Size
(when grown) -
Details
Needs special attention,
Needs experienced adopter,
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
Charlie is an overly handsome guy with an amazing story. We are considering him special needs, not because he needs any special day to day care or medicines, but because of a complicated medical history. We are only considering applicants with cat/pet experience.
Charlie's story begins in the winter of 2022 when he was found with his mother and siblings. They were found in a neighborhood huddling together for warmth and trying to find food and shelter. Luckily, we had room in a foster home and they settled in quickly. They were all shy at first, but it was obvious they had sweet personalities. They did well for their initial vet care and spay/neuter surgeries and we hoped to have them ready for adoption.
Charlie's personality is on the shy side around people he doesn't know, but given a little patience and time, his silly, quirky behavior shines through. Charlie loves to play, either by himself or with the other fosters. He's extremely animated. Because of long fur between his toes, he seems a little clumsy on hard flooring since he's prone to playtime "wipe outs" when he goes skidding past the point where he wanted to stop. This doesn't bother him at all and he continues his romping fun like nothing happened. When he's done playing, he will jump up on your lap, sit near you or half draped over you. He's not comfortable with being held and picked up, but he loves pets and being brushed. Charlie gets overwhelmed with change, but we know if he's given patience at first, he will give you years of entertainment and love.
Charlie has been through a lot of medical care despite his young age. Shortly after he was placed in foster care, it was noticed that his breathing was odd. He made it through surgery for his neuter without any issues, but we decided to have our vets check him out. It was discovered Charlie had a severe diaphragmatic hernia. The hernia resulted in Charlie's liver moving up behind his heart causing pressure on his heart and lungs. We knew he needed to have surgery and soon. We found a surgeon who was willing to help our rescue and were able to raise funds to cover the cost of surgery. He did amazingly well and was cooperative with his post op restrictions and care. We are grateful to the surgeon and that the hernia repair was successful.
We thought we'd have Charlie up for adoption a few months following his surgery, but we were in for another unexpected shock. Just as Charlie was getting more freedom to move around and play, he began showing symptoms of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). FIP is a fatal complication of Feline Coronavirus in a small percentage of cats. Blood tests confirmed our fears and we had a decision to make. We knew a diagnosis of FIP is fatal, but we couldn't give up hope for Charlie after all he'd been through. Our vets recommended looking into a new treatment for FIP that was promising results for full recovery in some cats. The catch is that it is cost prohibitive for most people and especially rescues.
After one of our volunteers did some researching, she discovered we qualified for a rescue discount. She also was able to find a donation of medication for the first week, so we felt we needed to try. Within several days of starting the medication, Charlie was improving. We felt confidant we could manage more fundraising and handle the treatment. It was 84 days of medication, but Charlie continued to improve and is now considered an FIP survivor.
Charlie is about 2 years old, neutered, negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV, wormed and flea treated. Charlie is overdue for his yearly vaccinations, but this is in accordance with guidelines following FIP treatment. He can begin a vaccination routine again in June 2023. As with all our fosters, once we know he is adopted, we will want to transfer copies of his medical care to his new family's vet so they have his complete history on file.
