In February 2022, a scrabbly and skinny gray tabby kitten arrived at Tabby’s Place.
He was born with severely malformed kidneys, working at an estimated capacity of 15% of normal functionality. He was named Rocky, immediately and intensely loved, and considered a hospice cat, since the likelihood of survival past a year was low.
As many rockstars do, Rocky gave it a curious tilt of his head and decided he was not inclined to adhere to others’ predictions.
Rocky defiantly decided he was going to be a long and lithe boy, landing somewhere in the center of a cat Venn diagram of ferret, otter, and owl. He grew into his long body, knobby toes, and jade eyes that go enormously wide.
He’s not just a cat. He’s a masterpiece. He is a glutton for a warm sunbeam, and he will knead a soft blanket with such appreciation that it makes you wish you were a cat, too. Of course, he’s brutally good with bunny-kicks on the scratching posts.
He politely ignores the issue with his kidneys.
But Rocky drinks a lot of water.
Rocky has to drink a lot of water.
Since his body is incapable of processing it properly, his body needs him to keep drinking water.
Rocky also needs you.
Given his short life expectancy, Tabby’s Place nestled Rocky in a Forever Foster home, with a volunteer experienced in providing hospice care. In addition to unconditional love, he receives extensive medication, blood work, veterinary care, and fluid support. Each day, he dutifully laps up his medicated food, his fluid supplement, and sits at his water fountain to sip.
Despite having a level of renal capacity that suggests he should not be here, Rocky is very much here. Rocky is here with force, looking and living like an odd mix of James Bond and cat. He has his secrets, of course.
He’s a bit of a goofball, too.
And he hopes you’ll be his sponsor.
Your monthly support will help to provide for Rocky’s treatments, as he continues to outlive all expectations.
Meanwhile, Rocky hopes to delight you by doing as he pleases. This includes digging the socks out of the sock bin when he wants to take a nap.
He lounges beneath a lamp, beads caressing his ears, and says, “Snacks.”
He refuses to end a day without a handful of snacks.
Will you join Rocky’s dream team?
When we look at Rocky, we see vibrancy. We see a being that looked at the prospect of going to the Rainbow Bridge quite early and responded, rather boldly, “Nah.”
The cost of Rocky’s medication, blood work, and routine veterinary care is significant. Your monthly donation will help to keep Rocky and all our Special Needs cats healthy, no matter what they face.
Rocky’s eyes appear to gaze into the infinite universe. We hope he will see you smiling back at him with generosity and love.
Your donation will go where it’s most needed, ensuring we can provide for all of our cats.