The Cats

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What is FIV?

Caring For an FIV Cat

Mr Jenkins 6 lbs of pure "Cattitude"

Mr Jenkins is the oldest cat here at FBC. We are not certain of his exact age, but our closest estimate is in the 8-12 years old range. He is quite vocal and reminds us of a cranky little old man.

Due to chronic eye infections that are a result of fiv, his left eye looks like he is squinting all of the time. He is the most symptomatic of all of the cats. Besides the eye infections, Mr Jenkins gets ulcers in his mouth that make eating very painful. We frequently have to hand feed him bits of chicken, tuna and beef. He loves cooked carrots and beets!!

Sydney, Miss Mae and Mr Jenkins are the first cats that came here from the House of Mews. Sydney is the most laid back the three. He loves to sit next to or on anyone that will pet him or rub his belly. While most cats will purr when they are petted, Sydney stretches his legs out and extends all of his claws. He is a very sweet tempered boy and doesn't try to scratch or bite. All he wants is to be loved

Miss Mae

Miss Mae has a very plush, extremely soft coat. As you can see from her picture, she is a very muscular and compact cat. Miss Mae is a great example of the ideal predator--lucky for the local wildlife that she is strictly an indoor cat. We don't know why but her left ear is always cocked, giving her a perplexed look. As is the case with almost all of the cats here at FBC, she loves attention.

Buzz

Buzz is quite a character. His canine teeth are so long that they hang out of his mouth like vampire teeth. He is solid black except for a tiny white patch on his chest. Buzz likes to hang out in the "dog room". His favorite spot is on the top of a bookcase--a safe vantage point from which he can taunt the dogs with his obvious feline superiority. Buzz also came to us from the House of Mews.

Blaze is another House of Mews cat. Of the 6 cats that we initially got from the House of Mews, Blaze had been there the longest (3 years). These pics do not do her justice. Her coat and markings are a beautiful, pastel tortoiseshell. Blaze is not a people oriented cat. I have only touched her once and that was on the day that I took her out of her travel crate when she arrived here. She is quite happy and playful with the other cats and enjoys being with them.

Maxwell

Maxwell is the "head cat" at FBC. He never starts a squabble, but we have seen him stop them by stepping between 2 cats thereby putting an end a dispute. Maxwell's approach to petting is to sit in front of me and stare at me until I pet him. He and Blaze are very close and play together frequently.

Of all the cats here at FBC, Maxwell is the biggest snack hound! He LIVES for cat treats.

Casper was a stray and was being fed by a very nice lady. One day she noticed that he had been in a fight so she packed him up and took him to her vet to get him fixed up and vaccinated so that he might become an official member of her kitty family. Sadly, poor Casper tested positive for FIV and the lady was not able to keep him. She contacted FBC and we agreed to take Casper.

He is one of the very nicest cats at the sanctuary. Laid back and friendly, Casper loves attention and cat treats.

Cagney

Gable

Brando

Cagney, Brando and Gable came to us from the Memphis Shelby County Humane Society. They were only 7 weeks old and tested positive for FIV due to antibodies they received from their mother while nursing. Retesting kittens at about 4 mos is recommended and the majority will test negative.

Having these active boys has been delightful. Their kitten antics are just hilarious and even a few of the older cats will join in their fun. Ace, also from MSCHS, thinks they are great and loves to groom and play with them. The 3 "little boys" are very close and will always find each other at nap and bedtime.

Note: At 5 mos of age, Cagney died suddenly from FIP( Feline Infectious Peritonitis). The week prior to his death, Cagney was retested for FIV--he tested negative.

Adam

Alice

Alice and Adam came to FBC when their owner passed away. The neighbor that had helped care for Alice and Adam's owner was going to take in both cats. She took them to her vet for check-ups and shots and discovered that Alice was FIV positive. Because the cats had been together since they were kittens, we agreed to take them both.

Alice is very sweet and seems to love having her picture taken. Her coat is quite unusual as the black patches are coarse and slick while her white fur is soft and fluffy. She likes Adam but not the other cats.

