Hocus Pocus – Hocus to his friends – is a beautiful medium-haired member of our FIV+ suite. Hocus is about 11 years old (as of May 2011), with gray-to-brown fur (depending on the day and the lighting). When first you see him, he’ll smile at you with such a sweet face you just want to give him a hug and a smoosh right away. If you try to do that, though, he’ll disappear in an instant.

It turns out that Hocus is one of those kitties whose inner sweetness is shining through a very timid exterior. We just need to figure out how to convince him that the people at Tabby’s Place love him no matter what! Maybe then we can give him the hugs and smooshes he so richly deserves.

Hocus arrived at Tabby’s Place in the fall of 2010 after spending considerable time on our FIV+ waiting list. When he arrived, he had a case of the sniffles, but was in otherwise good health, and for the most part he has continued to be healthy. He was missing most of his teeth when he came here, and has since had the rest removed when they were found to be infected. This might seem drastic, but cats can eat just fine even without their teeth, and Hocus is much more comfortable now.

As a resident of our FIV+ suite, Hocus is infected with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). This virus disables or destroys white blood cells, and leaves the cat susceptible to infections. Once a cat is infected with FIV, the cat is infected for life and can transmit the virus if he or she bites another cat.

Our FIV+ cats have their own suite and we are extra-careful about disease control procedures in their suite. In addition, they are fed a high-quality diet, in hopes of boosting their immune systems.

In addition to monitoring Hocus’ health, we are spending extra time working with Hocus to bring him out of his shell. It may take him a little longer than some other cats to warm up, but we are hopeful that he will learn to trust us and will find his forever home some day. Meanwhile, please consider sponsoring him and helping us to care for this sweet, shy boy.