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| Name: |
Madison
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Age: |
Unknown
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| Gender: |
Female
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Kind: |
Calico Short hair
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| Home: |
Westlake, Ohio, USA
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My
boyfriend was coming home from work one evening when a man on a bike
come into the bus station with a little calico cat following behind. The
man on the bike said the cat had been following him for blocks and he
wasn't sure what to do.
My boyfriend started to pet her, saw that she was missing an eye and
looked thin. He and his coworker first tried calling local shelters, only
to discover that the no-kill shelters were full. He called me and asked if
he could bring her home. I, of course, said yes.
Upon arriving, she made herself right at home, jumping up on the bed and
rolling around in bliss. She purred and meowed and was rubbed and petted
for the next hour straight. During this time we discovered that along with
her missing eye, she didn't have any teeth! We named her Madison, since
she was found on Madison Avenue.
I got online and looked through all the "lost cat" ads that night and for
the next week or so after, but there was nothing matching her description.
The next morning we took her to the veterinarian where she got vaccinated
and tested for FIV and Feline Leukemia. Without her teeth, age was
difficult to determine. We assumed this playful, four pound cat was a
kitten, but after examining her remaining eye, the vet said she was
probably about five or six years old!
When we got the test results back the next day, we were sad to learn that
Madison had FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). After some research, we
think that Madison was probably born with the disease, passed down from
her mother. FIV is similar to human HIV, so it can attack a cats immune
system, causing various infections, which most likely led to Madison
getting her eye and teeth removed by a previous owner.
Despite her missing teeth and eye, we think that she is the cutest cat in
the whole world! She is the most playful, mischievous cat I've ever had,
and we absolutely adore her, despite how many times a day we roll our eyes
at her antics. She has found her fur-ever home with us for sure. She
enjoys playing with her toys, especially balls, which she will bat under
the furniture within minutes. At this moment, there are eight balls and
six or seven toy mice somewhere in the apartment. We have no idea where
though! She's also an expert at knocking off any and all items on any
table. She does this mostly when I'm trying to sleep. She even managed to
turn on the TV one night!
We joke that she only has three modes: ON, OFF, and LICK. Her ON mode is
from 9 pm until about 7 am. ON mode activities include racing through the
house and attacking things, moving or not moving. This includes feet,
pillows, rugs, blankets, couches, bags, clothing...and her sister cat,
Meeka. Meeka is often forced to retreat to higher ground to avoid the
constant pounces and smacks. Her other pastime is following you around
constantly, wagging her tail and meowing, letting you know that she wants
attention.
LICK mode strikes dozens of times a day at completely random moments. She
is very thorough with her grooming and is not shy about attending to any
bodily area.
OFF mode includes sleeping. On a person if available, if not, then the top
of the couch is her favorite spot.
As much as I love to brag about our awesome, adorable cat, I also want to
raise awareness for FIV and Feline Leukemia. Education is the key to
reduce the number of cats infected with these incurable illnesses! FIV is
transmittable to other cats through deep wounds, scratches, and bites, but
Feline Leukemia is much easier to transmit and is much deadlier. The tests
for these diseases are widely available at your vet office and low cost
vaccination and spay/neuter clinics.
Madison's outlook with FIV is good - we are vigilant in watching her
health, any illness or wound needs to be addressed immediately, and we
have a great relationship with our veterinarian, who gives her a wellness
checkup every month or so.
And lastly, this little one inspires us to be thankful for what we have,
our home and our health, and even when you lose your teeth or even an eye,
you can still be lovable, cute, positive, and happy!
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