Tiny Tim is a mystery cat. He showed up at my shop looking starved, crippled, and with no tail. Just a plain dark grey tabby, but he had some obvious problems. His little butt was all crusted over with dried poop, and his back legs were messed up. I cleaned him up some, saw that he was having trouble controling his bowel movements. But I kept feeding him and he seemed to be getting a little stronger. Then yesterday, I found him cold and wet, looking awful. I cleaned him up again, then took him to a vet. The little guy weighs just over 3 lbs., can sit in the palm of your hand . . . but he's not a kitten. The vet said he was at least 6 months old, probably older. He's taking antibiotics now for an ulcerated rectum, but he tested negative for feline aids and leukemia. The vet was as baffled as I am as to how this tiny cat survived. He thinks his deformities are birth defects, still doesn't know why he didn't grow. Perhaps malnutrition could've caused it. He thinks not having a tail is responsible for the control problem in his rear end, that nerves didn't develop properly. What we're doing now for him is just a start, he said. He goes back for more tests in a few weeks.
Watching him move around is almost like watching a rabbit move. His back legs are long, with one being longer than the other. And his front feet are almost like hands. Maybe he developed the front paw thing to compensate for the bad back legs. So far, he's doing well, hasn't made any messes and eats and sleeps well. I've dealt with some strange cats in the past, but this little guy takes the cake. He's a charmer, that's for sure. Most of the cats I take care of showed up with needs, and most of them have survived and are now a fixture either here at my home or across town at the guitar shop. Working on guitars is a challenge even under normal conditions, but it's something else with a half dozen cats trying to help you out. But if I decide to relax and play guitar a while, I've always got an audience.
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