himself without seeing it... he is really funny and cute! :)
Find out where Toby and Leo get their sweet outfits which keep them safe and comfortable and how they also both love being naked! And more about their little habits and individual characters and personalities. Both Toby and Leo are sweet little boys and you can hear just how deep the bond between them goes as well as between Georgie and her beloved boys.
After the recording Georgie let me in on a little secret that another EDS baby was going to be joining her family and whilst typing up this intro Georgie has already posted the news and shared the photo of her newest member of the family. His name is Chino and he will be coming from Germany. He may even be there by the time this episode airs!
Please share and spread the word that EDS cats like Toby, Leo and Chino are special and can live normal healthy lives! Education and knowledge is power and if just one cat can be saved or given a good chance at life then its all worthwhile. Find them all on Instagram @tummyandgummy
Thanks for listening
Fiona X

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