Dear Friends,

Today, I want to introduce you to Norman, a sweet special needs senior cat who found his way to to the BUB Fund through a trusted partner, Binx's Home for Black Cats.

Norman was rescued from a tough situation. He was trapped on a TNR mission at a cat colony in South Carolina by another rescue. The caretaker of the colony had noticed a new un-neutered males that they thought had been dumped a few months prior.

Many folks think that because cats are fairly self-sufficient, and there are so many cat colonies that live out in the wild, that indoor cats will be fine if they just drop them off with an established cat colony. This could not be further from the truth!

Colonies of cats have established hierarchies, social norms, and a territory. That territory provides resources for the colony to survive, and like any other environment in nature, it has a capacity for how many animals it can sustain. If overpopulation occurs it can lead to infighting for those resources which can then lead to a population in distress with sick, malnourished, and injured cats that are always on alert.

Further, an un-neutered male cat being dumped at a community cat colony, especially one that is mostly made up of feral cats, does not typically work out in favor of the new arrival. Feral cats will often reject a cat that has been indoors and is friendly with humans, and an older un-neutered male could be considered a danger to the colony's survival, making the new cat a target.

And that is exactly what we think happened to our dear friend Norman. In just a short couple of months at the colony, Norman was the target of many of the male cats that would do their best to run him off. When Norman was finally trapped, he was injured, malnourished, underweight.

Norman is somewhere between 12-14 years old, and after visiting the vet, it was found that Norman's mouth was in terrible shape. His teeth were falling out, rotted and infected, and his fur was matted, dull, and dirty from his inability to clean himself.

After being neutered and receiving antibiotics and dental care, Norman was also diagnosed with stomatitis, a painful inflammation that requires ongoing treatment. He's making progress, but he still needs ongoing care.

Despite these challenges, Norman is a sweet, resilient cat who deserves a loving home.

We're reaching out to ask for your support in helping Norman. Every little bit counts, whether it's a donation to cover his medical costs or simply sharing his story with others. Together, we can make a difference for Norman and other special needs pets like him.

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping us transform the landscape for special needs pets; we know their lives matter.