Dillinger
Dillinger is one tough-looking tabby cat, though he’s not so tough once you get to know him. He looks rough around the edges because he’s been through a lot. But the fact that this kitty is here to tell his tale is tribute to his strength of spirit.
Dillinger came to us through a Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) program at a local correctional facility. When we first examined Dillinger, we found that he has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Rather than re-releasing him, we brought him to stay at Tabby’s Place. FIV disables or destroys a cat’s white blood cells and leaves the cat susceptible to infections. Once a cat is infected with FIV, he is infected for life and can transmit the virus if he bites another cat. The best place for Dillinger was in the comfort and care of our FIV+ suite.
Once he was here, and we had a chance to examine him more closely, it became apparent that FIV was not the only challenge Dillinger was facing. We believe Dillinger is about 8 years old – ancient by feral, unneutered male cat standards – but it may be that his tough life outdoors aged him faster than normal. At any rate, Dillinger had a large scar on his right eye, lice-ridden infected skin, and teeth and gums so badly infected and inflamed that his canines had moved and he could no longer close his mouth. All of these conditions proved manageable, and after neutering, treatment for parasites, and a complete dental (which left Dillinger more comfortable – and toothless) along with treatment for his infected mouth, Dillinger was well on his way to recovery.
Here’s where things took an unexpected turn. Dillinger had a scarred right eye, but his left eye showed no signs of trauma or infection. You can imagine our surprise and horror when we arrived one morning to find that his good eye had ruptured overnight. We can find no explanation for why this happened, but we’re grateful that Dillinger was already in our care when it did. We whisked him off to the ophthalmologist, who performed extensive surgery on Dillinger’s eye. Not only did the surgery stave off any further infection, but the surgeon’s careful work preserved some of Dillinger’s sight in that eye.
Can you consider FIV a blessing? Ordinarily no, but in Dillinger’s case, his positive test for the virus may have saved his life. Because he has FIV, we brought him to Tabby’s Place, and because he came to us, we’ve had the opportunity to help him through health crises that he otherwise would have had to face alone. What may be most remarkable, though, is that in spite of all he’s endured, and in spite of the fact that he’d never had a reason to trust a person in all his lonely years outside, Dillinger has a good soul to go along with his strong spirit. He is still shy with us, but he’s learning to trust people and has already discovered the joys of a good skritch on his chin or at the base of his tail. How inspiring, that a cat so used to fending for himself can still be open to trusting others.
Dillinger has been on an extraordinary journey, and you can help fill his days with all the comfort and love he was missing for so long. Won’t you consider sponsoring this special tabby?