Special Pets with Special Needs
At The Animal House we're suckers for a special case. The animals listed on this page are all just a little bit different and might tend to get overlooked. We think they are all terrific and deserving of wonderful homes where they can be loved and give love. Please take a moment to read about our wonderful "special" pets.
All of the animals pictured on this page are currently available. If you want to meet anyone, please download an Adoption Application by clicking on our Forms page, fill it out, and email it back to us. Once approved, you can come see just how special these guys and girls are.
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Topaz - Do you have room in your heart for a little girl with a broken one?
Topaz
is a very special little girl. We were contacted by a rescue-friendly
kill shelter because she was scheduled to be euthanized and they didn't
want to see that happen.
Topaz is an absolutely beautiful,
medium-haired, calico with big feet, a sweet face, and a captivating
personality. She is always happy and looking for love. She fit right in
at her new foster home and loves to sit in laps and curl up beside you
on the couch. She doesn't even mind the dogs very much. So why was she
going to be put down?
Topaz has a Grade 3-4 heart murmur. This
could be a simple condition that will never give her any problems, or
it could lead to heart disease in later life. There is no way to be
sure without expensive tests by a feline cardiologist. We do know that
heart murmur cats can live long, happy lives and often show no other
symptoms. But Topaz's forever family will need to be aware of the
condition and be willing to monitor her for any future health problems. If
she does develop heart disease, there are many medications that treat
the symptoms much like they do with people. We like to think that Topaz
has a long and happy life ahead of her. We would hate for her to miss
out on the joys of a family just because her heart sounds a little
funny.
Topaz looks and acts very young, but she has several
missing teeth and we have no idea how that came to happen. The shelter
staff estimated she was around 5 years old so we'll go with that. As
many of you may know, we at The Animal House are suckers for a sweet
cat with a special need. We've adopted blind cats, partially paralyzed
cats, and FIV cats. Topaz stole our hearts and she will steal yours,
too, if you take the time to meet her.
Topaz has just started
her shots and will need to be spayed and tested for FeLV and FIV. The
Animal House will take care of having all this done and the adoption
fee of $80 for Topaz includes all these procedures.
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Shadow and Sable
Sable
and her brother, Shadow, were signed over to a shelter after their
owners were investigated on an animal cruelty complaint. Her intake
notes just said, "Living in unsanitary conditions." They were still in
the intake room when we found them and they were such a beautiful and
loving pair that we couldn't leave without them.
They
are around six years old and are both beautiful, silvery gray. At first
it's difficult to tell them apart, but Sable is a little stockier and
has a shorter tail. They also have very different personalities. Sable
is very outgoing and Shadow is a little more reserved. Both are very
affectionate, but Shadow doesn't follow you around looking for love
like his sister does. He is content to find a comfy spot and just watch
the world go by. When you get close to him he meows and presents his
butt for a good scratch!
Sable is
starved for attention and follows people around like a puppy. She is
always begging for loving, crawling up in your lap, and kneading like a
kitten. She is extremely vocal and will trot around meowing loudly if
you don't pay attention to her. She is also content to curl up on any blanket or pillow she can find in the living room and take a nap in the sun. To her foster mom's delight, she
absolutely loves dogs! No shyness at all. She even jumped in and tried
to play tug of war with the Brittany. She is perfectly at ease with
everyone. Her only request is that she never be alone again. She craves
love and attention.
Sable and Shadow are bonded and we are
trying to find a home for them together. We might consider adopting
them separately, but we would prefer a family willing to take them
both. In the picture of the two of them, Shadow is on the desk and
Sable is in the chair. In the other pictures, Sable is lounging on my teenager's lap (kneading constantly) and Shadow is on the desk.
Why are they marked as Special Needs if they are such great cats? Partly because it's difficult to adopt a pair of adults, and partly because of the deplorable conditions they came from. When we first brought these two home, they didn't seem to have ever seen a litterbox. Sable kept running up and using the bathtub, and Shadow just went wherever he wanted. We're working on their training and it's coming along well. These guys are so eager to please that it won't take them long at all. But their new family needs to be aware of their past -- the fact that they were never taken care of or given proper sanitary conditions -- and their new family needs to be loving and patient with these two while they learn all the ins and outs of being family members.
Sable is already spayed and Shadow is neutered. We are working on getting them up to date on shots and tested for FeLV and FIV. The adoption donation for Sable and Shadow is $150 (for the both of them).
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Reilly
Reilly was a stray who was brought in by a nice lady who had him neutered and vaccinated. Her intention was to release him back outside, but he wound up testing positive for FIV and she decided to try to find him a home. We saw a flyer at the vet's office with Reilly's picture and his story. The vet techs and office staff had written a little note about what a sweet boy he was, so we called his rescuer and took him in.
Reilly is a VERY vocal boy who yells loudly when left alone. His voice is so distinct he almost sounds as though he is talking. He is very affectionate (we call him our velcro cat because he's hard to get off you). Using the computer is sometimes difficult because Reilly has his large head laying on your forearm. Watching TV? He's curled up beside you on the couch. Trying to sleep? Better be okay with Reilly laying right beside you. Reilly is like having a toddler around who's always holding their hands up wanting to be held.
FIV is a very misunderstood disease. The Animal House usually has at least one FIV kitty up for adoption. Our last one, Miranda, found her new home in only a month. FIV is an immune-deficiency disease that gradually (and very slowly) attacks the immune system. It is in some ways similar to the human form of HIV, but much slower moving and far less contagious. Most people think that FIV cats must be segregated at all times so they won't pass the disease alone go non-FIV cats. This is not true. FIV is very difficult to spread. A pregnant female with FIV may not even pass it along to her kittens, or may pass it to only one or two. The only way an adult cat can spread the disease is through a deep puncture bite wound that mixes blood and saliva. This rarely, if ever happens in home environments. Feral, intact males will bite when they fight for territory or females and they are the biggest source of the infection for outside cats. Reilly has a couple of small notches in one ear. He was probably bitten there at one time and contracted FIV from an outside male. FIV house cats can share food and water bowls, litterboxes, and toys with non-FIV cats without infecting them.
As for his health, it is fabulous. Reilly is a big, strong cat (sort of a gentle giant) with no health problems. We're not sure how old he is, perhaps 2 to 5 years, but he has a long life ahead of him. It is possible that he will never have any health problems. Families with FIV kitties just need to be vigilant about colds and other infections. As Reilly gets older his immune system will slowly get less and less able to do its job and he will be more susceptible to infections. He just needs a family who will make sure that he gets regular vet care and who will see that he gets treated for any and all illnesses.
Reilly is neutered and up to date on all vaccinations. He has the endorsement of the vet techs and staff at Willow Run Vet Clinic. If you want a large, furry cat following you around the house, curling up with you on the couch, sleeping with you in the bed, and loving you for years to come, please consider this special boy. The adoption donation for Reilly is $80.
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