Even though they have spent their entire lives together, only Alice is FIV+. Adam tested negative. Both cats were altered as kittens and have been mainly indoor pets. Alice most certainly acquired the virus from her mother.

Adam is a very friendly cat with a very deep voice. His eyes are deep amber with a beautiful dark brown natural eyeliner.

Joe Handsome

Joe is a big, floppy, goof ball. He is extremely good natured and seems to get along with all of the other cats and is not at all bothered by our dogs. In fact, Joe tends to spend alot of time in the dog room napping with our Akita! His coat is a beautiful brown tabby. Joe doesn't seem to have missed many(if any) meals.

Buffy

Buffy

Angie and Nigel

Otis

Angie Nigel

Mrs.Wootrie

Daisy

Jasmine

Dixie

CallieLou

Ace

Ace

Rocket

Tiger

Old Blue

Fiona

Rio

Rio

Thor

T.J.

T.J.

Indy 8/07

Truman 10 weeks old. Indy's baby (08/07)

Larry

George

Buffy,Angie,Otis and Nigel came to us via the Jackson TN Humane Society. They had been living with a volunteer for quite some time. When she became ill, and was unable to care for them, we agreed to take them. Otis and Nigel are brothers. Angie really looks alot like them but she is unrelated. She is just crazy about Nigel. Buffy is a sweetheart and her fur is SOOO soft. She was very shy when she first arrived but has warmed up and loves attention. Otis and Nigel are also very nice cats. Angie is very afraid of people. She hides when there are people around.

Mrs.Wootrie and Daisy also came from Jackson. They were in the same foster home as the other "Jackson Cats" Underneath all of that fur, Mrs Wootrie is quite small. She loves to snuggle up under your chin and purr. I have never seen her get upset with any of the other cats. She is a true southern belle.

Daisy is a typical torte-translation-She is crazy!!

One minute she is friendly and allows herself to be petted. The next minute she is scrambling to get away. We love her anyway!!

Jasmine and Dixie are life-long companions and like Adam and Alice, only one of them is FIV+. They lived together in the same house for about 6 years. Jasmine is FIV+ and Dixie is FIV-. Jasmine loves attention and will reach with her paws and pull your hand to her to be petted. The whole time she is being stroked, Jasmine drools like a dog!

Dixie is a sweet kitty but she barely tolerates the other cats. The exceptions to this are the "little boys". We will never know if Dixie ever had a litter of her own, but she is a terrific "mother" to the kittens. Even though they are getting big now, Gable and Brando still enjoy snuggling up with Dixie for a snooze.

CallieLou was destined for a sad and dangerous life on the streets when her guardian angel stepped in and saved her. A good Samaritan had been feeding her since she was very small. One day the lady was able to catch CallieLou and took her to the vet to be spayed and vaccinated. When Callielou's FIV test came back positive, her rescuer called around until she found FBC and so here she is. CallieLou has adjusted VERY well to indoor life. No more scrounging in trash cans for this sweet girl!

Ace was also a street cat. When we first saw him, Ace was greasy and stank of motor oil. His thick, soft coat was thin and coarse and falling out but just look at him now. Ace is an average sized cat but thinks he is a lion. Not too long ago, he backed my 80lb German shepherd into a corner and we had to force him to let her go. He also ran our lab away from her food dish, threatening her when she tried to get back to her dinner! Ace loves to play with the "little boys" and we have seen him grooming them many times.

Noel

Rocket very narrowly missed certain death at the Memphis Animal Shelter. He was one of a group of cats that had been surrendered to the "Shelter" when their owner was unable keep them due to a move. No sooner had they been left at the shelter when their owner (still in the parking lot) got a call from another rescue saying that they would take them all. Thank goodness they were saved!! I can't speak of the other cats, but Rocket is the nicest cat. He is a smallish boy with a short tail and the softest fur of any cat I have ever known.

