Sophie Got a Brother Today!

at129

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I've been keeping an eye out for possible "siblings" for Sophie for weeks now, and today my heart was stolen by a handsome 9-month-old boy who I've named Jack. The people at the PetSmart location where I came across him said he was very shy, but as soon as they opened the cage for me, he came right up and nestled his head under my chin. Um - do I need any more convincing?

Unfortunately, Jack "needs some work." I noticed as soon as I saw him that he was very scrawny - his little hip bones are protruding! I have some of the dry food that they fed him in the shelter, but I'll be switching that (Purina) for a healthier variety ASAP - just want to make sure I do it slowly so as not to shock his system. he also wolfed down the small amount of wet food I just gave him - he's definitely hungry! His coat is greasy and dull, but I'm hoping that some combing, and proper nutrition, will help that and I don't have to subject him to a bath.

Worst of all, he's sick. I didn't notice in the store, with all the other meowing cats, and the traffic noise, etc, but in a quiet room, you can hear him breathe, like a little Darth Vader. At the vet's advice, we're "scrubbing up" like surgeons before going near Sophie!

I've made a nice cozy home for him in the bathroom, where he is hiding behind the commode (although he's a total attention-hog and runs right over if anyone goes inside), with fresh water, blankets, food, toys, and a litter box, and my mother and I have been going in periodically to sit with him - he's delighted to see visitors each time and immediately starts head-butting for some scratches! I'm letting my mother do a lot of the attention-giving for now, so I can spend time with Soph, so she doesn't think I'm replacing her!

For her part, Sophie knows there's a new animal around - hard NOT to, Jack is a loudmouth! So far, she seems cautiously curious. She keeps trying to get close to the bathroom door to get a good sniff, but any loud noises throughout the house will send her scurrying back into "her" room.

Here is Jack - this is a camera phone picture, I haven't had a chance to get the digital camera in there with him yet.
 

mystik spiral

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Jack is so handsome!!
Congratulations to you and Sophie on the new addition. I'm sure your love will help the little guy get better soon.
 

darkmavis

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Aww, what a sweet looking cat! Congrats on rescuing him and best wishes for getting him back to tip-top shape!!
 

coolcat

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..

Congratulations and thank you for share this with us!..
this made my day!...


Hola Jack y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina
, Milky
& Horacio
te saludan!!!
........

(Translate: Hi Jack and Welcome to TCS, Catulina, Milky & Horatio say hello to you!!!...
)
 

clpeters23

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Hi Jack!
Hope you're feeling better soon. Your forever family will put some meat on your bones and take wonderful, loving care of you!
Love those orange boys!
 
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at129

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Thanks all! I'm so excited, I've been looking for a month now, and each cat that I really liked, ended up not being a good fit for this household...so it was such a good feeling to bring this little guy home! He's sort of sad right now, with all his sneezing, and I can hardly bear to touch his back, it's so bony (I've pretty much been saying "How COULD anyone do this to you???" over and over all afternoon)...but that's all over now, it's healthy, happy, and Spoiled Rotten from here on in!

Also, it just hit me that I'm matching names with the "famous" pair, from "Rosie, Sophie, and Jack" fame! So I thought I'd share his name story; it's actually been picked out since the minute Sophie got HER name! Don't know if there are any Stephen King fans around here, but there is a book called Black House (it's a sequel to an earlier novel, "The Talisman"), and at one point, there is a really sweet scene where the main character meets a woman named Sophie, and falls instantly head-over-heels in love. The main character's name, of course, is Jack.


Here's another pic - I'm sure I'll be overloading the boards for the next week or two! You can see a little better here just how skinny he is, his poor little sides are all sucked in.
 

xocats

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Oh how precious.....
congratulations on your new family member.
 

sflacat

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That's a fine looking cat.Glad to see he got a good home.
 

mystik spiral

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I'm a HUGE King fan (just finished Under the Dome a couple weeks ago) and Black House is on my to-read list.
I should probably re-read The Talisman first though, it's been several years since I read that one.
I fell in love with him when I was a teenager - the first book I read of his was Pet Sematary. Scared the crap out of me.


Anyway, Jack's pictures honestly don't make him look as skinny as you describe him. I'm sure he'll be thriving in NO time! What a lucky, handsome little boy!!
 
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at129

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Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral

Jack's pictures honestly don't make him look as skinny as you describe him. I'm sure he'll be thriving in NO time! What a lucky, handsome little boy!!
You know, you're right, I think I'm looking at the pics with my mind's eye rather than my eyes! It may not even be as bad as it seems to me - he's definitely underweight, but he seems like he may have a lankier, more athletic build than "curvy" Sophie. I just get so outraged that people let animals get into this condition!

Resisting the urge to hover and giving him some quiet time, although I feel so bad for him - he keeps sneezing himself awake every time he gets comfortable.
Cannot WAIT to get him in to see the vet tomorrow and start him on some meds!
 

blueyedgirl5946

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Hey Jack. You are one handsome boy. Smart too. You knew what to do to win someone's heart. Your new human is going to spoil you rotten. Enjoy.
 

otto

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Awww.....he's beautiful! Red Boys are my favorite.

Congratulations to you and welcome to your forever home, Jack!

Let us know how he does at the vet.
 

Winchester

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Oh congratulations on finding Jack! He's an adorable sweetheart! I'm sure he'll gain weight and I really hope that Sophie will accept her new brother. I'm in love with orange babies.

I read Black House and the Talisman...good books, both of them.
 
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at129

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Jack's back from the vet - and it wasn't as bad as I feared (call me the queen of overreaction!). He does have a URI, but no chest congestion, and the vet said he's only *slightly* under optimal weight for his build (he's at 8 lbs, 3 oz right now; she said since most of his major growing is done, she would not expect him to be much over 10 lbs at optimal adult weight). So, Jack is well on his way to being in the same fine shape as his sister!

Here's one more pic, taken at the vet...because I can't resist.




Originally Posted by myfamiliars

How about a Sophie thread? She's gorgeous!
Thank you!!
There is an older thread out there, but you're right, she's about due! I will have to see what I can do...I have tons of pictures on my digital camera, but I've been having trouble downloading from the card (the pics of Jack in this thread were all taken with someone else's camera phone). By the time I get it working, it will be an Epic 50-photo thread!
 

mystik spiral

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Good job, Jack!! See, I told you he didn't look that skinny...
I hope his URI clears up real soon, good news that he doesn't have any chest congestion!

He is just gorgeous, sitting at the vet like the handsome little boy he is!!
 
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