Mr. Silverman has the distinction of being our only cat who came with his own title: “Mr.”We’re not sure how he got his name, but that was the name the shelter gave us when we accepted him.As is often the case, Mr. Silverman was in the wrong place at the wrong time:the shelter was running out of space to keep him and since he was 10 years old, he was near the bottom of the “adoptable list”.

Mr. Silverman tested positive for ringworm during his quarantine period, so we started him on our standard treatment.It is not uncommon for a shelter cat to come in with ringworm and we are used to dealing with it, so we expected him to be rid of the fungus in a few weeks.But, Mr. Silverman was still positive after his first treatment period.And, unfortunately, he has now been through six treatments and still has ringworm.After consultation with a veterinary dermatologist, we believe that Mr. Silverman may be one of a small number of cats that has chronic ringworm.

Despite the name, ringworm is not a worm of any kind, but is actually a type of fungus.The fungi feed upon the dead cells of skin and hair, sometimes causing a round, red lesion with a ring of scale around the edges and normal recovering skin in the center. Because the ring of irritated, itchy skin looked like a worm, the infection was erroneously named.While ringworm is not dangerous medically, it is highly contagious, especially in an environment where there are many other cats around.So, we have isolated him in a room of his own, so that he does not expose any other cats to the fungus.

Meanwhile, we have not lost hope that he may be able to kick the infection.The isolation means that he will not be exposed to ringworm from another cat, which we think gives him his best shot at a cure, as we continue to treat him and pray for a good result.Mr. Silverman has a wonderful personality.He is very friendly and affectionate.And, despite being 11 years old, he is otherwise very healthy and looks more like a five year old.So, we have a small hope that he might get adopted.But, we know the odds are against him.

Meanwhile, we will contune to treat him and search for an appropriate situation for him.Your monthly sponsorship will help to cover the costs of his treatment.