Tiger came to FBC because her owner discovered that she was FIV+ and no longer wanted her. Luckily, her vet and a hardworking network of cat lovers was able to contact us and of course we agreed to take her.

She was not a very happy girl during her first few weeks at the sanctuary. Tiger was not used to being around alot of other cats and we worried that she would not be able to adjust to them. With lots of love and extra attention, she has calmed down and even has a friend. Old Blue (below) and Tiger spend alot of time together. They have staked out the white couch as their own and get along very well.

Tiger is a very vocal cat and she talks and talks when she wants to be petted. She is very people oriented and has never raised a paw to us either in fear or anger. It is really too bad that her former owner could not look past her FIV status to see what a terrific cat Tiger is.

Old Blue is a very friendly cat. He came to FBC along with his friends Fiona, Rio and Thor all the way from Lafayette, LA. His rescuer was happy to find an FIV specific sanctuary for Blue and his buddies. As for Old Blue, he is happy to spend his days napping on the white couch with his new friend Tiger.

As you can see from her pictures, Fiona is a very colorful kitty. The lady that rescued her called her a "Mardi Gras" cat because of her bright colors and the markings on her face that resemble a mask. Fi is a young cat and is full of kittenish curiosity. Her favorite trick is to hop up in my chair just as I start to sit down. Strangely, everyone (except me )thinks that this is just hilarious.

Rio is a very talented cat! The picture above shows him doing his Elvis impression. He is a very large cat but is just a big loveable sweetie-pie. Rio had been here for a couple of days when we recognized his talent for impressions. Actually we thought that he had a pretty serious under-bite and then we realized poor Rio only has about 4 teeth! Fortunately that does not keep him from eating, it just means that he gets more yummy canned food.

Thor and TJ came from Lafayette,LA with Rio, Fiona and Old Blue. Thor is one of the biggest domestic cats that I have ever seen. When he stretches out, he easily takes up over one third of the couch. Thor is quite friendly and his most favorite things to do are eat and nap on the couch.

TJ is a love bug. His whole goal in life is to be petted. He also loves to be held. He will hold his little arms up just like a child to be picked up. He enjoys playing with the other cats but very clearly prefers human companionship.

George was a street cat for several years prior to coming to FBC. His rescuer,Brian, comes to visit George regularly. When he first came, George had several wounds from fighting that have finally healed. He has not been aggressive in the least since we have had him. If the pictures below are any indication, George has adjusted very nicely to being an indoor cat. He enjoys cat treats and naps.

Larry was also a "street tom" in his pre-FBC life. Even though he was very badly injured in a fight and was surely in extreme pain, he was a gentleman. His rescuer could not bear the thought of having him euthanized and contacted us. We are still treating his right eye for an injury but he is doing very well being indoors and off of the mean streets of Hernando,MS.

Indy and Truman just appeared on their rescuer's front porch in Independence, MO. Indy was friendly and the lady thought that they belonged to someone in the neighborhood. They were still there when she returned from a week's vacation but Indy was quite sick so the lady took them both to the vet. Indy had severe upper respiratory and eye infections. Her baby, Truman, seemed healthy except for a positive FIV test. The pictures at the left were taken the day after they arrived in Memphis. Indy's eyes were in very bad shape and her overall condition was poor. We really thought that she would not live. Below are Indy and Truman after a little over a month at FBC. Indy is still a little thin but her eyes are not gummy and swollen shut. Truman is having a great time growing and playing with the other "little boys". He will be retested for FIV in another month. We believe that they are glad to be here.

Noel arrived in Mid-September with 2 other cats from Lafayette,LA. She is just as sweet as can be. It only took a couple of days before Noel warmed up to her new surroundings and was romping with the other cats. She loves to be petted and according to her foster mom, loves to drink from the bathtub! As you can see from her pictures, Noel is quite beautiful. We are glad to have her here at FBC.

Smokey was a "farm cat" at the vet school at LSU. She was almost feral when she was befriended by a couple of vet students. They fed her and provided vet care for her until recently when they graduated and left LSU to begin their careers. Worried that there would be no one willing to look after Smokey, they were trying to find a new home for her. Our friend in Louisiana told us her story and of course we offered her a home here at the sanctuary.

