MACARON Intake: 11/19/25 Estimated DOB: November 2019 Macaron appeared at one of our volunteer’s feral feeding stations and immediately made it clear that she was his person. He couldn’t get enough of her, and thanks to that trust, she was able to scoop him up and bring him safely inside. Unfortunately, his affection turned out to be very exclusive, reserved for her, and only on his terms. Macaron is proving to be one very tough cookie, and we strongly suspect he may ultimately become what we lovingly call a Purrmanent Resident. Medically, Macaron arrived in truly awful condition. He had a ruptured left rear foot pad, one of the worst I’ve seen. The pad was completely split open, with foul, sticky, purulent exudate pooling at the base. The surrounding tissue was intensely inflamed and friable. He also had less severe pododermatitis on his left front paw, which likely explains the intermittent lameness that had been observed by Lila while he was out and about. On top of that, he was absolutely infested with fleas—heavy, active, crawling-all-over-him heavy. Even after bathing, the water quite literally ran red. Macaron is strongly FIV positive, though notably he has not shown any aggressive tendencies toward the other residents of The Clubhouse—the free-roaming area of our shelter reserved for cats who aren’t quite ready (or suitable) for the general adoptable population. Trust is not something Macaron gives freely, and it will take a great deal of time, patience, and respect for his boundaries before he may allow human hands (other than Lila's) to show him kindness and comfort. His name, Macaron, comes from the French pastry—and not just because he’s complicated. A macaron has a smooth top, and a ruffled base called a “foot” or pied—a fitting namesake for a cat whose damaged foot brought him to us, and whose tough exterior hides a softer center we hope to reach someday. For now, Macaron is safe, his wounds have healed, and he is allowed to acclimate and adjust on his own timeline. And we are committed to meeting him exactly where he is. 💙