Betsy
Just how gleefully goofy can a cat look? Cuddle up to our littlest calico, and you’ll find out.
Petite senior Betsy may initially come across as shy, but don’t let first impressions fool you. If you make the first move of friendship, it’ll be just moments before Betsy rewards you with rapturous joy. There’s nothing in the world like Betsy-style joy to make you smile: once you’re scratching her favorite spot on the back of her neck, Betsy will be purring full-throttle, green eyes all splendorous, rear end high in the air, and pink tongue stretching farther and farther and farther out of her mouth. Betsy wears her bliss boldly. This little sweetheart loves to be loved.
It’s been a rough road to sweetness for Betsy. When the little pastel cat first came to Tabby’s Place, she was in excruciating pain. With a mouth full of inflammation, Betsy’s agony had everything to do with terrible teeth. Betsy had one of the most extreme cases of lymphocytic plasmocytic stomatitis (LPS) our veterinarian had ever seen.
LPS is an autoimmune disease of the gums and lining of the mouth and throat. Far more severe than gingivitis, it results from a cat being allergic to the plaque in her own mouth – and, as in Betsy’s case, it can be devastatingly painful. The inflammation in Betsy’s mouth was so extreme that, prior to coming to Tabby’s Place, she was diagnosed with oral cancer.
Fortunately, that was a misdiagnosis. Less fortunately, Betsy was in a world of pain. Removing every last one of her teeth changed Betsy’s world forever, and now she’s learning just how jubilant life can be
During her long siege of suffering, Betsy shrank from human touch – understandably, since touching her tender head only increased her pain. Today, she’s making up for lost time, and rejoicing in affection with all those purrs and funny, oh-so-Betsy poses. Her toothlessness makes it hard for Betsy to keep her tongue in her mouth – but that’s all the better to show us how happy she is by sticking out her tongue as we snuggle her.
To keep Betsy happy and comfortable into her golden years, we’re continuing to be vigilant about monitoring her mouth. Given the severity of her LPS, Betsy will almost certainly require steroid medication for the rest of her life, as well as injections to reduce the inflammation in her mouth as needed. She has benefited greatly from a procedure to debulk the hyperplastic (inflamed) tissue under her tongue with a laser at the University of Pennsylvania. Since this procedure is quite aggressive, Betsy may require a feeding tube for a time as she recovers. Whatever she needs, our little wonder will receive – plus infinite love besides – at Tabby’s Place.
Despite her age (10 as of 2013) and medical history, Betsy is such an angel that we have hope she will be adopted. In the meantime, you can help her on her journey to bliss as her generous sponsor.