Oliver‘s road hasn’t been easy, but let’s give him a happy ending for his golden years!
Oliver is a 14 year old cat available for adoption in Massachusetts!
Oliver‘s story starts back in September of 2013 when he came to Black Cat Rescue as a sweet, but overweight and sniffly, 13 year old cat. We suspected he had an upper respiratory infection and quickly took him to the veterinarian for confirmation and medication. Over time and quite a few vet visits, we learned that Oliver is not sick, but he has “chronic rhinitis.”
Poor Oliver wasn’t feeling well last year.
After multiple trials of antibiotics and a nasal biopsy, it was determined that Oliver’s stuffy nose is a chronic condition. Oliver‘s vet carefully explored this nasal cavity and found it clear of any obstructions. Our vet told us that neither antibiotics or surgical procedures will clear up the sniffles. Ollie has adapted to having a stuffy nose and, fortunately, it doesn’t cause him any discomfort or have any implications for his overall health. Oliver‘s sniffles are just a quirk of an older gentleman.
Oliver waited in foster care for a home, but there seemed to be little interest in this sniffly senior. In February 2014, Oliver‘s foster family noticed he was sleeping all the time (beyond the typical cat naps!) and drinking a lot of water. Another visit to the vet found that poor Ollie was diabetic. BCR quickly arranged to move Oliver to a foster home comfortable with giving injections and serving his more complex needs. With diabetic management food and daily insulin injections, Oliver started getting his energy back!
With the right food and medication, Oliver’s energy was back up and he was playing around! Like a true cat, he loves boxes.
Even though Oliver‘s diabetes is in remission, he is still overweight and not quite as “athletic” as he wants to be. Oliver‘s diabetic management food and light exercise will bring his weight down slowly over time. For now, his foster family got little stairs so he can get up on the couch with them. It turns out Oliver is quite the snuggler and he is King of the Couch!
Oliver’s special mini-stairs! He is King of the Couch at his foster home!
After 2 months of insulin and the special diet, Oliver‘s blood sugar readings were normal. The vet confirmed that his diabetes is in remission! He has been off of insulin since early June of this year and is doing great. Oliver still eats the special diabetic management food to help keep him healthy, but insulin injections are not necessary.
Ollie’s face is so expressive! He could give actual puppies a run for their money with his “puppy dog eyes.”
Unfortunately, Oliver‘s health woes weren’t quite over yet. This past summer, Oliver became irritable and stopped grooming himself well. Minor arthritis was causing pain in Oliver‘s back when he moved. Cats with arthritis frequently fall behind on their grooming simply because it’s painful to do so, and Oliver‘s coat was showing it. The vet prescribed anti-inflammatory medication to help with the pain and inflammation of the arthritis, and what a difference it has made! Occasional medication has given Oliver a new spring in his step– he seems like a new cat!
Good thing Ollie has those stairs, he’s quite the couch potato! Here he is hanging out with his foster mom Diane.
Oliver seemed to have a new lease on life, but he wasn’t totally in the clear yet. The vet had noticed a mass near his liver that we wanted to check out. Lucky Ollie got good news once again! The lump is a group of non-cancerous cysts on his liver. These cysts might be contributing a little to his discomfort, but are not a danger to him otherwise.
Oliver got a makeover to give him a break from the twisting and turning necessary for grooming.
To go along with his new lease on life, Oliver got a makeover! A handsome new haircut cleaned up any damage to his coat from not grooming and will give his back some time to rest from the twisting and turning necessary to groom himself.
“King of the couch” really isn’t an overstatement for Oliver– this guy loves nothing better than cuddling up with a friend and some blankets for a Netflix marathon.
Despite Oliver‘s long road of medical history, he is doing great! He has a few chronic conditions that are well-managed. His foster home describes him as a very snuggly guy, and he is sweet to his foster sister cat too! Oliver is looking for a home where he can happily live out his senior years. With his handsome new haircut, slimmed down body, and lots of sweet kisses to give, he is ready to go!
Oliver is waiting for his forever family.
Oliver is adoptable! Despite his sniffles and soreness, Oliver still has years of love to give to a lucky family. To celebrate Oliver and help him find a new home, Black Cat Rescue has declared this month Ollie October! We will be featuring him each day on social media until Oliver finds a new forever home.
Oliver cheering on the Patriots! Football is watched from the couch, so Oliver is a huge fan! His special Pats collar is a good luck charm for his foster family.
To help him in his quest, Black Cat Rescue has waived Oliver‘s adoption donation and will ship Oliver‘s special food to his adopter for the remainder of his life.
Oliver is waiting for you! Fill out an Adoption Profile at http://www.blackcatrescue.com to meet him in his foster home.
Fill out an Adoption Profile to meet Oliver in his foster home! LINK
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