Meet Evander, the most recent Feline Friends foster cat to join my family. He’s another fellow who is probably here as one of my hospice foster kitties. He has his own very large, double-decker cage in my foster cat room. He and Nuageux are both comfortable in that room together. Initially he was only out of the cage when I was supervising them, but he’s now out of the cage all day because their interactions have been peaceful from the get-go. Nuageux seems happy to have a friend in the same situation as him and I hope that seeing Evander enjoy my attention might help socialize him faster.
Evander must have had a loving family at some point because this handsome fellow came to Feline Friends with one ear already removed, probably due to skin cancer. He doesn’t seem to be in pain but there are signs of cancer on his remaining ear, nose, and other parts of his skin. We assume the cancer has spread internally, but his blood work shows that he’s doing pretty well at the moment. If he has further surgeries, we’ll weigh whether the stress on his body will be worth extending his life. I’d rather have this cuddle bug be as comfy as possible for as long as possible than to subject him to surgeries and painful recovery periods unless they’re highly likely to prolong his comfort.
Evander also has hot spots on his back and he’s FIV+. The hot spots are getting better every day. If they were caused by his overly stressed immune system or from food allergies, it’s helping to simply be in a safe, warm, loving home and eating a diet low in allergens. He’s also quite thin, so I’m trying to fatten him up. His appetite was poor initially and it’s getting better as he becomes more comfortable in his new home. As his cancer progresses he’ll lose weight so I want to get his weight up now so he’ll be more comfortable down the road.
Although many white cats with different colored eyes are often deaf, Evander’s hearing is perfectly normal. (Hartwell, Sarah. “White cats, eye colours and deafness”. Messybeast. 20 Jan 2016. http://messybeast.com/whitecat.htm.)
After a couple weeks with me, he started exploring the house. My cats, Emma and Rumi, have been intrigued by this new guy, but nobody seems threatened. Emma is very social and keeps trying to befriend Evander. He’s not ready to curl up with her yet, but she’ll keep trying.
Currently, Evander purrs nonstop when I’m petting him and his favorite past time is napping on a heated bed in his cage, on my bed with the electric blanket on for him, or in a bed next to my desk. He’s happiest when he’s next to me or sitting on my lap. He has started to play with several toys recently, which is a great indication that he’s physically comfortable and he’s confident that he’s safe here.
Oh Gosh, Kari…Evander is a handsome boy. I’m so glad to find his picture and story on your website. He is lucky to have you watching over him, loving him and appreciating him. Your big heart never ceases to amaze me. Big hugs to you and to Evander
Thanks, Val. I feel lucky to have him, too. He’s a big, cuddly bundle of love!
PS – He was given the name Evander by Feline Friends and I absolutely love it. He’s not aggressive, but I think he’s a fighter in terms of health. As a fighter, I decided he needed a nickname so I’m sometimes calling him Evander “Whitey” Kells. LOL! “In this corner, skin cancer. In that corner, Evander ‘Whitey’ Kells.”
Ahh, he’s so lucky to have you Kari. XOXO