Ned is a success story on how a loving, patient foster home and high quality veterinary care can completely transform one cat's life for the better. Ned is an older guy, maybe 10 years or so, who had a rough life on the streets likely since he was a kitten. He probably had never felt the touch of a kind hand or a warm lap before he entered our care. Ned was likely so easy to catch when he was because he was suffering from an incredibly painful condition called stomatitis (extreme inflammation of the gums/mouth of which the cause is still not well-known, but the course of action is to remove all the teeth, as the immune system is more or less "allergic" to plaque). A cat with a sore mouth is a miserable cat. Aside from eating, cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves, so they stop taking care of their own hygiene when their mouth hurts and even eating to stay alive becomes a chore. Ned was promptly scheduled for a full mouth extraction at one of our vet partners who are very experienced with this condition, and after having every single tooth removed, we are happy to report that Ned is like a BRAND NEW CAT! He is absolutely adored by his foster family and vice versa. He loves being in the company of his people, young and old, and is always up for attention and pets. He's a big, snuggly teddy bear who wants to be under your blanket or cuddled up on your lap on the couch. He also doesn't mind his feline roommates, so could be adopted into a home with other cats, or make him your one and only, but he'd definitely do best in a household where there are multiple family members to shower him with attention. Ned prefers canned food (mousse style) but can also eat dry food despite having no teeth! We're so happy for Ned - the once miserable, grouchy-looking, rough-around-the-edges stray turned incredibly lovable, spoiled, healthy housecat! Make him yours today! Now, there is one more thing you should know. Ned has tested positive for FIV (Feline immunodeficiency virus), but this will not prevent him from living a long, happy life. The disease can only affect felines and is rarely spread to altered, friendly FIV-negative cats. It cannot be spread by sharing litter boxes, food dishes, playing or grooming. Transmission is only possible through deep puncture wounds (think non-neutered male cats fighting over territories) - again, Ned is a lover not a fighter, and is not the type to get into these types of serious scuffles with another friendly housemate, but he has no teeth anyway, so there's no risk at all! Additionally, he does not require any medicine for his condition, but since his immune system is a bit more suppressed than normal, he has the potential to get sick easier. For indoor cats, this is generally a non-issue as he will not be exposed to diseases and viruses in the safety of his home. Don't be scared by the myths people (and even some veterinarians!) spread about FIV. Take your time and do the research, and make your own decision about whether adopting an FIV cat is right for you if you have other felines at home. This pet is altered (spayed/neutered), up to date on age appropriate vaccines, tested negative for FeLV, dewormed and microchipped. An adoption application must be submitted and approved prior to scheduling a meet and greet appointment: www.felinefinecatrescue.org/adopt. If you have any additional questions, please email us at: admin@felinefinecatrescue.org.