Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As most of you will know, when I returned to the UK I decided to get myself a pet cat, but didn't want to contribute to the pet shop industry or kitten farming business so adopted instead. What many of you won't know is the story of the day I got my Amber, and how she chose me!

I'd gone to Oldham Cats, a small local rescue charity, at the suggestion of my cousin Tim. When we got there, after explaining I was looking to adopt a cat, we were taken to the holding area where all the available cats were kept. After walking up and down all the immediately viewable pens a couple of times, none of the animals had seemed interested in me and if I'm totally honest, that hurt a little! Then I asked the lady in charge if there were any that would be put down if they weren't adopted soon, not knowing that Oldham Cats is in fact a no-kill shelter, homing the cats for life if they can't be adopted for some reason. Sue Moran (for that was her name, lovely lady) mentioned that they did have one more cat up for adoption, but that it was being kept separately because of a minor skin condition brought on by stress that had caused it to tear out a lot of its fur, making it look somewhat unappealing. I agreed to take a look, because, why not?

What happened next still makes me smile, because the moment Amber caught sight of me, she jumped up onto her hind legs, grabbed the mesh with her front paws and started meowing for all she was worth, making it crystal clear that she was to be my cat, and I her human! Sue was actually taken aback, saying later that she'd never seen Amber react that way to anyone so it was obviously meant to be!

Since then I've raised money for this wonderful charity because they united me with the perfect pet for me, and I hope to help raise both more money and their profile by taking part in this years Manchester Great Run, an endeavour for which I hope you'll find it in your heart to sponsor me. Thanks in advance, and please remember to neuter your pets and always, always think about adopting a rescue animal before buying!