Rescue Cat Loses His Ears, But Gains A Family of Special Needs Cats

Cat Loses EarsSource: © Shutterstock

Finding forever homes for rescue cats is not as easy as it seems. When people go to find a new cat form the rescue center, they usually see multiple cats before deciding which is the one for them. This often comes down to personal preference with regards to the gender, size, breed, and color of the cat. Even the cutest cats can get overlooked time and time again. Finding a new home is even more difficult for cats that are suffering from any medical conditions or if they have any kind of physical deformity. Most people want to find a cute and healthy cat with no additional care needs, so any cats that do match up to these stands are often left behind. Thankfully, there is a home out there for every cat as there are some pet owners who are more than happy to offer a loving home to the cats that are a little different.

Pika was a stray cat living under a shed in Washington, says I Heart Cats. A family found him and were keen to help. They took him straight to a vet for treatment. Unfortunately, it was discovered that Pika had a skin issue, and this led to him losing his ears. However, the cat’s hearing remained intact.
The family that rescued Pika took him back to their family home, and they had every intention of keeping Pika as part of their family. Sadly, it soon became apparent that theirs was not the perfect home for the earless cat. He was absolutely terrified of the family’s dogs, and the family came to the sad decision to try and find a new home for the cat.

They knew that his lack of ears could pose a challenge in finding him a new home. Therefore, they took him to the Purrfect Pals Cat Sanctuary in Arlington, Washington. This no-kill shelter has a place for every kitty, and they are willing to take in cats that other shelters have deemed unadoptable. This includes elderly cats, those with medical conditions, and cats that demonstrate antisocial behavior. It was clearly the best place for Pika to begin his search for a forever home. Staff at the shelter soon fell in love with Pika because of his sweet and affectionate nature. Although his lack of ears gave him the appearance of a broken cat, he soon became a favorite of the volunteers who interacted with him.

One of the volunteers, Jane, had a soft spot for any of the cats with special needs. In the past, she had adopted several other special needs cats that she had met via her volunteer work at the center. Her cats included Chrissy Lee who had corneal herpes, Freckles, a cat with stomatitis. And a partially blind cat called Lefty.  Jane heard about Pika from some of the other volunteers at the center, so she decided to meet him for herself. As soon as she met Pika, she knew he was a perfect fit for her home. When she took him home, Pika found it hard to settle at first, and Jane was concerned that he wouldn’t fit in with her other cats. One of the issues was that loud noises scared him, and Jane was unsure if this was because his hearing was different due to the loss of his outer ears.

Rescue CatSource: © Shutterstock

However, within a week, Pika had gained a little more confidence and followed Jane around the home. He soon became a playful cat that would often carry a cat toy around in his mouth. Although he doesn’t initiate contact with Jane’s other cats, he is not bothered by them. Sometimes, he is seen sleeping close to the other cats. Jane thinks Pika’s favorite cat is Lefty. Jane has said that she was taking a risk when she adopted Pika, but she believes that you are taking a risk when you adopt any cat as you never know how well they will settle into the family home. Fortunately, things have turned out well or everyone.

Pika is not the only earless cat who found a new home despite his unusual appearance. A cat called Otitis was adopted from The Feline Rescue Association of Baltimore, says Huffington Post. Molly Lichtenwalner suffers from anxiety, a condition from which she has suffered since she was involved in a car accident. In the past, she had a deaf dog, so when she saw Otitits at the rescue center, his lack of ears appealed to her. She decided that he was definitely the cat for her and adopted him. Lichtenwater had rather unusual reasons for adopting the cat. Her anxiety was having a negative impact on her life, and she found that spending time with animals helped to reduce the symptoms of her anxiety. A cat was the perfect option because she needed a pet with whom she could have regular snuggles. Otitis has settled into his new home well, and Lichtenwater says that he is always available to give her snuggles whenever she needs them. In her opinion, it is Otitis that saved her and not the other way around. He is now officially her therapy cat, so he plays a vital role in her life.

These are just two examples that show that a cat does not always need a perfect physical appearance to find a forever home with loving owners who do not care about their differences. There is a home for every cat as there are many cat owners out there who are willing to look beyond a cat’s imperfections. Just because Pika and Otitis looked different from the other cats, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t have something to offer that would appeal to cat lovers. IN fact, their personalities shone through and they have both gone on to find a forever home where they are loved despite their lack of ears.

image sources

  • Cat Loses ears: © Shutterstock
  • IMG_1843: © Shutterstock

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