And, oh, baby, this is one darling little guy. At five months of age (as of 2/10), our bundle of gray fluff is one of the most loving, snuggly kittens you’ll ever meet. Sit down for a moment, and Dave will scramble over to your lap and purr more loudly than a diesel engine. Named for the lead singer of the Dave Matthews Band, little Dave is giddy to make sweet music with anyone who will love him. Unlike many kittens, Dave is even more interested in cuddling than he is in playing, and he’s happy to stay in your lap and just love you for as long as you’ll let him.

But, Dave is a kitten…so sometimes he’s just got to play and run wild. Dave’s favorite playmate is our paraplegic cat Tashi, and the two will wrestle and scamper through the Lobby, into the Community Room, around the legs of unsuspecting human friends, and back again. Our two “sunshine boys” are wild about each other – and, when they’re together, they’re simply wild. We couldn’t hope to meet two happier, higher-energy guys than these two, and it’s a hoot to see them having fun together.

Perhaps Tashi and Dave are so close because they share a common bond: they both have Special Needs, and require a bit more care than the average cat.

We first suspected that something might be amiss with little Dave a few weeks after he arrived at Tabby’s Place with his siblings. While his brother Beauford and sister Tinsley grew bigger and stronger, Dave began losing weight, and blood work showed alarmingly elevated kidney values.

It seems that, even though Dave is just a kitten, he has a condition most common in elderly cats: chronic kidney disease. While we have some hope that he may outgrow this, presently he requires a raft of medications to keep him comfortable, cuddly and happily rambunctious.

Dave’s chronic kidney disease causes him a number of secondary gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Without a special diet and medications, Dave gulps almost continually due to esophagitis, and is prone to vomiting and other GI motility troubles due to gastric ulcers. Fortunately, a trio of special medications keep Dave quite comfortable. As an added bonus, Dave actually adores these flavored medications, and will begin frantically pawing at the bottles as soon as “med time” approaches.

We are hopeful that, as we continue to monitor and treat Dave’s symptoms, he will regain normal kidney function over time. Yet we know that a kitten with Dave’s history faces unusual obstacles in finding a forever home. Until that amazing home comes along, we love having him with us and are happy to give him the care he needs. Please join Dave’s merry band as his newest sponsor.