Smokey has lived outdoors her whole life and it has taken some getting used to for her to be an indoor cat. She has learned about the litter box but is still getting accustomed to ordinary household sounds like the beeping of the microwave and the vacuum cleaner.

SMOKEY

SMOKEY

This very handsome boy is Charlie. He was a stray that stole the heart of his kind rescuer. It is no wonder that she fell in love with him because Charlie is just as sweet as he is beautiful. He is another of the cats that seem to like hanging out with our dogs. Charlie loves cat treats and really enjoys his Friskies Turkey and Giblets. In spite of his affinity for the goodies, he is solid and seems to be quite athletic. His unusual colors and markings really make him stand out among all of the tabbies here at the sanctuary. True to his Siamese roots, Charlie is a "talker".

Charlie

Nola

Nola

Nola is one of a group that came from Louisiana. She is very sweet and loves attention. Her original name was Callie but we already have a Callie and she was renamed for New Orleans,LA. Nola was, at one time, someone's pet because she is declawed. We will never know how she came to be on death row but she is safe and loved now and will be for the rest of her life.

Micky

Micky was a stray in Jackson,TN until his rescuer took him in. She took him to her vet and had him "checked out" and it was discovered that he is FIV+. He is sooo sweet and has the longest tail that I have ever seen on a cat. Micky is the 3rd of our drooling cats. You really need a towel close at hand when petting him!

This is Lucy and her littermates Possum, Dante and Magellan.

These poor babies were only about 2 weeks old when they were dumped at a local vet office by a man that told the receptionist that if she didn't take the kittens that he would just throw them out of his truck on the roadside. They had nursed from their mother just long enough to barely have their little eyes open but were no where near to being weaned. The vet tested them for FIV and they all came back positive (maternal antibodies I am sure).

Possum and Lucy

Lucy approx 3 wks old

Possum

The vet's office agreed to provide all of the necessary medical care for the kittens if we would take them until they were old enough to be retested and possibly adopted. The tech's had started them on a soupy combination of pureed canned and dry Science Diet kitten food and they were trying to get the hang of eating from a dish. We continued on this course but within a day the babies had developed awful diarrhea and were unable to regulate their body temperatures.

In spite of heroic efforts on behalf of the vets and vet techs and constant care here at the sanctuary Dante, Magellan and finally little Possum died. They were just too tiny and vulnerable to be taken from their mother. Sadly, this tragedy could have been avoided if these babies had been allowed to stay with their mother for just a few weeks longer.

The only kitten to survive is Lucy and she is now doing very well. She is a normal, playful and happy furkid. Her hero is her foster brother,Brando. They are almost inseparable.

Lucy at approximate age 12 weeks.

Lucy (14wks) and Brando(10 mos) take a break from playing

Scotty

This handsome fellow is Scotty. His rescuer searched for over a year to find a nice place for him to live. Scotty is a medium sized boy with a super sized personality. He loves to be petted and he also loves kitty treats. While most cats will respond to "Here kitty,kitty" Scotty will come running if you whistle for him! As if this were not enough, my son swears that Scotty will also "sit" on command. I have never witnessed this behavior but he is a remarkable cat.

Scotty

Bonnie

This fluffy girl is Bonnie. She had lived for several years in the kitchen at the Shelby County Jail until her cover was blown. She was headed for the shelter when a Humane Society volunteer stepped in to help her. Bonnie tested positive for FIV and would have been euthanized but her rescuer was determined to find somewhere for this very nice kitty to live. She is very much a lap-cat and loves attention but is not so crazy about the other cats. Bonnie is approximately 6 years old and would prefer to be an only cat.

