Cotton: The Westie with "9 Lives"

Meet Cotton, my last surviving West Highland White Terrier (Westie) with more lives than a cat and a sense of adventure that knows no boundaries. Her story is one of resilience, wit, and more than a few close calls that could have easily spelled her demise.

However, this little dog has defied the odds, lived to tell the tale, and is now approaching an incredible 17th birthday in October. How did she make it this far? Let's take a look at some of her most daring escapades that have left everyone at home scratching our heads in awe.

A Cat-Like Leap

t’s no secret that dogs tend to be a bit more grounded in their movements. But not Cotton. She has been known to defy the laws of gravity with her leaps, which have baffled us time and again. Cotton doesn’t just jump—she leaps like a cat. Whether it’s escaping a cage or reaching for something on a high surface, she seems to have mastered the art of defying gravity.

One of the most memorable moments occurred when she managed to escape her cage—an act that stunned us. The sight of Cotton vaulting over the cage bars like a little furry acrobat had us in disbelief. 

Master of Stealth: The Food Stealer

As if escaping her cage wasn’t enough, Cotton also proved herself to be an expert food thief. Nothing is safe when this Westie is on the prowl. In one particularly memorable instance, she managed to jump onto the dining table and helped herself to whatever she could get her paws on. And that included some very forbidden foods.

Cotton’s food choices are, shall we say, questionable. Among her culinary delights were Bak Kwa (barbecued pork), Ferrero Rocher chocolates, and—perhaps most dangerously—chewing gum that contained xylitol. If you’re not familiar with xylitol, it’s a sugar substitute that can be incredibly toxic to dogs. When ingested, it’s absorbed quickly into their bloodstream, triggering a rapid release of insulin from the pancreas. This causes blood sugar levels to plummet, a condition known as hypoglycemia. Left untreated, it can be life-threatening.

On one occasion, Cotton ate an alarming amount of xylitol-laced chewing gum that was left on the coffee table. We panicked, rushed her to the vet, who quickly induced vomiting to minimise the effects of the toxic foods. Luckily, Cotton survived that harrowing experience, but with all the dangerous food she had consumed, it’s nothing short of a miracle that she didn’t pay the ultimate price for her love of mischief.

A Near-Fatal Fall

As if all the close calls with food poisoning weren’t enough, Cotton once managed to escape the house altogether. But it wasn’t just an escape—this time, she fell into a drain. At that time, she was almost blind. Falling into the drain could have been fatal, but somehow she survived yet another life-threatening mishap. It seems like fate just won't let Cotton go, as she continues to defy the odds again and again.

Miraculous Survival

When you tally up all of Cotton’s close calls, it’s a wonder she’s still here at the age of 16, soon to be 17. With the toxic foods, daring escapes, and near-fatal accidents, it’s almost as if she has more lives than the average cat. But Cotton, with her fearless spirit and boundless curiosity, has weathered it all.

Despite the odds stacked against her, Cotton continues to live her best life, and her owners couldn’t be more grateful. Here's to the Westie with "9 lives"—long may she leap, steal food, and keep us all in suspense!