Two months ago, Ten Lives Cat Rescue received a plea to help a cat in terrible shape. He had a gaping wound on his neck, and was covered in flies. We were horrified to learn he had been like this for quite some time, and while the person who contacted us did everything they could to get this cat help, he had continued to suffer. We immediately sent a volunteer out to help this poor boy. By nightfall, he was in the safety of one of our foster homes. It was obvious that he had lived a life of hell and was clearly terrified—he hissed and recoiled from our volunteers. None of us truly knew how terrible his life was until the next day, when he was seen by one of our partner veterinarians. We named him Neil, and promised him he would never be neglected or have to suffer again.
Neil’s life before he joined our Forgotten Feline program
During Neil’s vet visit, we received the disturbing news that he was covered in scars and healed wounds, his mouth was full of ulcers, his neck wound was filled with maggots, and that he was positive for feline leukemia (FeLV). While FeLV positive cats can live normal lives for prolonged periods of time, their immune systems are compromised—due to Neil’s injuries, we were worried how he would heal. However, he was determined. He ate well each day and drank plenty of water. He hissed at his foster mom for about a week, but once he recognized her as the “food lady,” he started to relax.
By week two, his foster mom had nicknamed him “Liam Neilson” and was in love. Neil took some more time to adjust to foster life—while he wasn’t feral, he was under socialized. During the first few weeks, he didn’t meow—he only hissed. His foster mom thought that maybe he didn’t know how to meow, but as his wounds healed, his personality began to show. He slowly started to give little meows and accepting pets. Soon, he DEMANDED pets every time he saw his foster mom.
Today, he is a love bug who continues to demand to be pet—he also constantly shows his foster mom his belly, and he loves to eat. Neil’s foster mom says he is one of the most grateful cats she has ever had the honor of fostering. We are sure that with some more encouragement, Neil will continue to build his catfidence and will one day be adopted into a loving, forever home.
Neil is part of our Forgotten Feline Program, which aims to help scared and under-socialized cats who are considered “unadoptable” by other shelters. With the help of our dedicated foster families, we are able to give them the support they need to blossom.
If you are interested in sponsoring Neil, please click here.