|
Sometimes, getting through life's challenges can only be achieved with the help of a good friend. For Nanuq and Charlene, beating the odds could only happen by sticking together.
When NMHPU took in these two little kittens in early September 2009, things were not looking good for them. Nanuq and Charlene were both battling severe injuries requiring each of them to have one back leg amputated.
Charlene was a tiny black kitten who was turned in as a stray to the shelter at only 4 week of age. The poor thing had an upper respiratory infection and weighed less than one pound. To top it off, she had a severely malformed rear leg that most likely occurred during birth by having the umbilical cord wrapped around her leg. But she is darling and very lovable, so the shelter kept her as long as they could. When she had to go onto the euthanasia list, the lovely woman at the shelter (Charlene's namesake), begged our Cat Foster Coordinator Jamie to take her into our program. Who could possibly resist that?
Nanuq, a pure white, angelic looking boy with a tabby tail, was trapped in a feral colony when he was about 8 weeks old. He had obviously sustained a terrible injury that caused him to lose one of his back legs at the knee. Despite his ordeal, this tough little guy proved his mettle by using the stump to walk anyway. As a result, it never had a chance to heal properly and he was suffering from a severe infection.
So on September 24th, Nanuq and Charlene both had surgery to remove their damaged legs. Although they were only 10 weeks old at the time, they recovered beautifully and now get around fine on three legs.
In October 2009, we sent an email to our members detailing the story of Nanuq and Charlene. Upon sending it, we almost immediately received an adoption application from one of the email recipients, and the potential home was a perfect match! It didn't take long before they were settled in with their new family. Not long after taking them home, their adoptive mom gave us the following update on their happy new lives:
"Just a few lines to let you know how our little sweethearts are doing since becoming part of our family. Gracie (Charlene) is my sweet pea, my lap is her favorite place to be. Gracie loves being the big sister. Our little man Teddy (Nanuq) has become very independent. He enjoys playing with his big brothers, chasing sparkle toys, running in and out of the cubes and climbing towers. His days are extremely busy.
Words can't express what joy the two of them have brought to my life. They are just purrfect! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to adopt them."
|
UPDATE (December 2009): Debra and the rest of their new family tell us that they're doing well and are truly enjoying the holiday season--in ways that a few short months ago we would not have believed. We thought that having three legs might mean that Teddie and Gracie wouldn't get into the usual cat antics of exploring countertops and tables. But the fact that they each only have three legs doesn't seem to hinder them at all; recently, both of them were caught on the dining room table destroying a holiday arrangement with great glee!
Their family reports that they're very active and happy. They spend their days running through their tunnels, frolicking in their tents, climbing cat towers, and chasing toys up and down the stairs while playing with their big brothers and sisters.
Teddy and Gracie are going to have even more excitement in the near future. Their family has decided to turn the entire lower level of the house into a 1700 square foot cat play area! Using the book "The Cat's House" as inspiration, they plan to build ramps and tunnels that lead from one room to the other, and also plan to connect cat towers so the middle of the room will be like a huge jungle gym.
Debra is especially appreciative of her two new feline family members: "Words can't express what Gracie and Teddy have brought to my life. Whenever I leave to run my errands and return home, Gracie will come running for me to pick her up, then the kisses begin. Teddy runs the opposite way because he hates the kisses. Can you say totally rotten?"
|