Mr. Tibbs had a rough start to his life. Abandoned on the streets as a kitten, he depended on a very kind lady who fed him and kept an eye on him to make sure he was okay. One day, in the middle of winter, she noticed that he wasn’t feeling well and had a large abscess behind his ear. She took him to the vet to see what could be done for him, but there was more bad news. This kitty was FIV positive and could not go back to living outside because he would spread the disease to other cats. And so the search for a home began...
I got an email from a friend of mine who worked in the vet’s office. They had a cat with FIV who needed a home and my friend knew I already had an FIV positive cat and was open to having another one. This little fella had an amazing personality and would be a wonderful addition to any home. Would I be interested in meeting this little guy? I agreed to go and meet the cat and see what I thought from there.
When I met Mr. Tibbs, it was not love at first sight. He had been kept in a cage at the vet’s office for over a week and was very vocal about being cooped up for so long. He was skinny, a bit dirty, and there was a chunk of fur shaved off where his wound was being treated. But he was also calm, friendly with the other cat in the room, and very interested in receiving pets from the humans. I decided to take a chance on him and bring him home.
Bringing him home, I had a lot of doubts. Would he be okay living in an apartment after so long outside? Would he get along with the other cat? What if he gobbled all the food and didn’t leave any for the other cat to eat? Well, I shouldn’t have worried! He was okay with living inside...coming from living outside in the middle of winter, indoors must have been heaven to him! He was good with sharing his food, and got along well with the other cat. I got him cleaned up, and watched him settle in to the life of an indoor cat. His favourite thing was just lying down wherever he wanted. He especially loved to lie down on cushions and the sofa. So soft and warm! He was friendly with the other cat, but respected her space, and he didn’t jump up on the counter or try any of the normal shenanigans that cats can get into. He seemed to know he had a good thing going and was determined not to screw up! Within hours of having him home I knew I had made the right choice.
Since then he has grown into a fat, lazy boy who loves nothing more than to follow me around and take naps somewhere cozy. He loves his toys, and doesn’t show any interest in going back outside. He loves meeting new people and is always looking for love and affection. What a wonderful boy!
Catherine.
