Wolfie may look like a furocious beast with his vicious vampurr “smile” but he’s really a sweet special needs cat with something to say.
KATNISS: Furst off, Wolfie, I just want to say you have a hissterical smile. Whenever I see your photo, it leaves me feline happy.
WOLFIE: Thank mew!
KATNISS: You’re “instafamous” because of your mewnique look. I understand you have some thoughts on this.
WOLFIE: Yes. While it’s pawsome that meowr people are taking an interest in cats that are diffurently abled, I have seen furst-hand that some people are just looking to adopt a cat who may become an Internet star.
KATNISS: >HISS<
WOLFIE: My Meowmy runs the Friends For Life Rescue Network and we have some special needs cats. Some get meowr attention than others. Fur instance Thumper and Flower, who have radial agenesis.
KATNISS: Oh, yes – they’re what the Internet knows as “kangaroo cats.”
WOLFIE: Purrcisely. Because they look like kangaroos, they are wildly pawpular. What people don’t realize is that caring fur their medical needs can be quite costly, plus their furever homes have to be adapted to meet their needs.
KATNISS: So you’re saying people need to be purrpared for the commitment and the cost.
WOLFIE: Yes. Meanwhile, there’s my furiend Dandelion, who has a megacolon which is easy to treat and is not costly. But she looks “normal” so she hasn’t been adopted – people seem to only want a special needs cat if it has a special look.
KATNISS: I guess that shouldn’t surpurrise me. But it does make me sad.
WOLFIE: Thank mew for giving me a platfurm to talk about this. I want people to hear meowt when I say please look beyond the next Instafamous cat. Instead, adopt the kitty with a purrsonality that matches what you’re looking fur. Meet the “normal” cats. And if, you do want a special needs cat, look for one who may not be getting as much attention but still needs love and care.
KATNISS: Wise words, my furiend. If it’s not too purrsonal, can you tell me about your special needs?
WOLFIE: Sure. My needs are not “easy” and they are not cheap. I have an abnormal esophagus so I’m going to require care fur the rest of my life. When I was a kitten, I had trouble breathing and was constantly vomiting. I was kept in oxygen overnight, then had a chest x-ray. I had to be syringe-fed every 2 hours and held upright after every meal. Humans took shifts caring for me. I was unable to regulate my body temperature so I lived in a large carrier with a heading pad. This went on fur months.
KATNISS: Wow, mew’ve been through a lot.
WOLFIE: And I’ve lived to tell the tail! I no longer have to be held upright after meals which consist of a blended mixture of critical nutrition and kitten milk. I have a very sensitive stomach and if I’m given any other food, let’s just say the results are “explosive.”
KATNISS: I understand you’ve had a hisstory of other health issues, too.
WOLFIE: I’ve had bronchitis, ringworm and upper respiratory infections from having a weakened immune system. I’ve also had cryptosporidium, which was very messy and stinky. I’ve had CT scans, an endoscopy, countless x-trays and I have to be fed separately in a tilted bowl. I also require teeth cleaning every 3 months.
KATNISS: Don’t take this the wrong way, dude, but you’re really high-maintenance.
WOLFIE: As are some special needs cats. I think it’s impurrtant that people get that. Caring for me wouldn’t be the right choice for everyone. And that’s okay.
KATNISS: You’ve got to love your Meowmy for taking care of you so well.
WOLFIE: Oh, yes! I sleep on her chest every night while sucking on my blankie. I like to reach over with my paw and pull her face closer so I can lick her cheek. And I always smile at her and give her the “lovey eyes.”
KATNISS: So what does your vicious vampurr face have to do with your esophogeal problems?
WOLFIE: Nothing! The internal medicine doctor says I’m a genetic anomoly. I look like this because I have an overbite, scrunched face and I blink with my third eyelids. My tongue also sticks out a lot, too.
KATNISS: Mew are very handsome, my friend.
WOLFIE: >SMILES<
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Follow Wolfie on Instagram, as well as the Friends For Life Rescue Network.
