Starting out as a poorly foster kitten of three, the comedian explains how she eventually stole his and his partner’s hearts
I first got her to win an argument with my boyfriend. ‘You’re always saying we should do animal fostering and that you’ll look into it,’ he said to me one day. ‘But you never do it.’ Well, by the time he came home that same evening I had signed up to take in three kittens. They all had cat flu and poor Boots was the sickest.
We had them for about three weeks and were supposed to be giving them back, but when I arrived home at 2am one night from a gig in Letterkenny just a few days away from the handover, I found my partner still up, and very concerned about Boots. So off we went with her to a 24-hour DSPCA vet.
As for giving Boots away, well, the vet was spot on that night. ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’” he said. ‘With only a couple of days to go, here you are in the middle of the night because you’re so worried about her.’
That was eight years ago. Keeping Boots was a great decision; the kitten that suited us best was the one we kept. She’s a tan and brown mix and she’s very cute. Even though she is the most generic looking cat you could imagine, I still think she’s the most beautiful cat in the world.
“I’d never leave Boots for a long time, not even for work. So, would I take on a three-month tour of Australia, for example? Probably not,” explains Gearóid Farelly. Photo: Steve Humphreys
Not that I’d had much experience with cats because we always had dogs at home when I was growing up.
Cats are far more independent than dogs. Say I want a cuddle with Boots? Well, I might be granted about 10 minutes. Then that’s my lot!
She’s a good cat, apart from taking a fancy to one of my partner’s AirPods one day. She was never really destructive as a kitten. We got her one of those scratching posts and that definitely helped.
Boots had actually been assigned to someone else when we decided to keep her. I’d put the three kittens up on social media and they were all offered homes. When you foster, though, you always get first call. The woman who wanted Boots works in the Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo, a venue I know well. Even these days she never lets me forget what happened!
I’d never leave Boots for a long time, not even for work. So, would I take on a three-month tour of Australia, for example? Probably not.
Sometimes I wonder if she’s lonely, if she’d maybe like a pal. Recently, though, I introduced her to my parents’ puppy and she was not impressed. When it comes down to it, Boots is very happy with her lot. Sure, why wouldn’t she be? We are besotted with her and, let’s face it, she owns the place.
As told to Roslyn Dee
Gearóid Farrelly is on a countrywide tour until July 20, see gearoidfarrelly.com
Fair City star Neilí Conroy with her dogs Rusty and Dolly
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