Ten-year-old Cheeky is living the life. Owners Sarah and Elezear Carty say they got Cheeky when she was only two weeks old from Sarah’s sister. Cheeky was born June 13, 1999 and the Cartys later had her spayed. They didn’t want her to reproduce as the kittens would have been too much to handle.

Being the only pet in the home, Cheeky gets whatever she wants and the right amount of attention since she serves as the perfect companion for the elderly couple.

The Cartys explain that even though the food they feed Cheeky is expensive, it is worth it because it usually lasts for a long time.

“Cheeky doesn’t eat anything that is cooked in the house. She eats specific canned foods and dry foods. These are Tuna Pet Food for Cats and Whiskers pet food. She, however, doesn’t eat anything that is stale,” Mr Carty says.

The Cartys explain that their reason for allowing Cheeky to drink water straight from the tap is due mainly to the fact that she doesn’t drink from her bowl. “We have to turn the tap on and allow her to drink from it, because if we put it in a container, she won’t drink it,” he adds.

Mr Carty says that he doesn’t like dogs, neither does his wife who had a bad experience with them when she was younger.

“She was bitten and since then, she has had a disdain for dogs. I really don’t like them either, I prefer my cat. Cheeky is a pedigree cat. While she may chase lizards and rats, she doesn’t eat them. Usually she catches the lizards and bite the tails off, then plays with them until

they die.”

Even though Cheeky is an indoor cat, she wanders in the garden in the days to sleep and relax.

“She gets alot of freedom,” Mr Carty explains. “We don’t keep her locked up inside the house. Even in the nights we leave our bedroom window open so she can come and go as she likes. And by this I do not mean that she leaves the yard. She simply goes outside at her will. Because of this level of freedom, she tends to wake us in the mornings whenever she is coming inside. We can expect her to wake us every morning at about 5:00 whenever she is climbing through the window to get inside.”

Cheeky is also house-broken. She never defecates in the house and although the Cartys provide her with a litter box, she only pees in it, so it is relatively easy to clean up after her.

When asked how often Cheeky is taken to the vet, Mr Carty admits that it is not done very often, but she is taken whenever she falls ill. “Six months ago, I took her to the vet because she came down with a cold, other than that we groom her ourselves. We brush her fur at least twice per week to undo the knots.”

Although Cheeky is described as a well-behaved cat, she did damage a section of the couple’s couch which she scratched, but she never climbs into it or on the table. The Cartys insist that Cheeky does not steal, moreso because she is specific about what she eats.

“Cheeky is the perfect pet,” Mr Carty says.