We first saw Patrick in the middle of the spring, a wild one who was new to the neighbourhood. He began coming to us to eat from our food dishes. He was quick, and seemed to be adept at avoiding confrontation, not mixing with our brood, but hanging on the outskirts.

By the middle of the summer, he was a regular. With a full house, there was no room to intake him, so we kept our eye on him. Then tragedy struck.

He had been gone for a few days before he suddenly reappeared, the victim of what we thought was most likely a car accident. He had a swerving gait, an extremely tilted head, and he bobbed up and down as he walked. Not only was it shocking to see, it broke our hearts. Our full house had failed this boy.

As our situation stagnated, we made the decision that he needed to be brung in. He, however, was very cagey, and it would be close to three months before an opportunity presented itself. He was so uncoordinated, we were able to catch him in a simple carrier. Off to the vet in the morning, he was neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped without any idea of what trauma he incurred, except that it occurred in his left ear. Additionally, he was diagnosed FIV+.*

He returned to the vet two weeks later, after a course of steroids to control the swelling in an ear that seemed plugged solid. The vet determined that his eardrum had ruptured for reasons unknown, and that the course of steroids revealed a damaged ear drum, but the cause was undetermined as the rest of his ear had completely healed.

Our first reaction was relief. We wondered if his head tilt would ever go away, but the doctor could not say. For the present, he would rehab in a secluded room, as he was fully feral. Feeling better, stronger, he was a fearsome feline; we kept our distance.

And then, faster than we could imagine, he broke. No more wild, feral boy. Still young, he is rambunctious and doesn’t know his own strength and capabilities, but he is a love button, entirely enamoured of us, following us around. He also loves the other cats, but unaware of his power, sometimes overwhelms. His transformation was so quick, we suspect that he was a domestic, socialized kitten that was dropped off and turned feral to survive.

His tilt has receded, but it is still evident. Sometimes, he will telescope his good ear to the top of his head to get an auditory lay of the land. He sleeps hard, plays hard, loves hard, and is entirely in love with a life of cat luxury. He would fit in comfortably with any situations, solo or with other pets. Currently, his favourite flavour is ginger crazy, his hobbies are pets, snuggles, and following you around, and his secret power is chattering and purring.

He’s a special companion, and we hope you are, too. For his sake, and yours. Apply here.

*Here is an excellent summary of FIV and what can be expected provided by Cornell University Feline Health Center.