Elliott Growltiger is Home!!

May 20, 2011--We found out yesterday that Angela, Elliott's foster Mom, if now his furr-real Mom. Congratulations Angela and Elliott!! You are home for good Elliott!! **************************************************************************** February 4, 2011--Another update in the form of a complete post. New pictures too!!

I’m Elliott. A 12 lb orange & white tabby gentleman looking for my forever home. I am affectionate and playful for being an estimated 6 years old. I am an inside cat and use the litter box and scratching posts provided. You can see that I lost my eye, so I always look like I’m giving you a playful little wink. Surprisingly I don’t shed much for a cat, even when I’m stressed (i.e. going to the vet!). My foster mom has discovered I LOVE to have my lips rubbed and all the usual cat scratch spots like my ears and my chin. I have some favorite toys I like to carry around the house from room to room. I like to sit in your lap or next to you and I will sleep on your bed at night. I do have a medical issue which was discovered a few months ago. I am a diabetic. After some diligence and patience, the veterinarian has me completely OFF insulin shots and my diabetes is being well controlled with diet alone. I do have to eat a high protein dry food (Purina DM). I will eat any other food you put down, so I can’t be in a house with other free feeding cats. You can contact my foster mom, Angela Berry, at aberry1144 @aol.com (remove space) or (704)398-2016 if you have any questions.

************************************************************************** Update 11/15/10--I received an update on Elliott in the form of a complete post that I put here in its entirety.

I’m Elliott. A smallish orange & white tabby gentleman looking for my forever home. I am affectionate and playful for being an estimated 10 years old. I am an inside cat and use the litter box and scratching posts provided. I was a medical mess when I came into the shelter and I’ve done really well recovering. You can see that I lost my eye, so I always look like I’m giving you a playful little wink. Surprisingly I don’t shed much for a cat, even when I’m stressed. I do have one remaining medical issue which was discovered a couple of months ago. I am a diabetic. After some diligence and patience, the veterinarian has me completely OFF insulin shots and my diabetes is being well controlled with diet alone. I do have to eat a high protein canned food and a dry food (Purina DM). I will eat any other food you put down, so I can’t be in a house with other free feeding cats. My foster mom has discovered I LOVE to have my lips rubbed and all the usual cat scratch spots like my ears and my chin. My foster mom also found out I like to ride on her lap in the car like a dog. Oh, I also sport a single black line on my lower lip for that gothic look. I have some favorite toys I like to carry around the house from room to room. You can contact my foster mom, Angela Berry, at aberry1144 @aol.com (remove space) or (704)398-2016 if you have any questions.

************************************************************************ Original posting, 10/27/10--Elliott is a beautiful boy that really deserves a furever home. As we all know, being one-eyed makes a cat a pirate, not a burden. I’m Elliott Growltiger. Or Elliott the One-Eyed Wonder. Elliot for short. (Growltiger from T.S. Elliot's "Cats" had one eye and one ear.) I'm a petite orange & white tabby gentleman looking for my forever home. I am affectionate and playful for being an estimated 10 years old. I am an inside cat and use the litter box and scratching posts provided. I was a medical mess when I came into the shelter and I’ve done really well recovering. You can see that I lost my eye, so I always look like I’m giving you a playful little wink. Surprisingly I don’t shed much for a cat, even when I’m stressed. I do have one remaining medical issue which was just discovered. I am a diabetic. I am currently on a special canned food and I will eat any other food you put down, so I can’t be in a house with other free feeding cats. I am on insulin shots twice a day but it is a little teeny dose (because I’m a small fella at 8.5 lbs) and I tolerate the needle stick well as long as you FEED me right afterward. My foster mom learned to give me the shots and says to be sure you know it is really not that hard. Just takes some planning and a bit of a firm hand with me because I squirm because I want to eat and I know she is going to feed me right after the shot. My foster mom has discovered I LOVE to have my lips rubbed and all the usual cat scratch spots like my ears and my chin. My foster mom also found out I like to ride on her lap in the car like a dog. Oh, I also sport a single black line on my lower lip for that goth look. I have some favorite toys I like to carry around the house from room to room. You can contact my foster mom, Angela Berry, at aberry1144 @aol.com (remove space) or (704)398-2016 if you have any questions. I love it when these extra-sweet ones can speak for themselves. But to add some information Elliott didn't give you---

• He was diagnosed diabetic in September 2010. He was in ketoacidosis when diagnosed. The foster Mom says that there is speculation that a steroid shot put him there.
• The foster Mom speculates that vet will soon take him off insulin completely as he has steadily been weaned to lower dosages weekly. He has not been hometested.
• He is said to have no current medical issues other than the diabetes. He had an eye removed and recovered well from upper respiratory and neuter operations in foster care.
• He is FIV/FeLV negative and current on vaccinations.
• He eats Purina DM, wet, 3 cans per day (1.5 cans two times a day). His appetite is VORACIOUS!
• He has a slim, petite build. He is steadily putting on weight. He is now at9.2 lbs and starting to fill out.
• He has been indoor only since he has come into the shelter and foster. He does not seek to go outside.
• He is a happy, easy going cat, playful for his age. He sleeps in the guest room on the futon. He occasionally sleeps in bed with this foster Mom but for short durations. He will sit on your lap for short durations. He is not grumpy about it, but just seems to like his own space. He is easy going at the vet as far as his foster Mom knows.
• He gets along well with the foster Mom's two cats. She has no idea about dogs or children.
• His Petfinder page is here.

It is amazing to me that a shelter would have cared for a diabetic cat the way this shelter has cared for Elliott. He is with Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control, and from what I see clicking through the shelter's Petfinder page to the CMPD Animal Care and Control page, this shelter takes amazing care in helping lost pets find their way home and placing abandoned or stray pets into furever homes.