Adopted!
Don’t you just want to hug these cheeks? Meet Max, a playful redhead with a heartwarming – and heart-stopping – tale to tell.
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| Max |
Max almost wasn’t here anymore. He was outside when he crossed paths with a coyote. The Universe must have had other plans for him, though. A woman saw the encounter, opened her door – and Max ran inside. Fate + Smarts = Max.
Rescued, he was taken to the vet for vaccinations and neutering. Healthy checkup, but for one detail; he tested positive for FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Now Max faces an enemy of a different sort: ignorance.
When FIV was first discovered in 1986, it was at the height of the “AIDS scare”. FIV is a lentivirus, a slow-growing virus, much the same as HIV. As with HIV, the immune system can become compromised, leading to an inability to properly fight off secondary diseases. The similarity between the two pretty much ends there, though.
FIV is contagious only to other cats, and almost exclusively through deep puncture wounds caused by vicious bites by an infected cat. Kittens can on occasion acquire the virus in utero from an infected mother. Mainly, though, it is found in unneutered males that have been in territorial fights outdoors with other male, infected cats.
This virus is not a death sentence – as long as it is not seen as some horrible disease that requires euthanasia. Cats tested positive for FIV can – and do – live long, healthy lives. Because their immune systems may not be up to snuff, it’s important to keep them indoors, feed them high-quality food and get regular vet care. No different than what you should do for any cat!
Until recently, people were warned to keep FIV infected cats only with others that tested positive for the virus. Many vets even recommended euthanasia if a cat was diagnosed. We’re no longer in the dark ages about this disease. But many people are still in the dark about it. Best Friends Animal Society explains it well.
So Max faces discrimination, and a much-reduced chance of finding his own forever home, simply because the term “FIV” strikes unnecessary fear in many who hear it. He’s faced the odds before and beat them. He now wants to overcome this obstacle.
Max, or “Chunky Cheeks” as his foster mom calls him, is a friendly, ready-to-play young man who loves other cats and people. He looks like a big, orange teddy bear, doesn’t he? His only crime is having a stigma placed on him. That’s unfair to both him and whoever is missing out on one heck of a cat!
If you or someone you know lives in the Chicagoland area and would like to give Max an open mind, he’d love to meet you! He’s three years old, fully vaccinated, neutered and microchipped – just ready and waiting to head “Home” and have a ball! Max is waiting to hear from you at Almost Home Foundation.
Before we met, my husband adopted a cat with FIV. Since he didn’t have any other animals and Bill was going to be an indoor cat, Aaron decided to ignore the vet’s advice to put the cat to sleep. Bill lived for a couple of years and Aaron still talks so fondly of that cat.
Sam
Hi there,
It’s me, that lovable and happy Jack Russell named Penny.
Yes, I’m happy and I’m blessed to live with a couple of humans who provide me with a safe, warm and loving home. And the love I share with them is for all to see.
Here’s wishing Max aka “Chunky Cheeks”, to realise a safe, warm and loving home, very soon. I know that Max will be a wonderful blessing in somebody’s home.
Pawsitive wishes and doggy kisses, Penny xx
Aww, what a sweetie! I hope he gets a wonderful forever home very soon!
what a cutie… i hope he gets a forever home very soon!
He reminds the Mama of our old cat Tibby. What a sweetheart. The Mama would love another cat, but I’m afraid of the kittehs.
Maxwell: *earnest look* Thank you SO much for telling the FIV story! Momma volunteers at a shelter that has had huge success adopting out FIV kittehs — but they’ve also worked really really hard at educating the public through articles & videos that explain that it is NOT a death sentence by any means, and these kittehs can often live full & healthy lives – provided their adopters ensure proper wellness exams and are on top of any illnesses they might contract.
Again – thank you!
What can I say? I like redheads- whether they’re cats or women. My cat, Victor, is a redhead and he, like Max, is one cool kitty.
I thought your story on Max was inspiring. Not many folks know about FIV and to be honest, I only knew a little about it, despite having owned, or should I say, have been a companion to cats for much of my life.