Tolstoy seemed lonely when his companion cat, Mandy, passed away. Tolstoy’s human, Alice, started an online search to find Tolstoy a new companion.
“Tolstoy would run over and practically knock my computer down trying to see the other cats,” said Alice.
Alice was drawn to ‘double positive’ cats with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which affect a cat’s immune system. “I have a rare blood disorder,” she said, “so I could relate to this type of diagnosis. I figured we could take care of each other. And I can ensure these cats, who are considered unadoptable by some, get a good, loving home.”
Her online search brought her to Tabby’s Place, where she spotted an orange, double positive, polydactyl cat named Ponce de Leon. His extra toes made his paws look like oversized catcher’s mitts.
“There was something about Ponce,” she said. “I grew up with an orange cat, Sunrise, that lived to 22. Ponce reminded me of her in some ways. And I fell in love with the extra toes!”
But Ponce was in New Jersey, and Alice and Tolstoy lived in Michigan. “It didn’t seem practical to travel so far to adopt, and I wasn’t sure if Tabby’s Place would be open to sending a cat out of their area.” A few months went by. Ponce remained at Tabby’s Place while Tolstoy grew lonelier.
Soon, a friend of Alice’s moved a few hours’ drive from Tabby’s Place, and suddenly, it all felt manageable. After connecting with Tabby’s Place and meeting Ponce by video, Alice packed up her car and Tolstoy and drove to New Jersey.
Two days later, she packed up her car again – this time with three cats! Alice couldn’t leave Ponce’s roommate, Andy, a double positive cat with three legs, behind, so she adopted them both. Tolstoy approved.
Tolstoy has since passed, and Ponce and Andy have provided great comfort to Alice. “Andy is so big and strong, he can do one-armed pull ups,” she said. “He likes to climb bookshelves and pull clothes off hangers. I’ve lost many coffee cups thanks to Andy.”
Ponce, the older gentleman, is a calm intellectual. “Ponce sits on top of me and reads over my shoulder. He also uses his extra thumbs to get into my takeout containers and can open a pizza box with his massive paws,” she added. He uses his extra thumbs to hold Alice’s hand.
Their nicknames include Shalosh (Hebrew for ‘three’) for Andy and Benzine and Mr. Thumbs for Ponce. While Ponce is too sophisticated for cat toys, Andy’s favorite toy is a feather wand that looks like a fishing pole. He also likes to chase and catch the fish patterns on the shower curtain.
“I initially thought the two boys could balance each other out, with one having extra toes and the other missing a leg,” she said, “They’ve done so much more than that. They bring me immense love and joy every day.”
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