Cinnamon came to the sanctuary all the way from Corales, New Mexico. He was being fostered for CARMA, a wonderful rescue organization in Corales. Because the foster family had other cats, poor Cinny was in a room all by himself. Even though they spent time with him, he was quite lonely. Luckily for Cinny, Barbara,CARMA's director, secured a spot for him here at FBC. Cinnamon arrived in Memphis on October 24th. He brought Bill, Barbara's husband, along to keep him company on his long flight.

Cinnamon

Buster

We don't know much about Buster's life before he came to the sanctuary. Since he has been here, we have discovered that he is VERY playful. Buster is a young adult (approx. 2-3 years old) and has a very deep, rich orange coat.

Raven was going to be the official shop cat at pet shop featuring exotic reptiles. Unfortunately, her career as store greeter was cut short by the government inspector who decided that an FIV+ cat was a health risk to the lizards and snakes! (Your tax dollars at work!!) The petshop owner is also a vet tech here in Memphis and contacted Mewtopia who in turn called us and asked if we would take Raven. She looks really scary sleeping on her pillow and I bet that those reptiles breathed a sigh of relief when she packed up and moved across town.

Raven

Bobby

Bobby came to us via a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program here in Memphis and he is a feral cat. What that means is that he is a domestic (pet) cat that has been on his own and fending for himself and has become fearful and suspicious of humans. He is very afraid of people and as a result is quite aggressive. We are in the process of building an outdoor enclosure for Bobby (and up to 9 other FIV+ ferals) so that he will be happier and more comfortable.

For more information about TNR and feral cats please visit Alley Cat Allies at http://www.alleycat.org/resources_care.html

Dempsey is another cat that came from CARMA in Corales, New Mexico. He is quite large in both size and personality. It didn't take very long at all for Dempsey to make himself at home. He is very friendly and loves to be petted. As you can see from his picture, Dempsey has staked out his own space on the white couch. He was someone's pet at some point in his life because he has been de-clawed. Thank goodness that he has not suffered any of the numerous physical and psychological problems that can occur as a result of de-clawing.

Dempsey's favorite things are Friskies Night and catnip toys.

This handsome black cat is Slater. He was homeless and living in a feral colony in Cincinnati, Ohio before being rescued from life on the streets by Lisa and ROSAS Rescue. According to his rescuer, Slater is a "nice cat that has had a hard life". He is a little bit shy but is coming around nicely and greets me each morning as I am leaving for work. Slater loves dinner time and cat treats and hanging out on the cat tower.

Slater

Stetson has a guardian angel and her name is Amy. His "owners" brought him to the vet where Amy works because he was sneezing. When it was discovered that he was FIV+, they wanted him to be killed. Amy convinced them to allow her to try to find Stetson a new home and called FBC. Stetson has NONE of the other health issues that can occur with FIV. All it took to clear up his cold was a round of antibiotics and he is just fine. We have every reason to believe that this happy, loving boy will have a long and healthy life.

Stetson

Teddy Bear aka Ted-Man accompanied Slater from Cincinnati. He was also rescued during the course of a TNR mission. Teddy just wants to be loved and petted. He is a big, fluffy lug with a huge heart. Teddy was actually scheduled to arrive here sooner than he did but was adopted by a nice lady in Cincinnati. The adoption didn't work out because of roommate problems and so he hitched a ride with Slater to Memphis. Teddy has alot of love to give and would be very happy being an only cat or with a companion. He is very laid back. We have yet to be able to get a picture of Teddy with his eyes open!

Teddy in Cincinnati

Teddy

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This beautiful orange boy is Leo. He came to us from Somerville,TN. Leo is VERY sweet and loves to be petted and also loves toys. He seems to have made friends with Bobby and likes to hang out next to Bobby's crate. Leo has a very luxurious coat and a very fluffy orange tail. He is about 2 years old and will be a wonderful companion for some lucky person.

Leo

In keeping with the long haired theme, here is Stormy. Stormy flew to Memphis from Louisiana and was accompanied by Noella's former foster mom, Rebecca. He is friendly and playful and loves the catwalk. Stormy is very soft and fluffy and has a very short tail. He really wants to have a forever home to call his own.

Stormy