Adorable Kitty With Smooshed, Crooked Face Is As Sweet As Can Be
Pinocchio did not exactly start life with an easy hand. The tiny kitten was born with obvious congenital issues, and by the time rescue workers found him, he already needed serious help just to keep up with other cats his age.
Friends for Life Rescue Network stepped in, and foster mom Mel Lamprey took over the day-to-day care. From there, Pinocchio, also called Poke, began a long stretch of medical monitoring, rehab, and plenty of love from the people rooting for him.
Even with all that, he has stayed a cheerful little cat, and his crooked face has only made fans love him more.
In the summer of 2020, Jacqueline Santiago of Friends for Life Rescue Network saw a photo of a kitten with obvious congenital defects.
At first, they weren't sure what was wrong with the kitten, but the rescue organization took him in. At the time, Jacqueline shared, “He came malnourished, dehydrated, and infested with fleas.”
At the time, Pinocchio was already 3 months old, but he was still the size of a 5- to 6-week-old kitten! Some of the medical complexities the kitten came to FFLRN with included, "a massive umbilical hernia that will require surgical repair, a crossbite causing his canines to jab into his lower jaw (which will require removal), a deformed nose, and potentially hydrocephalus."
Realizing how much medical care and rehabilitation the kitty would need, Mel Lamprey stepped up to foster the kitten. Mel is an experienced foster mom, having taken in some long-term, medically complex fosters before, and has basically been non-stop fostering for over 3 years straight.
Pinocchio, or Poke as they lovingly refer to him, will someday be adopted. However, because of his complex medical needs, he's not currently up for adoption.
Friends for Life and Mel have both explained quite a bit to curious followers that Poke needs to have fewer medical needs, and COVID-related obstacles have definitely slowed down progress. But when he's healthy and ready for his forever home, he will leave Mel and Friends for Life.
In the meantime, he's genuinely loved by Mel and her partner, and he's obviously a happy, adorable, sweet kitty, unhindered by the complexities life has thrown his way.
And if you like survival stories, this reminds us of the dog that got covered in porcupine quills.
Some of the medical issues Pinocchio has dealt with in the last year alone include:
"Gastrointestinal issues, enlarged heart, heart murmur, collapsed lung lobe, tented skull, deviated septum, chronic upper respiratory infections, eye issues, dental issues, and possible neurological issues"
Still, Mel says, “he’s a really happy guy who loves everyone — other people, other cats, and dogs.”
That kind of personality goes a long way when a cat is facing so much behind the scenes.
In an interview with The Dodo, Jacqueline said:
“He runs up to anyone who enters the room and climbs up to their shoulder to perch. He rubs on you, loves to play, and bounces around.”
Mel says:
“I can’t believe how much this strong boy has been through, and he still has his ‘I’m great, I can do anything’ attitude!”
His fans have been following every update, and each new photo seems to make him even more beloved.
Pinocchio may look different and have some health obstacles to overcome, but it's also pretty clear he's just as much a cat as any other cat, and it's great that Friends for Life and Mel have been able to provide updates to his adoring fans and spread awareness and support for the highs and lows of fostering medically complex cats.
Mel writes, “We call this Pinocchio’s ‘Fraggle angle.’ And if you don’t know what a Fraggle is, I’m sorry you missed that.”
Three cheers for Pinocchio!
For another fight against illness, meet Juice, the ginger boy battling autoimmune disease, right here.
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