Bruin is a lovable young tomcat who was found as a stray in Burlington this summer. He was rescued by the Burlington Humane Society (BHS) and they generously covered the costs of his extensive medical care. Bruin’s initial exam found him to be in pretty rough shape. He had several broken teeth and evidence of healed battle wounds including notches in his ear tips which are common in cats who have been fighting.
In co-ordination with BHS, Bruin was neutered and had dental surgery to address his broken teeth at another hospital. Recovering from his surgeries back at the shelter, Bruin was slow to heal and still feeling unwell. He started showing signs of an upper respiratory tract infection including fever, sneezing, runny eyes and nasal congestion. Poor Bruin wasn’t eating well because he was so congested that he couldn’t smell his food. One of our veterinarians Dr Hall is also the shelter vet at BHS. She transferred Bruin to Headon Forest Animal Hospital (HFAH) to treat his respiratory infection.
During his stay at HFAH, Bruin had bloodwork done and he tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). FIV is a viral infection in cats that is spread through saliva, commonly by cat bites. This infection has a higher incidence in cats who fight. It can also be spread from the mother cat (queen) to her kittens. FIV infection can suppress the cat’s immune system, making it harder for them to fight and clear infections and often delaying their healing time.
Due to his FIV status, Bruin had to be treated more intensively in hospital to help him recover from his respiratory infection and heal from his surgeries. He stayed at HFAH for almost three weeks in intensive care in our isolation ward before he was well enough to be adopted. During his stay with us, all of our staff fell in love with this sweet lovable kitty. Even when he was feeling sick, Bruin was a purr machine!
As an FIV positive kitty, Bruin needed an extra special adoptive home where he was the only cat and he could get lots of TLC and regular veterinary care to help him live a long and healthy life. When the people at Pets Plus Us insurance company heard Bruin’s story, they offered to adopt him as their office cat. Bruin has settled in very well and now rules the roost in their spacious headquarters in Oakville. He even has his own office! We are all so happy for Bruin!
