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| Name: |
Smitty
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Age: |
Two and a half years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Domestic Short Hair
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| Home: |
Christiansburg, Virginia, USA
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This
is Smitty, rescued in 2010. Smitty was abandoned by a dumpster and was
desperately dehydrated from having to eat rotting vegetable matter and drink
from stagnant puddles. Smitty was gravely ill. When they found him, Mama and
Diddy took him immediately to the vet. She said he had maybe a day or even
hours to live in that condition. It took two rounds of antibiotics to finally get him well.
The first day Smitty had a playful and really sweet disposition. Smitty's
Mama and Diddy fell in love immediately. Since he was so sick, he never got
scolded if he didn't quite make it to his litter box. He would make this
helpless little squeak when he was about to have an accident, so they'd know.
He didn't find his litter box right away, so they showed him each time he had
an accident. He started going to the box after only being shown two to three
times, but he wasn't tall enough to get in. So they put a dictionary in front
of the box to use as a step. Litter box training accomplished!
He started looking better after the first couple of doses of liquid
antibiotics. Then he started playing! All the while, his sister, Tweeter, was
not amused to have a new brother. He would try to play or just interact with
her and she was having none of it. One time she put a claw in his ear and cut
it, so he now has a tiny 1/4" v-shaped cut in the tip of his left ear. They
have only just started to get along, after a year!
Gradually Smitty gained some energy and enthusiasm for life. He introduced
his Mama and Diddy to his new zooming routine: "Rrruunn run run run run zig
run run run zag run run stop!" He had more energy than any other cat his Mama
and Diddy had ever seen. Then came 'Mr Feathers,' soon to become Smitty's
most favourite of all toys. (He shared the joy he was having on Twitter, to
the delight of all his new found pals!)
Once all the bacteria was well and truly out of his system, Smitty wanted to
go outside, but his Mama and Diddy kept him in until they were sure he was
going to stick close and not go off and get lost. His Diddy used to cradle
him during this time to take him out and let him smell fresh air and touch
tree bark, grass and flowers, etc.
Smitty had no siblings to teach him all the things a cat should know, and
Tweeter was not having anything to do with him except to hiss at him whenever
he got near. Ninety days after his Mama and Diddy got him, they had to make
him aware of his new surrounding so that he didn't come to any harm. Smitty
was so innocent and had no fear of potentially dangerous situations.
One day he was in the yard and the dogs next door got loose. His Diddy was
about five feet (1.5 m) from him and they came running up to him barking in
his face and he stayed right where he was - he didn't know to be afraid or
run! So his Diddy grabbed him and ran into the house saying "run Smitty, bad
dogs, run!" Since that day he knows to be afraid of them. He is a smart cat.
His Diddy taught him not to swat at wasps - he just wanted to play with one
and Diddy had to pretend to be stung to show him what would happen. Smitty
looked genuinely horrified and he wasn't go near a wasp since. Smitty often
looks to his Diddy for guidance when he needs it. He's very bright and learns
his lessons quickly.
Next it was time to climb a tree. (He climbed it just fine, but his Diddy
knew he'd need to help him get down.) Sure enough, Smitty had a look of fear
and panic when he saw Diddy under the tree. His Diddy pointed at each branch
in turn to tell him which way he needed to go to zig-zag down. He did not
hesitate and accurately followed Diddy's route. After three or four times of
doing this, he was able to get down by himself making his Mama and Diddy so
very proud of him.
Smitty has a limited time left to live, he has been diagnosed with severe
congenital congestive heart failure (cardiomyopathy). He was given only
months to live back in May of this year but he is still going strong with the
medication that the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
(at Virginia Tech) prescribed for him. We celebrate every day he is still
with us and comfortable. He is the Cat Of The Day to us every day.
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