Pussycat Lodge
Registered charity 1209280
THE STORY OF MAX
May to October 2024
Fluffy black and white male, 8+ years old.
May 22nd
Max was straying in Wickford for many years. People were feeding him and letting him sleep in their home, but he was never taken to a vet to check for a chip or get him neutered. One very rainy day, Max was finally tempted into a concerned person's living room and shut in, so we were able to get him to our vet. Sadly, he wasn't chipped or neutered but he has been done now. He was in a very sorry state, very skinny and covered in scratches and scabs.
Max needed a complicated dental as he had 4 broken canines. Poor boy must have been in a lot of pain for some time. He may have to be referred for this surgery. He was fairly relaxed at the vet when he wasn't being handled. He probably hasn't been touched for a long time even though he is used to asking people for food to survive. He has been blood tested for FIV and FeLV - awaiting results.
May 27th
Andrea took him to get his 1st vaccination. He was fine being handled and was a very sweet boy.
May 28th
Fantastic news! The vet received his test results and Max tested negative for both FIV and FeLV! We are so happy and this is very lucky for such a long term stray.
He has settled in to a small pen at PCL and is eating well. He’s currently sitting inside a carrier most of the time to feel safe.
Maria took him some chicken on Monday and sat on the floor talking to him. After a while, he felt comfortable enough to take chicken from her hand and actually let her stroke him. Turned out he is so gentle and she ended up feeding him the whole pot!
June 3rd
Max has now been moved to our bigger 'socialisation' pen which he is sharing with two older kittens. They are all getting on fine and the more timid kitten, Bud, hides in the carrier with Max.
Max hisses and growls a bit when you first go in but is soon happy when given chicken and strokes.
July 5th
Max had the first stage of his complicated dental surgery this week. One canine was removed from both the top and bottom jaws - they were very difficult to remove as they had broken right off and been ground down.
He still needs the other broken canines removed however there is a very big a risk of the jaw breaking to do it all at the same time. He is recovering really well and is eating with as much enthusiasm as usual!
Max is now an expert at scooping up food in his paw and shoving it in his mouth! He grabs pawfuls of fish or chicken that volunteers take in for him and puts as much in his mouth as he can!
This is always after already having had his normal food. Long term strays tend to be food obsessed, as they have to eat as much as they can when they find food, not knowing when their next meal might be.
Max hasn't realised yet that, from now on, he will always have regular meals.
July 15th
We had a major breakthrough today! For the very first time Max actively sought out some affection. Maria has spent a lot of time gaining his trust and today she reaped the rewards as Max started purring and rubbing his face all over hers! He now looks clean, his wounds are healed, his fur is in lovely condition, and he has put on some weight.
And one month later...
Max has had the final part of his dental treatment and is recovering well.
As soon as he sees a volunteer now he meows and starts pawing at the door of his pen, waiting for food or a fuss. He is such a loving boy now! Maria tried to pick him up for the first time as he was going for another vet check-up. He didn't particularly like it, but he was ok and didn't hiss or try to swipe or bite. She even had a cuddle with him before putting him in the carrier! Sneaky!
Max was adopted in September 2024 after being moved to our large communal enclosure to give him more space once he was fully recovered. He transitioned easily and loves his new cat dad. Max is thriving on all the attention he is getting :-)
