Sex: Male, neutered
Estimated
Date of Birth: June, 2007
Arrived at
Witty Kitties: July, 2010
Biography: Rafe came to us from another shelter, where he arrived as a perfectly normal stray. Then one day the staff noticed that he couldn't put any weight on his left front leg. It could have been injured by getting caught between the wires of a haven, but no one knows for sure what happened. We agreed to take him and monitor how he uses his leg, with a decision to be made some time in the future regarding whether or not to amputate. When he first arrived, he never put any weight on his leg -- he just held it up off the ground when walking like a three-legged cat. Now a month later, he occasionally limps around using his leg for three or four steps before holding it off the ground. He definitely is not in any pain, and the impact on his movement is minimal. In fact, Rafe loves jumping up into one of the cubicles attached to the wall in his room, his favorite sleeping place. He also loves being held, petted, and cuddled in your lap. Sure, he could stand to lose a pound or two, but right now his size just means that there's plenty of him to love and be loved by! UPDATE: Three months later, Rafe is walking on all fours with barely a limp. No amputation for this big guy. And we forgot to mention, he came to us already declawed. HE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY LAP CAT!!
Special Needs: Nerve damage to left front leg (resolved)
Back to: Other special needs kitties
MY LIFE, by Rafe the Cat
My life began as just a stray,
And luckily I found my way
To shelter, safety, food, and then
They weighed me. “Wow, he’s over ten!!”
But darn, I went and hurt my arm.
I didn’t cry, but there was harm.
I limped a lot. And then I heard
What seemed to me a scary word.
“He’s unadoptable,” they said.
They sadly stroked me on my head.
Could this be it? My luck ran out?
When suddenly, a happy shout!
“There’s room at Witty Kitties, Inc.!”
I saw the vet -- what did she think?
To amputate, or just to wait
And carefully observe my gait?
Thank God, we waited! Now guess what?
I’m almost healed, and in my gut
I think my luck has turned around
And soon I will be homeward bound.
So now my task, to lose some weight!
I hope that you won’t hesitate
To check me out. Come play with me!
I need to romp, to climb a tree!
And if your house is not okay
Could you please write a check today?
To keep the food bins full, for sure!
I’ll send you thanks and purr and purr!
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