Mustardess, the blind oh-so-loving kitten saved from death at a kill shelter in Georgia, has been through SO MUCH in his life so far - now I want something good to happen to him - could it be you? If you are interested in adoption after reading about him (see below), please send your answers to the questions asked here (send them in the body of an email to philoctete@mailbug.com) and I'll get right back to you. Anyone answering the questions is guaranteed to receive a prompt reply, and if you are reading this he is still in need of a home.
Cheerful and playful (just like any other crazy kitten his age - he was probably born in late May 2024), Mustardess has already been through some near-fatal viruses (and his right eye in particular has been so damaged by them that you may eventually decide to have it removed, which is the only reason I mark him special needs). He does seem to be completely blind, but evidently has some other ways of perception highly acute because he navigates his world wonderfully (including the litterbox and finding his food and water - and finding you!). Indeed he is a wonderful kitten, already "honing in" on your lap when he wants to cuddle (many kittens his age are not interested in sitting quietly in laps till they are older and have passed the crazy kitten stage). You may know that black cats tend to be the color of cats who are most affectionate as well as most overlooked when people want to adopt. Mustardess fits that reputation! He often comes to ask you to lift him up and hold him on or just under your shoulder, so that he can butt your head, and he likes to climb on your shoulder and knead your hair gently with his claws (he may try to suckle on your neck or inner ear when he is feeling particularly happy or particularly insecure). If you lie supine on your bed, he comes to curl up under your chin so that his head rests against your head (though until he falls asleep there, this is less restful for you than it sounds because he tends to move his head back and forth as though trying to take the bearings of where he is). He loves to be held. He also likes to explore your back and the back of your neck, but he is capable of straight laptime relaxation. The suckling and kneading can sometimes be annoying, depending in large part on where he does it - you can suggest to him doing it in places on you (or on a blanket!) that bother you least.
He does give away his blindness sometimes when he sniffs around on the floor to know where to walk, but I have yet to see him actually crash into an obstacle. Especially in contrast with the blind kitten he "rooms" with, who is withdrawn and surly and who lacks confidence, Mustardess is outgoing and socially undaunted. His stoicism throughout the pain he underwent (on his long trip north from the kill shelter and when struggling to survive for weeks afterwards), the sprightliness of his recovery, are truly astonishing and I think that if you know him he teaches you how to "keep on going, when you're going through hell". A wonderful kitten to know and do your best for, he shows every sign of growing into a cat you can lean on in your own troubles, whom you want to always "be there for" yourself.
If interested, please send in your answers to the questions below and, if you seem like a good match, I'll suggest exchanging references and arranging a day/time he can come to you for a trial adoption. Thank you so much for reading about him!
1. What kinds of food would you feed him - dry? If so, why and what brands? Canned? If so, what brands? Raw/homemade? If not, why not? If you intend to feed him dry food, what ratio of dry to wet food would you offer and would you allow free access to the dry food, for grazing?
2. What sort of water and what type/brand of litter would he have?
3. What sort of home would he share with you (rented apartment, owned home, dorm, multi-family house, etc.) and could you say who all the humans and non-humans (if any) would live there with you and him?
4. What are your views, pro or on, on neutering/spaying?
5. What are your views, pro or con, on declawing?
6. Under what circ*mstances would you no longer want him to live with you as a member of your family, do you think? (Though he came from a kill shelter originally, you do not have to fear that when he returned to me, as he ought to do in those circ*mstances, he would be killed; he would find a forever home.)
7. Could you help me understand if he would be a good match for you by giving some information about yourself, please? Things it can be helpful for me to know are your job/profession/source of income, your area and institution of study (if you are a student, or a teacher), your age or approximate age, your interests/lifestyle/hobbies, and whether you've had experience before as a primary caregiver (or sitter or walker) of non-human beings such as a cat. Thanks!
8. {Optional} If there was anything in the description or the photos of Mustardess (the photos were taken in mid-August 2024) that called to you or appealed to you, could you say what that is? Thank you for your time!
