Marv the cat turned one year old recently. Usually a foster cat would have left his foster home and been adopted into his forever home by now, but Marv was a special case: he was a foster fail. His foster mom, Ella, put a lot of effort into helping him become healthy, and she ended up keeping him and enjoying his super sweet personality.
A sick kitten
Marv was first brought to the foster home with his sister when they were tiny 5-week-old kittens. They were both sick and malnourished. Since his sister was in worse shape, she had to go to the emergency room.
Ella was hoping she would pull through, but the kitten passed away, leaving her brother behind. Ella would have to work extra hard to make sure he wasn’t lonely.
But she had even more work in store for her. As Marv grew up in his foster home, he faced even more health problems. About a month after he arrived, he got sick with feline calicivirus and a respiratory infection. Another kitten in the foster home was sick, so he at least had a buddy as they were both put in quarantine and treated.
Marv beat those illnesses, but his most serious complications were yet to come. About another month later, his rectum started prolapsing, making it very difficult for him to poop. Even after surgery, medication, a change in diet, and many visits to the vet, he was still having trouble.
A Marv-elous foster brother
Despite all the complications, Marv was such a positive kitten. Ella said he was “playful and cuddly and so sweet.”
He also liked making friends with all the other kittens at the foster home. Ella said:
“He will hold them down so that he can groom them and he convinces them to snuggle with him. He really thrives living with so many felines.”
Short-tailed foster fail
A few months later, Ella took Marv to another specialist and finally found out what was causing Marv so much trouble.
Marv was a Manx cat, with a genetically short tail. There were complications with his tail/spine that gave him fewer nerves in his rear end and made it harder for him to control his rectum. They had surgery done to help him more.
Marv was doing much better now. At this point, it was clear that Ella would be keeping him. This certainly wasn’t a problem, since Marv was so sweet. Ella said:
“This kitten is so purrfect. He never stops purring, and sleeps right next to me every night. I just love this cat so much.”
Now Marv is one year old, and he’s living his best life. He came so far through all his health problems to become a healthy, happy cat in a loving home. He’s a great cat and a great brother to all the foster kittens.