Pet of the Month

This month we are not highlighting a particular breed or type of pet. Our focus this month is on all types of special needs pets.  "Special Needs" can refer to anything from a pet that requires a specific diet to a pet that lives with disabilities. These animals are often surrendered to shelters because they aren't "perfect". I find this mentality absolutely heartbreaking and would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about my special needs pets. 

Not too long ago we had the privilige of adopting a cat that we named Joey. Joey was recued by a caring animal control officer who turned him over to a no-kill shelter. Joey was born with a leg but no foot.  The leg was amputated and he came to foster with us while he recovered. Fast forward 18 months; we now live with the COOLEST cat on the planet! Joey is so personable, loving and completely unaware that he's "different". His handicap doesn't ever slow him down and we don't even notice the missing limb anymore.

About six months after we adopted Joey, we were asked to give refuge to a former colony cat that had been hit by a car and (barely) survived his injuries. He was an orange striped guy; so clever people that we are, we dubbed him Rusty. Rusty was a blessing in disguise for us. He came to us the day after our much loved cat, Sidney, passed away. He demanded so much care in the first few weeks that it totally took our minds off our loss but at the same time, we faced the possibility of his death each and every day. Rusty had tried on his own for about three weeks to nurse his injuries before he dragged himself back to his colony and his caretaker found him. His injuries were massive - they amputated a back leg and his tail, he had a broken jaw, crushed maxillofacial bones, crushed sinus passage, optical and nuerologial damage and he was missing a lot of his teeth and half his tongue. Watching him heal was an amazing process though we had a few set backs along the way. Rusty has since recovered from his injuries, adapted to the physical changes to his body and learned to be a house cat. The lasting effects of his injuries can be seen in his occassional seizures and one eye that requires daily tending. Other than that, he's just one of the guys!

About 6 months ago, a good friend of mine invited me to visit two little kittens at the shelter where she volunteered. "The Girls" as everyone calls them were so beautiful and so playful. They'd been rescued at a very young age (a few weeks) by someone who turned them over to the shelter to give them a chance at life. Their sister didn't survive but the two of them pulled through. One of the girls is completely blind and in fact has no matter in her eye sockets at all and her lids are sewn closed. The other sister was missing one eye and it was believed that the sight in the other eye would fade. After a brief discussion with my husband, we decided to move the girls in. They were amazing. They settled right into our household. It took the blind kitten about two days to adjust to the lay of the land and both of them adapted very quickly to Rusty and Joey. It took a few days but they were also able to quickly overcome their fear of the dogs, as well. We named them Ivy and Elly. After taking them to our vet for an exam we found that both girls had contracted Feline Herpes, which without a doubt, is what lead to their blindness. There's no way to cure this illness but it can be held at bay with daily doses of L-Lysine. The good news was that Elly's one good eye appears healthy and she's not expected to lose vision.

All four of these cats are wonderful companions and we love them all. We wouldn't trade our "special needs" cats for one "perfect" cat for all the money in the world! I urge you to consider adopting or fostering a special needs pet. Their bond with us is stronger in some ways, their appreciation is heartfelt and they pay us back ten-fold every single day!