Spiffy the Wonder Cat

It was two weeks ago today that my husband rushed into the house after work, holding a kitten.  When I saw the kitten, I gasped and began crying.  I was sure it was going to die.  It was in awful shape...filthy, skinny, a horrible eye infection, covered in fleas, runny nose, and weak.  I was angry that someone would allow a kitten to get into such a horrible condition.

We immediately ran warm water in the kitchen sink and began the long process of bathing the kitten, getting the fleas off, and gently soaking and prying the dry crust covering one eye off.  That crust was so dry and so huge it looked like the kitten didn't have an eye anymore, but instead had a huge tumor where an eye should be.

He was also covered in fleas, which swarmed all over him as we washed him.  We didn't have any soap that was suitable for kittens, so I made a quick run to a nearby pet store, Incredible Pets. I bought some canned and dry kitten food and a flea comb, and after talking with a couple of the clerks I put the shampoo I'd intended to buy back and stopped at a grocery store to buy some blue Dawn dish soap.

When I got home, we used the soap to wash the kitten, then gave him half a Capstar pill to kill the remaining fleas.  We also offered him some food, and he began eating it.

I named the kitten Spiffy, and as you can guess I was in love with him.  We had 4 cats, now we have 5.  My husband told me this kitten was my blue-eyed gift from God :)

For the first few days, I was worried that Spiffy wouldn't make it.  The upper respiratory infection (URI) was pretty bad, and he was so skinny.  On the plus side, he had a voracious appetite and was drinking plenty of water, and was using the litterbox regularly.  We did deal with a bout of constipation, which we treated with by mixing his canned food with milk, mineral oil and pureed pumpkin.

In this two weeks, Spiffy has gained weight; you can't feel his spine or ribs as clearly as before.  His URI is nearly gone, he's no longer constipated, his eyes are clearing up and the fur around his eyes is growing back (it came off when we were cleaning the dried discharge off).  He has no fleas, he's playful and curious, and is sweet as can be.  We think he might be part Ragdoll...he has the longest legs and whiskers I've ever seen on a kitten, and his chest is also broad.  He has gorgeous blue eyes and he loves to sleep on me.

The improvement in one week is amazing!  He looks even better today :)  As I type this post from my living room couch, Spiffy is laying down on my right, watching me type as he purrs.

So begins the story of Spiffy the Wonder Cat...he really is a wonder!  Such a huge fighting heart inside a teensy kitten body :)  I hope to share many more stories and photos over the coming years.

It's been a long time since I've boarded the Friday Ark...it's good to be back again :)  Be sure to visit the Friday Ark for more animal photos and stories, it's a fun place to visit!