Hi, my name is Donna, and I am thrilled to be Newman’s correspondent. I have been volunteering at Tabby’s Place for two years and Newman is my second FIV+ kitty. I am so happy to have met Newman and to be writing for him. He hasn’t been with us all that long, but to see him, you would have no idea that is true. He seems like he’s always been here. His days are spent snoozing, playing, and snuggling with all his new found four-legged and two-legged friends.
On my first visit with Newman, he was well into a good nap when I arrived. Yet his interest got the best of him and he crawled out of his cozy tunnel (see picture) for me. I spent a lot of time on the floor with him, petting him, combing him and playing with string toys and balls. We had a blast. Of course, he had lots of competition from his suite mates, especially Nuttin. You see, Nuttin has had a long standing reputation as being a ‘ruler’ of the FIV+ suite. So he made sure to get the attention he wanted before I could continue my play time with Newman.
As our visit went on, I wondered if there was any possibility that I could pick Newman up. I gently tucked my hands under his belly to see if that offended him. Nope. Dare I try to pick him up? On a first visit? Yup! He didn’t bat an eye when I picked him up and placed him on my shoulder. He didn’t want to stay terribly long but he was content to be there. This sweet guy has known love and is certainly ready for all we have to offer him and more!
In addition to FIV, Newman has some poo issues, namely, that without medication, he gets blood in his stool. We’ve been trying for several months to find a diet that will take care of this problem, but we haven’t had any luck. Finally, this month, we’ve tried transitioning him back to regular food (though continuing his medication). He’s still had some blood in his stool, so we’ve posted his case to an online veterinary board to see if we can get some ideas from other vets’ experiences, because he’s a bit of a mystery to us. Newman doesn’t mind, though. Regardless of what his back end is doing, he’s a sweet, affectionate cat, and always happy for a visit.
Dear sponsors, if you are anywhere close by, please come and visit Newman. He would absolutely love to meet you!