Doby was rescued as a kitten by The Cat House on the Kings refuge in California. Nobody knows where he came from or how he wound up on his own, but it wasn’t long before it became evident that Doby was different from the other cats. He had cerebellar hypoplasia (CH), which caused him to be a bit shaky, as well as a cleft nose, which caused him to appear to have two noses.
Despite his characteristics, Doby didn’t appear to realize he was unique among the cats at the refuge. While he was there, he became very attached to a blind cat, but when she was adopted without him, he became quite worried and reclusive. When Jacqueline Santiago, a member of Friends for Life Rescue Network (FFLR), went to the sanctuary to take several cats into the rescue, she discovered tiny Doby and decided to accept him as well.
As soon as Doby came at FFLR, Santiago shared a photo of him on Instagram, which is how his new family learned about him and fell in love with him.
“I had kept in touch to give her images of my two polydactyl bobtail sisters who had been adopted via [the]rescue about a year previously,” Doby’s adoptive mom, Jeanne, told The Dodo. “I saw his tiny bat face and that was the end of it.” We didn’t know much about him at first, so we researched cerebellar hypoplasia and cleft palates to ensure that our home was safe and accessible for him.”
Doby had to be fostered for a few months before he could be adopted since he was small for his age and had certain special requirements, but after he was certified healthy, his adoptive parents welcomed him into their house with open arms. His foster family did an excellent job of helping him come out of his shell, and by the time he came to his forever family, he had grown into a spunky, playful little cat.
“His foster mom is the absolute best and we are so thankful that she took a scared and anxious little kitten and taught him to love and trust people,” Jeanne said.
Doby quickly adapted to his new surroundings, and his new parents fell even more in love with him. He’s an extremely inquisitive cat that will munch on almost anything he comes across to see if it’s edible or not. He enjoys following his parents about the home and must be surrounded by a member of his family at all times.
Jeanne described Doby as a “happy, chirpy sweetie.” “In his little little body, he possesses so much love.” He sings to us as we wake up in the morning and chatters at us all the way to the meal dish. The dish is constantly full, but he prefers to eat with one of us standing nearby.”
While Doby still has CH, it is a very moderate form that causes him to be a little unstable as he bounces around the home. His most distinguishing trait is undoubtedly his adorable cleft nose — and his parents wouldn’t have him any other way.
“We joke that Doby has a double snoot, which means there’s extra snoot to boop,” Jeanne explained. “Because of his cleft nose, he gets really winded while playing.” He huffs and puffs as he chases feather toys, but generally breathes properly. He can still eat without problem, although he is really messy.”
Doby’s parents must carefully monitor his health to ensure that he does not contract upper respiratory infections, which would impact him considerably sooner and more severely due to his nose.
Apart from that, Doby is just like any other cat, with the exception of a slight wobble and a very messy eater. He enjoys playing with his two cat sisters and appears to be completely unaware that he is different from them. He’s simply a tiny cat having fun, and his parents are overjoyed that he’s theirs.
Link to Paws Daily