The no-kill rescue, Mid Hudson Animal Aid (MHAA) in upstate New York took in a lilac point kitty named Eddie from a feral colony in 2013.
His adoptive mom, Jennifer Blakeslee describes him as a “hot mess” and “as mean as they come” when he was first rescued. It turns out Eddie was in severe pain, but after a few drastic surgeries, he is now a loving, gentle giant.
Blakeslee now describes Eddie – or Eddie the Lilac Lion as he’s known on Instagram – as “serene”. He loves belly rubs, snuggling with his sister-cat, Daisy, and of course, treats.
It was a long road getting Eddie from ferocious feral cat to docile domestic pet. He arrived at Mid Hudson Animal Aid with severe, chronic ear infections and a dental condition known as stomatitis that causes inflammation of the gums and lips, oral ulcers and severe pain when eating.
Poor Eddie was in so much pain he could barely tolerate being touched. His severe discomfort became misplaced rage that he would direct towards anyone who dared to approach him. Luckily, the kind folks at MHAA refused to give up on him.
Eddie underwent a dental procedure under anesthetic during which all of his rotting, painful teeth were removed. A 2015 fundraiser collected enough money to pay for him to undergo a radical double ear ablation – the removal of the entire inner ear, leaving only the outer flap.
Eddie was now toothless, deaf – and HAPPY! The rescuers he had once hissed and swatted at now found that they could not only approach Eddie, but give him scratches and belly rubs, too!
About that same time, Jennifer Blakeslee was recovering from the loss of her own special needs kitty, Shackleton. She wanted to pay the love forward by taking in another special pet. When she walked into the shelter she immediately fell for the big lilac cat with the tiny ears.
Eddie had found his perfect human, but his ordeal wasn’t over quite yet. Last year Blakeslee noticed that he was scratching at his ears severely enough to draw blood. A veterinary specialist determined that it was in Eddie’s best interest to have the remaining ear pinnas removed as well.
Blakeslee told the blog, Hi, Homer:
“Now he’s earless AND toothless, and happier than ever!”
Eddie remains a bit skittish – which is understandable after all he’s been through – but Blakeslee says there is no longer a trace of that famous temper!
Want to see more of Eddie the Lilac Lion? Follow him on Instagram!
Update:
Sadly, Eddie crossed the Rainbow Bridge on January 19, 2018. He was with his forever family just under 3 years, but he will never be forgotten. We hope his family finds comfort in knowing that they gave him a wonderful life, showing him what it was like to truly be loved.
H/T to Hi, Homer!
Featured Image via Instagram/@Eddie_The_Lilac_Lion