Special-needs pets need homes
By Denise Baran-Unland Correspondent February 25, 2013 1:42PM
Tillie, a 12-year-old arthritic Pekingese at the Will County Humane Society in Shorewood, needs a quiet, loving home. | SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Updated: March 27, 2013 6:02AM
The Will County Humane Society is seeking just the right homes for Tillie and Mim, two special survivors who need special care.
Tillie, a Pekingese who is about 12 years old, had been running around Crest Hill as an arthritic stray when she came to the shelter last summer. Mim, a black 6-month-old kitten, has congenitally twisted legs, but that doesn’t inhibit her mobility.
“She scoots around, uses her litter box and is very sweet,” said Joyce Drzal, volunteer coordinator at the Shorewood shelter. “She gets along with other cats and likes hanging out at the bottom of the cat tree in the cat room at the shelter.”
Larry Ringbauer, shelter manager, said Tillie’s age and arthritis suggest she would fare best in a quiet home, perhaps as the primary companion animal of a senior citizen. Unfortunately, Ringbauer said, prospective adoptive parents often shy away from older or infirm animals, preferring puppies and kittens.
They may fear the expense of treatment if health issues escalate and/or multiply, as well as the possibility of “saying goodbye” to that pet within a short period of time. Ringbauer does not feel any of those scenarios fit Tillie.
“Other than the arthritis in her back legs, she’s doing pretty good,” Ringbauer said. “As long as she stays on the medication, the arthritis doesn’t bother her. She takes just half a pill twice a day and she gobbles that right down with her food.”
Mim’s story is more dramatic. She and her mother Juliette, a 2-year-old calico, had been living in a car with their owner after he lost his home due to medical problems.
When the weather grew cold, he turned to a homeless shelter, where his pets were not allowed.
“He didn’t want to give them up,” Ringbauer said, “but he had to think of the cats, too. They couldn’t go on living in his automobile.”
The perfect home for Mim would contain no dogs and no small children, since she does not tolerate them. Ideally, Ringbauer would like one family to adopt both Juliette and Mim.
Dr. Maxine Franck of Creature Comforts in Plainfield, who pays a weekly visit to the Will County Humane Society, said Mim does require some special care, which prospective owners should keep in mind.
Because Mim suffers from regurgitation issues, she vomits frequently and is prone to choking and respiratory issues. Food must be either canned pate or extremely tiny kitten kibbles.
Although Mim, does use a litter box, she has difficulty cleaning herself and often needs her “tushy” wiped after elimination. Franck is uncertain if Mim will eventually develop other medical issues that will require medication.
Despite her troubles, Mim is not weak and sickly.
“She’s actually pretty feisty,” Franck said. “She’s extremely sociable.”
Franck said someone with a medical and animal fostering background — perhaps a retired nurse — might make the ideal owner. Although some cats contentedly sit home alone for 10 hours, Mim’s emotional and medical needs are too high to tolerate that situation. She needs an owner home most of the day.
“I don’t know if she’ll have a normal life span, but she’s a survivor,” Franck said.
For information on either of these two pets, the shelter or its adoption policies, call 815-741-0695, visit www.willcountyhumane.com,
