Thomas




Bob's parents found Thomas in their backyard in the summer of 2003. His back legs were badly injured, probably due to getting hit by a car. They put food and water out for him, but he wasn't friendly towards them. No one was able to get near the cat without him running to hide. Bob and I visited over the fourth of July, and his mom said I could put some food out for the cat and maybe pet him. I put some food out on the sidewalk, and he came to eat. Then, I started petting his head. Bob's mom was shocked. Later that day, I named the cat "Thomas". I wanted to bring him back to Lafayette with us, but we were living in an apartment and planning on moving soon. In September, Bob's family brought Thomas to our house to live.
These are pictures from when Thomas was still at Bob's parents' house.



Thomas had been an outdoor kitty for quite some time, until we found out that he is FeLV positive. This stands for feline leukemia virus. Basically, his immune system is depressed and if the virus progresses, he will be very susceptible to illness and cancer. From what I've read, many FeLV+ cats only live about 4 years. Some are able to live a normal lifespan. Now, Thomas lives inside all the time. We have to make sure that he goes to the vet for checkups and is treated immediately for any sicknesses he might have. I think lots of unconditional love and attention will also do him good, which I can administer freely now that he lives inside.



Now that Thomas is an indoor kitty, he spends a lot of time looking out.

  

  



  

  

He enjoys playing with this shoelace that we found in the garage.
  



I put a bell inside a prescription bottle and gave it to Thomas. He hasn't gotten into the child-proof lid just yet. It seems to be kitty-proof, and it's had it several months. Thomas says, "grrr.. give me my drugs!" Silly kitty.

  

  



Here are some fun "motion" shots of the kitty.

  



One of the kitty's many nicknames is "puppet". Here's why:





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