Page 55 - The Gem | August 2024 Magazine

At 23, Bribie’s Big Red is a rare gem

VERY FEW FELINES MAKE IT PAST 20 YEARS OF AGE, HOWEVER, EVEN WITH A LITTLE BLINDNESS,
HEARING PROBLEMS AND ONLY HALF HIS TEETH, BIG RED, THE 23-YEAR-OLD MOGGY, IS STILL
LIVING THE GOOD LIFE.

And with such a beautiful brand-new home at “When he came back, we wouldn’t give Big Red
GemLife Bribie Island, how could he not? back. He was getting along really well with our
two other cats – he loved our old cat – and we
When asked the secret to Big Red’s long life, had a house with a big backyard, which was
owners Lynda and Brian Massey said he’s had better than going to our son’s unit.”
very few health issues in his life, enjoys wet food
(with Dine and Whiskers among his favourites), For the past two years, Big Red, Lynda and Brian
and loves affection. have lived at GemLife, which they all love. The
neighbours look out for Big Red when Lynda and
The only thing Big Red isn’t a fan of is dogs. Brian go on holidays.

“He’s not good with dogs – he can attack them “He’s known as the key cat because the key gets
defending his home!” Lynda said. passed from neighbour to neighbour. He’s placid
and nothing really bothers him as long as he’s
So how did this great guard cat come into the fed and he’s not near a dog.”
Massey’s lives?
If you’ve wondered how long cats live for, their
“We inherited him at six weeks old when our son general life expectancy is about 12 to 18 years for
went overseas and asked us to look after him,” an indoor cat, but some may live into their early
she said. 20s – just like Big Red!

54 The Gem GemLife.com.au AUGUST 2024 55