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This weekend we caught up with Vicki and her Scottish Fold Ike, and found out all about their life running a floristry business in London.
So tell us about Ike, how did you two meet?
I bought him from a mum and daughter who had bred their cat for the first time, the mother wanted her daughter to learn about babies! He’s an 8-year-old Scottish Fold and lives with me in London. Other than Ike, he gets called Puss, little puss, puss puss, and The Puss, among other variations.
And what do you get up to in London, what do you do for work?
In lockdown, I founded a sustainable flower subscription called Uncut Stems, which focuses on British flowers. Before that, I was a creative producer. Running Uncut Stems is truly my dream job. If I could wave a magic wand, I would time travel a year ahead (just for a day!) and see what the business looks like. Being a start-up means things are constantly evolving and so I’d be really curious to get a glimpse into the future.
Oh wow, running a business must mean a pretty hectic schedule. Do you get to relax on a Saturday morning with Ike?
I wake up slowly on a Saturday, not late as such, as the cat won’t allow it, but I take my time making lots of cups of tea and thinking about what breakfast will be. After being fed, Ike always wants a fuss so we’ll sit together looking out the window or I’ll be responding to Instagram messages from Uncut Stems customers who love to share their flower arrangements (we love it too!). By the time my boyfriend returns from Park Run, we’ve barely moved. Then I’ll cook something (my current favourite is a fried egg in a brioche bun with spicy chutney) and then we’ll head out for the day. Often it’s a big walk in the Kent countryside which is really easy to get to from our corner of southeast London.
That sounds pretty dreamy, what’s the main thing you look forward to at the weekend?
Time! Often it’s just getting the house in order or hanging a picture or something mundane like that, but having time and space to work on something other than Uncut Stems means I come back to the studio on a Monday feeling ready to go again.
If you had £5 to spend on anything over a weekend, what would you buy and why?
A swim at the lido, which is technically a little more than £5. I feel so good after an hour of swimming, although it’s a bit chilly at the moment so I’ve not been so great at going.
Sounds… cold! So have you always loved cats? Did you always know you were a cat person?
I was always an animal person, I’d probably imagined myself getting a dog over a cat but it was the right time for a cat and now I’m obsessed with him.
What’s the coolest cat person thing you have in your house?
My boyfriend painted me a portrait of our cat, and it’s really good!
Your weekend breakfast sounded delicious, are they any sneaky snacks you feed Ike that you maybe shouldn’t?
He loves seafood sticks but he has such a sensitive stomach that we have to be very strict with his diet. Poor guy!
Oh no! At least he still gets some treats. And what about dislikes, anything Ike hates with a passion?
Sneezes!
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