Ro

My Current Rescue Effort
Ro (short for Romeo) is a male feline about two and a half years old. He came to beg for food and made my porch his sleeping area about a month ago. Very thin, literally skin-and-bones, emaciated and hardly having energy to walk about as he has a bad flu. He also had fungus infection that caused patches of baldness on his head and his back.

His condition was very pitiful, very sad that made me cry. I feel very very guilty about not doing anything for another of God's creatures that very badly needs assistance. I am not rich neither am I wealthy but my life is comfortable in the sense that I have a home, even if it is a very tiny and cheap one, and I have plenty to eat always. Ro doesn't have a home and doesn't have food to eat if no one feeds him. It is my duty to help this poor cat, to share whatever I have with him. When I first saw him I thought he is an old cat, may be seven or eight years old. He is actually just around three.

When Ro first came to me

So I decided to do something for him. On 31st January took him to the vet to get the flu, the fleas and the fungus infection treated. He weighed 2.25 kg then.Took him home and put him in the cage upstairs. I messaged Zam and Ain if they might have space for another male cat. In the mean time I will nurse Ro back to health. I will also vaccinate him and neuter him before passing him to them. I must remember to contribute some kitty foodstuffs to Zam and Ain  as they already have many cats and kittens themselves.

My two young girls Tam and Comot were puzzled with this newcomer who is being placed in their former cage. Tam has very reserved personality and refuses to step foot ever into the room where the cage is placed. She would stay on the staircase watching Wan Nyah attending to Ro's needs. Comot just couldn't be bothered and after a few days she jumped up and stayed on top of the cage, grooming herself. Really who cares about this skinny hobo cat? My boy Mickey pretended indifference and hardly glanced in Ro's direction. He prefers to be in the adjacent room, sleeping or relaxing himself. Mickey is a great gentlemen, he already adapted to life with the two girls. He loves Tam and would often licks and grooms her. Comot, on the other hand, is just being tolerated. Comot is a little wayward kid who doesn't know how to respect elders, unlike Tam. It is indeed amazing that Mickey who is usually very territorial with other male cats didn't lift a paw at Ro when the later was making noises begging for food and sometimes sleeping on his favourite chair in the porch. He just watched the poor cat. I think, animals too have the instinct to know not to attack a sick and hungry individual, even if that individual is intruding into their spaces.

Yesterday I took Ro to the vet again. The flu is very much better but not totally recovered. He still sneezes and has discharge from  his nose.Overall he is very much better. No more fleas and the bald patches have almost all covered by fur. His weight increases to 3.5 kg, an increase of 1.25 kg in about one month. He looks much much better and is more active and would respond and play with Wan Nyah. He is prescribed with another form of antibiotics to ensure the flu is totally cured and he will be ready for vaccination and neutering later. The three images below were taken yesterday.

Looking at the toy

Getting healthier and
looking much better

Drop dead handsome!