When he was first adopted, he had an upper respiratory infection, an intestinal parasite, gingivitis, litterbox issues, and was so scared and tired that we received information documents about “Undersocialized Cats” and were told he might never become affectionate. He would spend most of his time hiding and avoiding interactions with humans.

I am very happy and proud to say that today he is absolutely thriving! The litterbox issues (he had diarrhea and would step in his poo) took a couple of months to resolve. The upper respiratory infection took eight months to clear up, requiring multiple trips to the vet and thousands of dollars in veterinary care, tests, and medication. It was really difficult to witness; he struggled to breathe, sneezed all the time, and he had frequent nose bleeds from the dryness and irritation. Fortunately, after eight months of care, it stopped! He has since been diagnosed with asthma, but the episodes aren’t too frequent, and when they do occur, I have a little inhaler for him.

As for his gingivitis (or stomatitis; the vets can’t agree), the poor little boy had to have most of his teeth removed (he only has eight left), but he is now much more comfortable!

Regarding his socialization issues, all it took was for him to feel safe, which happened just 36 hours after we brought him home. In all honesty, he is the cuddliest and most affectionate cat I have ever seen. Every single morning, he spends 15 minutes cuddling, purring, and drooling all over me. When I work from home, he has his own little napping pillow on my desk, as he won’t sleep anywhere else. When I leave the house and return, he eagerly runs towards me and meows until I pick him up in my arms, then purrs, cuddles, and drools for 20 minutes. He also sleeps in my arms or with his face against my cheek every single night, purring until he falls asleep. He is also becoming more confident around other people.

Finally, he is incredibly playful! He needs a lot of playtime, which can be draining but is also wonderful to see and great for his health. His favourite playground is our hallway, where we play for about 40 minutes each day (!!) with his wand toy and a worm attachment. Once he catches his “prey,” he proudly brings it back to the apartment to start again. Since I now live alone in a small studio apartment, he now has two trees, three window perches, and I also built him his own climbing wall to give him extra space to run and play.

As you can tell from this email, I love him dearly and enjoy talking about him and his journey. He is absolutely spoiled, but he definitely deserves it. I am so happy we found each other and that I get to care for him.

I wanted your team to see how your efforts and care for this little one have paid off! Thank you so much for caring for him, helping him regain his health, and allowing us to enter each other’s lives.