Status / Details
Christmas 2016, Special Tails
Additional Info
- "Boris The Zot"
About Boris
The Sixth Save of Christmas
Boris is a “Zot,” a short-haired Persian, with beautiful Tabby markings and intense copper eyes. He arrived in rescue in June and insisted on love from day one in foster care. He would tap his caregivers, including the two year old, with a fore paw for attention. He wanted so anxious to be loved and cherished that he even tolerated being picked up for brief periods by tiny inexperienced hands! He really had the patience of a saint when it came to dealing with the two year old. It was rather surprising, when all is said and done.
Boris adored curling up in the nook of his human’s shoulder–it was heaven to him–and at five and a half pounds, he was small enough to fit on a shoulder. He loved to be massaged on his little nose, behind his ears, and anywhere else on his body, happy for affection from anyone, even complete strangers. His purr was soft and nearly continuous, so much so that it was really difficult to evaluate him during vet visits!
Imperfections? Well…Boris did not have the best attitude toward grooming. Being brushed was fine, but he was not a fan of bath time. Nope, not at all. He did tolerate nail clipping fairly well.
As often happens, we were given no history on this handsome boy, but for a few reasons, we think he might have been a stud for a couple of years. One clue is that he wasn’t neutered until April 1, 2016. Another is that he did not back down from dominant cats, despite obvious size differences. He also seemed indifferent to other animals, making us think he might have grown up around other types of animals being kept in the same house for breeding purposes.
It is our practice to take most cats to the vet, even if they seem perfectly healthy, and during one vet visit we learned that Boris had an irregular heartbeat. We followed up with a feline cardiologist, who confirmed that Boris had some thickening on the wall of his heart. This phenomenon is fairly common in Persians as they mature in years, so right now there is no way to predict any future impact on Boris’s health. He will need an ECG in six months and a scan in a year to monitor the thickening, but overall he is a healthy kitty. His teeth place his age at about two years old, but as mellow as he is, he may be as old as four. It is always hard to pinpoint age in a cat.
Despite the concerns about his heart, Boris struck gold when an experienced adopter expressed interest in him. We could tell it was a match made in heaven when Boris immediately claimed his new owner’s lap, then made the acquaintance of everyone in the family. Now he’s settled into his new home, where he has his own room. He also has an understanding new mom who is more than willing to accommodate his quirks and whatever health challenges might lie ahead. We miss this lover boy and the toddler still asks about him, but we know Boris is happy and well cared for in his furrever home.