Rufus - FIV positive needs home ASAP Update 2.8 #40

[kuhio98]

Rhoda is a friend in Midland, Michigan. She volunteers at their shelter and has fallen in love with Rufus. He was scheduled to be spayed and placed up for adoption but tested FIV positive. Rhoda is working very hard to find a home for Rufus or else he will have to be put down.

Rhoda says that if we can find a home for him within 400 miles of Midland, Michigan, they will arrange for transportation.

If you have an ideas or suggestions of shelters or homes for him, please post it here and I will forward them to Rhoda.


Here's some background on this precious boy.

Rufus is another one of my favorites. Please allow me to tell you about Rufus.

He came into Animal Control in a trap and they would not let me open his cage. The officers said he was totally feral. This was just before New Years and after they stopped taking animals in, but they had to take Rufus because he was in a trap. Well guess what? Sylvia and I put our name on him. He came in right after the floors were redone. They had to keep him for 4 days by law. Then after we put our name on him, they had to give us 48 hour notice before putting him to the gas chamber and they didn't have 48 hours before we took over. They were shocked we put our name on him.

Well, I started working with Rufus the very day we took over. I talked and talked to him. Our new director wouldn't go near him either as she thought he was feral. I bought gloves and inched my hand closer to him each day because he looked absolutely terrified. Here is what I wrote about Rufus each time I did my report. I put out a report twice a week.

The report I put out is always a continuation on an animal, so the paragraphs are in different colors on the report, so this is a compilation of reports since the 1st of the year and I won't color them, but they were written on different days. You should be able to see where one report continues with another from the 1st of the year through yesterday.

Brown tabby, male, intact - either feral or really scared. I lean to both. I have been talking to him and today did put on gloves and managed to touch his side and feet. MAC would not even allow me to open his door. He cries but has not attempted to attack me as yet; however, I would not attempt to pet him with my bare hand. His ears were erect today and not laid back as they have been. His pupils were not quite so dilated. He sits on the shelf and I cannot reach him any more than his side because I'm too short and I find nothing there to stand on. I'll continue working with him and hate to see him euthanized but he is definitely not adoptable at the present time. However, he could be sedated and neutered or TNRd to a barn. He's an otherwise nice cat and looks very healthy, but he's about as far from social as I have seen.

Today I purchased a step stool so that I can reach this cat. He sits on that shelf and just watches me as I clean his litter pan and change his newspaper and fill his food dish.

I would also like to clarify that when I say that I don't think a cat is adoptable, I mean that I do not believe it will fit into a family situation with children holding it and playing with it. A kitty like this can definitely be taken by someone who wants a cat that might not make a lap cat or might be an indoor/outdoor cat or a barn cat. I personally am falling in love with this cat - so what's new in that regard.

Yesterday was an emotional breakthrough. He allowed me to pet him and once he did, he continually rubbed up against my glove for more. I have named him "Rufus". He is no longer a number.

Today, I took my gloves off because he was waiting at the cage door for me. I pet him and rubbed him all over with my hands, talking to him all the time. He is very vocal and still cries continually but is now craving attention.

Mariah was also able to pet him. He backs off for a few moments from members he doesn't know, but will warm up once he realizes no one is going to hurt him.

Rufus has some sort of an injury. Terri and I were able to take him out of the cage today. While I held him Terri examined him and he has a rather old wound, perhaps from a fight. It is in and underneath the tail area. There was discussion about sedating him for a neuter and shaving that area of distress at the same time. He's pulling at it and there is a scab about ready to fall off and there is loss of hair. I'm sure he is uncomfortable.

Terri believes he is about 1-1/2 years old.

All we really know about him is that he was found in a trap. I'm assuming it was a cage-type trap.

Rufus made my day yesterday and today was even better.

Rhoda


C??-11 - Rufus has been moved from isolation to the cat room. Brown tabby male - age 1-1/2 years.

Today I purchased cat clippers at PetsMart with a gift certificate that a cyber friend of mine sent to me. We desperately need a pair of professional clippers in the facility because Rufus and another long haired female cat that just came in need to be shaved and there will also be others. Barry has clippers but he always carries his with him because his wife cuts his hair with them. We need a pair for the facility and Rufus will benefit from them first.

I held Rufus for quite some time today also. One of the members noticed yesterday that he didn't seem to follow his food dish with his eyes and wondered if he was seeing properly. I tested him several times today and sometimes he followed my hand and other times he seemed oblivious to it. I will take in a swinging toy tomorrow and test him with that. His eyes don't "look" cloudy or anything but one never can tell and I thought that was a good observation. Rufus has stolen a piece of my heart and of others also. It just seems that he was never loved and is only now finding out about it.

Terri is going to sedate him. She has the sedative on order. She will then neuter him and tend to his wound.

The good news is - now that everyone loves Rufus.

Later that day, Rhoda posted this:

I had to leave the shelter. I just cannot deal with it - not Rufus. There is an organization in Grand Rapids that takes FIV cats and we've e-mailed them but last we heard there is a waiting list. I cannot handle it. No, I cannot. I don't know what I am going to do. I will have to quit. I'm beside myself right now. I cannot see. I've done nothing but cry.

Terri and I warmed his towel in the dryer. He was put under for neutering. Hs terrible wound was shaved and exposed and medicated first while we awaited results of the 3-snap test.

After the positive reading, he will not now be neutered of course. We can't put him with any other cats. No one will adopt him. He cannot even be a barn cat.

My Rufus that I love so much. I should have never gotten involved in shelter work. Right now I am limp with grief.