1.8 seconds.

That’s exactly how long it takes to fall in love with Luther once his eyes meet yours.

First you see that handsome face, as big and round as the moon, with all the glow of ten constellations. You just can’t help but smoosh that sweet face and scratch those funny, adorable “cauliflower ears.” Once you do, you run smack dab into the middle of Luther’s love. You see, it takes him all of 1.8 seconds to fall in love with you, too. Our big guy has so much love to give, and he’ll cuddle you as long as you’ll let him.

So how in the universe does a snuggle bunny like Luther find himself without a doting family of his own? We can’t imagine how Luther might have ended up outdoors, but so he did.

Our personality-plus boy was rambling the hills of Virginia when a shelter picked him up. They were immediately smitten by his affectionate nature and that one-of-a-kind wonderful face, so the good folks at the shelter were saddened to find that Luther was positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV.FIV disables or destroys a cat’s white blood cells, leaving him more susceptible to infections than the average feline. Once a cat is infected with FIV, he’ll have the virus for life. Like Edward, Magnum, and all our FIV+ cats, Luther most likely contracted FIV from a bite while living outdoors. Cats can’t give FIV to humans. They can’t even give it to other cats without very serious and penetrating bite wounds. FIV never becomes anything like “full-blown AIDS,” and it truly lives up to its classification as a lentivirus, or “slow virus.” In most cases it takes years before it has any impact upon a kitty at all…and, even then, the impact can be quite manageable. FIV suppresses a cat’s immune system, making him more susceptible to infections. But, keeping things clean and making sure to get an FIV+ kitty to the vet at the first sign of illness can keep him happy and healthy for a long and happy, healthy life.

The FIV+ cats at Tabby’s Place are monitored carefully for any signs of sickness, and the staff is especially vigilant about disease control procedures in their suite. Luther and his FIV+ roomies receive frequent examinations from our veterinarians, and are fed a high-quality diet, in hopes of boosting their immune systems.

Although FIV is not life-threatening with proper care, it is a condition many adopters find daunting. For this reason, Luther will need an especially patient, loving person to provide his forever home. We do believe that day will come; our big guy’s charms are simply that irresistible.

In the meantime, please cherish our moon-faced marvel as his generous sponsor. Your monthly kindness will help us to give Luther the happy, healthy, snuggle-filled life he deserves.