This Adorable Orange Tabby Was Injured and Sick on the Streets. Now He's Loving Life in His Forever Home

Chad Taylor
·3 min read
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orange cat named Oedipus lying on carpet
orange cat named Oedipus lying on carpet

Courtesy of Abby Barker

When 3-year-old orange tabby Oedipus Wrecks was first brought into the Crash's Landing shelter in Grand Rapids, Mich., he was in pretty rough shape. Seven months later, he barely resembles that injured cat and, after a long wait, has joined his forever family.

Limping badly from injuries to two of his four legs, Oedipus had several infected fight wounds when he arrived at the shelter in March. Open sores and skin infections covered his body and an initial check by shelter veterinarians showed he was also suffering from intestinal parasites. As if that wasn't enough, he also tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

It was a slow road of recovery but under the watchful eye of Crash's Landing's Jen Giles, DVM, Oedipus was able to make a complete recovery from his wounds and infections. He was made available for adoption in April.

However, it wouldn't be until October, during the Bissell Pet Foundation's annual "Empty the Shelters" event, that Oedipus would meet his forever family.

"[Long shelter stays] happen fairly often," Pam Van Rees, director of adoptions for Crash's Landing, tells Daily Paws. "So we just give them love and care and tell them, 'Next time will be your turn!'"

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For Oedipus, his turn came in the form of a pair of repeat customers to Crash's Landing.

"My partner and I have been wanting another cat for a while," new owner Abby Barker says. "We went into Crash's Landing for a few visits and chose our first cat, a little cat named Stevie Nicks, from there. After a while, we thought she could use a friend while we're at work all day, someone to play with and to make her feel more calm."

"We thought that Oedipus would be a good fit for them because we knew that he could get along with just about any other cat," Van Rees adds.

Oedipus the cat with new family
Oedipus the cat with new family

Courtesy of Abby Barker

Barker and her partner made their way back to Crash's Landing and the orange tabby caught their eye. Barker says the pair was drawn to his round, expressive face and the friendly demeanor that had made him a favorite around the shelter offices. After a couple of visits, they decided to bring Oedipus home, and Barker says things couldn't have gone better.

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"He's doing so great," she says. "It took the cats a little while to get used to one another, but his first instinct was to be friends. Now, after a few weeks, they're cuddling next to each other and grooming one another and that's awesome."

While not fatal itself, FIV can put cats at an increased risk of developing dangerous infections, so Barker will have to keep a close eye on changes to his energy levels or immune responses. Otherwise, Oedipus has a clean bill of health and is ready to live a full, happy life with his human and cat companions.