OMG OMG OMG - a pic of Tuxie outside!

In looking for pics of ferals for the TCS member needing them for a project, I found this picture - and the black & white kitty in the background (behind hissing Thanksgiving) is TUXEDO!

He was really fattened up for Winter. This is late November 2002:



Thanksgiving and Magic were adopted out.

A lot of you know his story. He was SUCH a nasty cat. He sent little Munchkin to the hospital for stitches (we fostered and adopted her out too). He disrupted the whole colony - and was part of the reason we ended up sending Booger to Oregon for her adoption.

Anyway, it was a VERY tough Winter.... we finally found a boarding place that would take him in. He got really sick there, and we ended up bringing him home with GRAVE reservations about it in April 2003.

At the boarding facility- HOW could we leave him there? Look at how much they love each other. Hardly acting like a feral anymore.



Poor thing got so sick. He had to stay in the hospital for two weeks. He had SO bonded with Gary. When we brought him home, the others didn't bother him and it was if he'd always lived inside with us. But this is what he looked like by the time he came home:



...but a little medicine, food and love go a long way....



Tuxie - we are SO sorry we left you outside for so long!

Laurie

He has had quite the journey, hasn't he? And what a handsome guy he is now.

He certainly has come a long way!!! What was he sick with? Poor thing looked awful!

My heart just about broke when I saw him standing there in that pic! We did NOT know we had this picture of him. But even back then (he'd already been neutered) he was still a hissing, spitting, seemingly mean spirited cat! We couldn't get near him. But such a love bug he's turned out to be!

Laurie

Originally Posted by carolinalima

He certainly has come a long way!!! Pami - was was he sick with? Poor thing looked awful!

Click to expand...

Actually, all he was sick with was a UTI and URI. But we didn't know what to do with him when we took him to the hospital. We had already deemed him "unadoptable," because from his behavior in the colony it seemed he could NOT get along with other cats and he was just totally nasty.

But weather in February had gone below zero for two weeks, and he'd head-bumped Gary by then, so they were pals. He came RUNNING every time we opened the door, and it was just too cold for that!

We searched, and found a newly opened cat boarding facility that was empty, and she agreed to let our little feral boy stay there through the cold. Our plan (I hate to admit it) was to release him back outside.

But the universe had different plans. Because he got sick, we took him to the hospital, because the boarding facility lady would not "do meds" with a feral, and it was too far away for us to get there every day.

But he stopped eating. He was still nasty to others - he gave the vet a few stitches on his neck, in fact. He couldn't go back to boarding until he was done with the meds. But he was just losing weight - and every time we went to visit, he would LEAP into Gary's arms.

The vet said there was nothing wrong with him any more - physically he was all healed up. But he wasn't eating, and his opinion was that Tuxie had bonded with Gary, and if we wanted him to live, we had to take him home.

....in the end, he was righter than he knew. A year later Tuxie developed an autoimmune disease. It is kind of like feline hemolytic anemia, though not technically that. We fought for four years (thank GOD he fought with us, because he had to go to the vet every day for MONTHS), and almost lost him twice.

But he's alive and doing GREAT.

Laurie

WOW - Amazing story!!! Congrats on holding on to him!!!
BTY - have no idea why called you Pami

Oh my goodness! What a story. He looks so good now especially after seeing how sick he looked before Poor baby.

I`m so glad he has you and Gary

What a great story!! It's wonderful that Tuxedo has a happy home now. I love his little smile.. he looks so innocent... hehe

What a beautiful story! It's hard to believe Tuxedo was ever mean and nasty - he looks like such a lover

Tuxie is such an amazing cat!

I remember well how frustrated you and Gary were when he was outside and SO nasty to the other cats and to you guys as well. You can have regrets, but I have to say that until that day when Tuxie came and headbumped Gary in the snow, I don't think there was any chance in the world for him to accept being with you guys. And frankly, until he was sick, he probably wouldn't have integrated with your fur family. It worked out exactly the way it needed to work out, for everyone involved.

Heidi, you are absolutely right, of course. Everything does happen for a reason.

The pic was just such a surprise! And he was so ROUND!

Laurie

Awww at least he's nice and safe with you now!

A very happy ending to this story - I like that!