Julien

UPDATE: mid-May, 2024, Julien continues to be completely fine, no recurrences. We strongly believe the change of diet went a long way in addressing his bladder issue. As well, his mom and two younger siblings have all been adopted so there is less activity in his foster home now. That too may have helped.

UPDATE: in mid February, 2024, Julien was admitted to the emergency veterinary clinic because of what was determined to be a urinary blockage. He recovered well with pain management and a Urinary Care diet. The dry food he had been eating in his foster home (Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken) was taken completely out of the mix. While blockages have been uncommon with our PAW cats, in the past there were a couple of instances where we suspected that cats had developed urinary crystals due to a sensitivity to a food ingredient, not always related to the quality of the food. Julien has not been a great lover of canned food but it is very good for a cats in general - especially ones with urinary issues - because it is 75% water. Cats are not traditionally good water drinkers and the science shows this can contribute to bladder inflammation. The more fluid intake, the more the bladder is kept flushed and emptied. This update is being written almost two months later and Julien has not experienced any subsequent bladder pain or problems. He had a follow-up urinary analysis at our primary clinic in mid March and there were no crystals in his urine. Stress can also be a factor for cats when this happens. His foster home is human-adult-only so it is reasonably calm except maybe for the two little barky dogs; however, in January, two of his younger siblings and his mother joined his foster home. The addition of three new cats may have been a stressor for him. Sometimes cats (and people) who appear to be very laid back are the ones who are more sensitive to external stimuli.

History:

A couple living in a town near Lethbridge grew concerned when they observed a homeless young mother-cat and her three kittens. The little family was new to the neighbourhood and had taken refuge under a neighbour's front step. The little mom, now named Emori, had lost part of her rear right leg due to some type of catastrophic injury, which made providing for her youngsters difficult, and avoiding predators and aggressive street cats problematic. The couple and the neighbour started feeding the little family, and contacted rescue-groups. Regardless of capacity issues, PAW decided to make a special effort to trap the injured female and her offspring. With the indispensable help of the local couple, the Society was able to capture the kittens and, eventually, their mother. The orange boy – now named Julien – entered the trap first, true to the couple’s description of him as "super curious". His sisters, Klarra (since adopted) and Evelyn, followed a day later.

Personality:

Julien may be curious but we are even more curious! It was the first time we had trapped unsocialised kittens of his age (5 months) where one of them was so open to being handled. When you pick him up, he re-positions himself to be as close as possible to your chest. It's really quite amazing (and lovely) how much he enjoys being handled. He quickly caught on to how to play with little fuzzy mice and balls and, as with most cats, loves to chase and stalk a string toy. He plays a lot with his sister, Evelyn, charging around the house and up and down the cat furniture and through the tunnels. They do very well together and would make a great adoption pairing. Sometime J can be a bit rascally with other cats (in particular, a docile female) but it's often when he's bored and wants some action. He's easy to re-direct. Make time for him! He wants your attention and affection!

If you would like to inquire about Julien, please submit an inquiry here.

"I is a pretzel, see?"

Sleepy boy

About 5 months

Just a few days after Julien arrived in his foster home (4 months)