Street Cat Shies Away From Help for Two Years Before Finding the Right Person

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Of the three rescue cats I have, Linus needed me the most. He was one of my foster cats. The person who ran the rescue organization had been seeing him on and off in the North Philadelphia area for over two years. He was so sick that he wouldn’t let her get anywhere near him until she had been feeding him for years and putting Lysine in his food to help his goopy eyes from rhinotracheitis.

She said every time she saw him, she was surprised that he was still alive. She had to have all of his teeth pulled because they were all cracked and infections were spreading to his gums. When he got to me he was a mess, but nothing a little TLC couldn’t fix.

He was a longterm foster because his appearance made him harder to place in an adoption center, so I took him home with me over the summer to my parents’ house. After about a month, I knew there was no way I was putting him up for adoption.

He was sleeping next to my head every night and following me to every room like a little shadow. He’s not an overly affectionate cat, but we have a very special bond. He’s extremely intelligent, and it’s easy to read the complex emotions he shows to me. He still sleeps next to me every night.

A visit to the vet showed that he has a heart murmur and arrhythmia. I was a mess upon finding this out, but his cardiology tests have all brought great news so far that it’s nothing to worry about right now, and he doesn’t have to be on medication for it. There’s no accurate way to tell his age since his teeth were so damaged, but most vets have said he looks to be at least 10. However old he is and however long he’ll be around, he’s changed my life forever.

Story submitted by Angela from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!