Mid Hudson Animal Aid (MHAA), a no-kill rescue, in upstate New York, took in a lilac point kitty named Eddie from a feral colony in 2013.
Jennifer Blakeslee, his adoptive mom, describes him as a “hot mess” and “as mean as they come” when he was first rescued. What really happened was that Eddie was in severe pain. He has had a few drastic surgeries, but now he is a loving, gentle giant.
Blakeslee now describes Eddie, or as he’s know on Instagram as “the Lilac Lion” as “serene”. He loves belly rubs, snuggling with his sister-cat, Daisy, and treats.
It took a long time to get Eddie from ferocious feral cat to docile domestic pet. When he arrived at Mid Hudson Animal Aid, he had severe, chronic ear infections and a dental condition known as stomatitis that causes inflammation of the gums and lips, oral ulcers and severe pain when eating.
Poor Eddie was in so much pain, he couldn’t bare being touched. His severe discomfort became misplaced rage that he would direct towards anyone who dared to approach him. The kind folks at MHAA refused to give up on him.
Eddie underwent a dental procedure under anesthetic during which all of his rotting, painful teeth were removed. A 2015 fundraiser collected enough money to pay for him to undergo a radical double ear ablation , the removal of the entire inner ear, leaving only the outer flap.
Eddie was now toothless, deaf and HAPPY! The rescuers he had once hissed at, now lets them give him scratches and belly rubs, too!
During the same time, Jennifer Blakeslee was recovering from the loss of her own special needs kitty, Shackleton. She wanted to pay the love forward by taking in another special needs pet. When she walked into the shelter she immediately fell for the big lilac cat with the tiny ears.
Eddie found his perfect human. Last year Blakeslee noticed that he was scratching at his ears severely enough to draw blood. A veterinary specialist determined that it was in Eddie’s best interest to have the remaining ear pinnas removed.
“Now he’s earless AND toothless, and happier than ever!”
Eddie still remains a bit skittish, which is understandable after all he’s been through, but Blakeslee says there is no longer a trace of that famous temper!
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