“Positive.”
You couldn’t choose a better word to describe Ponce de Leon. With eyes that dance like candles and a spirit as warm as sunshine, Ponce is positivity personified.
“Double.”
That word might be a close runner-up. If every cat has been born with brilliance, bravery, and boundless love, Ponce got a double helping of them all.
But the happy boy with the honey-sweet heart wasn’t always dancing in the light. You’d never guess it from his gentle grace, but Ponce has known the shadows of fear.
Why? Because he’s…”double positive.” Sailing life’s sea alone, Ponce’s boat was battered by both FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and FeLV (feline leukemia virus).
The former is just a wee cloud in the sky, leaving a cat slightly more susceptible to infections. FIV is only spread through fluid exchange (typically deep bite wounds between swashbuckling strays) and poses little threat to a normal lifespan.
But “feleuk” is feared on all seven seas.
Spread between cats through friendly contact (such as grooming or sharing water bowls), FeLV can dramatically shorten a cat’s life…or leave him unscathed for many healthy years. The easy transmissibility and unpredictable outcome of this misunderstood condition mean infected cats find few safe harbors. Most shelters and veterinary offices euthanize FeLV+ cats on diagnosis…even explorers as enchanting as Ponce de Leon.
This all boded poorly for our little gingerbread cat, straggling through the streets alone.
But in the lighthouse of love, Ponce’s life was about to turn very, very positive.
Through a sun-kissed series of events, the song of Ponce de Leon reached the sweet shores of Tabby’s Place…and we pounced. Overnight, Ponce became a precious member of our family, and he hasn’t stopped celebrating since. Equally smitten with cats and humans, Ponce is a true friend to all…and a true force of positivity in every life he touches.
Like most FeLV+ and FIV+ cats, Ponce enjoys good health with just a few rainshowers. From time to time, he experiences eosinophilic plaque, a skin condition treated with steroids. Ponce also has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a form of heart disease. Ponce’s HCM doesn’t presently require any medication, but we do monitor it with a cardiac ultrasound every six months. But, that’s just a minor inconvenience in a majorly mirthful life.
Our brave explorer almost sank in the swamps of sadness. But thanks to Tabby’s Place and hearts like yours, Ponce’s life is a lagoon of love. We’re optimistic that this little pioneer will sail off into the sunset of his own forever home. But in the meantime, you can be his sunshine and his song.
Will you open your heart to our darling, priceless, double-positive Ponce?