PATCHES was a shy kitty with a rough start in life, but many people who loved and cared for him. He was living in a feral colony at the Orange County fairgrounds, having a difficult time of it with the combination of health issues and being bullied by other cats. A woman who fed the colony noticed one day that Patches had a wounded leg, so she trapped him and got him to the hospital where he underwent surgery. Now living in her home, his leg healed but chronic IBS made it difficult for him to make it to the litter box. It was a change in his rescuer’s health that forced her to find a new home for him. His IBS rendered him an unlikely candidate for adoption, so The Lily Pond agreed to give him a home in our special needs cat room. Patches got on swimmingly with other cats, but it took a long time before he would allow pets or head scritches from caregivers. However, he had no hesitation about running up to us for treats and gradually became comfortable enough to seek out affection.
Patches turned 17 this year and we could see that his health was beginning to decline. He had a wonderful appetite, but grew thin as the IBS prevented his body from properly absorbing nutrients. And then one sad but not unexpected day, he passed peacefully in his sleep. We feel sure that his best friend Kabuki was there to greet him at the Rainbow Bridge with joy.
Thank you Patches for being part of our family.
May you rest in peace. ❤️