Rueben

Rueben
Color: DSH Orange Tabby
Age: Born approx. 2004
Gender: Neutered Male

History:
In the late fall of 2008, the PAW Society was still desperately searching for its lost foster cat, Romie (sadly, we did not find him). During the search, however, we had delivered many flyers through the post office and by volunteers.  From time to time we would receive a call from someone who thought they may have seen Romie in their neighbourhood.  We would then rush to that location, set up a trap and then check it every couple of hours to see if we had found him.  We did not trap Romie, but we did trap several cats. Usually it would be a catch and release.....except for this orange fellow.  It was quite evident he was not an owned cat.  His ears had signs of old frost bite, he had a large mat on his back and he was unneutered.  The PAW person agonized over whether to release him or not.  Knowing there was no where for him to go (except her house) and that he was likely feral, she decided to not release him.  He was booked to be neutered and health checked the following morning.
 
Rueben, as it turned out, was not feral.  The clinic staff were quite easily able to handle him although it had likely been quite some time since he had been touched by a human.  Unfortunately, Rueben tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.  It is not uncommon for unaltered males to have that virus in their systems as it passed between cats by bite wounds.  The PAW Society tests high risk cats for FIV and Feline Leukemia.  Cats with FIV can live an almost normal lifespan.  They need good care, a good diet and of course, be kept indoors.  

Personality:
Because his foster home has other cats, his integration into the household had to be done very carefully and slowly to determine if he was a fighter/biter.  When he was neutered, he also had several teeth removed and since he was already missing many teeth, his risk of being able to deliver a deep bite is almost nil.  Turns out, he is not a fighter (although he does like to rough-house) and has slipped in to the normal routines of the household with relative ease.  He is still a little shy sometimes but once he relaxes, he very much enjoys a hands-on petting session.  He lets some members of the household cuddle him like a baby.  He is quite an active fellow, scooting up and down the stairs and charging up the cat furniture.  Like many cats who have lived a harsh outdoor life, Rueben is more than satisfied to now be on the inside.  His favourite time of the day is meal time! 

Waking up from sleepy-time: