Do you see what I see? Introducing Freddy Louis...

**AlwaysLearning** · 30th November 2012, 02:22 PM

Hi all. I know you folks hear the "Do I have a Maine Coon" question an awful lot. Because I have been a breeder, I know that there is no way to identify many breeds/mixes without knowing the parentage. Ordinarily, I wouldn't ask something like this....but of the many, many cats I've had over the years I have never encountered a cat like this one.

About two weeks ago, my bosses (I work for a husband and wife) told me that they found what had the potential to be a beautiful long haired cat in their driveway. He was starving, very rough looking, and had a collar wrapped under his armpit that had been there so long it was growing over. They said that despite this, he was extremely loving. I thought of COURSE he is, lol. You want me to take him!

They took him to the vet, had the collar removed, gave him wormer, ect. The vet found that he was neutered, and said he was around a year old. That combined with the collar says that he has a home somewhere in this extremely wealthy neighborhood (It's a private gated community that spans several miles). They decided to post pictures and wait a few days, but nobody claimed him. They named him Fred of all things.

So they brought him to the office where I immediately fell in love. One would think that a cat who had been through h**l, starved, and then carted all over the place would be timid. Not Fred. He walked right into my office....wagging his tail, looking me full in the face, and trilling. "You're going to be my Mom" he seemed to say. Then he planted himself on my desk and held my arm purring while I tried to work. All day. The only time he got up was to GROWL out the window at people walking by. Seriously. Like a dog alerting an intruder.

It was at that point that I looked at the ruff, and thought Maine Coon. Somebody lost their Maine Coon kitten.

Since then, I have been researching the breed. And he is everything described. The body type, personality (though he hasn't shown much interest in playing with water), coat (though it's really, really rough and doesn't have the lynx tips. Plus his foot fur isn't very long...that could be because he spent months living outside though). He's also big (I think) for a year. He's 33 inches as far as I can tell from foot to foot stretched out, and weighs 8 pounds starving skinny. Most of all, he acts like a dog. He alerts me of intruders, he begs, he wags his tail, he follows me around.

Something else I've noticed is that he puffs, not hisses, at my other cats. It's funny, actually. I've never see a cat blow wind like that...it's like a bark with no sound. Just wind. After the first couple of days hiding from them, he began challenging them, but not attacking. Now he walks around like he owns the place. He's been here a week and a half, lol. Pretty quick work, I'd say

Anyway, the reason I even want to know is so I can care for him better. I'll love him anyway. But he has diarrhea that wormer and antibiotics don't seem to be touching. It's a mess. If he IS a pedigree, he may just be more sensitive. All breeds have their quirks...

I took a short video of him. Do you see what I am seeing? If nothing else, he's a character....he couldn't understand why I wouldn't just let him love on me, lol. Please excuse my kitty talk...I know I'm a dork.

**BasilHayden** · 6th December 2012, 06:27 PM

Certainly looks like a maine coon but lack of tips hmm dunno. If someone has lost him us think they would be looking for him if he from a rich part of town.

**AlwaysLearning** · 7th December 2012, 06:05 AM

Thanks for the reply!

Yes. One would think. However, they posted pictures at the PO boxes where everyone has to get their mail. Plus he had been out there a long time for that collar to become imbedded in his skin like that. I've contacted all of the local vets and shelters, and there are no missing reports for cats of his description. I would think there would be...especially if he's a pedigree.

It's possible that he escaped while the family was moving. There are a LOT of properties for sale. The economy has become extremely depressed in this part of PA, and the property value has dropped considerably because there are just so many people putting their houses up for sale there with nobody buying. It's sad, really.

As for his ears, I'm wondering if something happened there. They are almost bald at the top where the ear grows thin. He's pretty sickly. His runs have cleared up completely (thanks to some advice from jckkerrison...I altered what I was feeding him), but he hacked up an 8in long tape worm this morning. To the vet we went (The one he was origionally treated at, not the one I usually go to), and I found out at that point that he had lung worms as well as round worms...and apparently tape worms. Poor guy.

Off to my regular vet that I trust in the morning. Apparently he was still positive for lung worm when they took the fecal sample when I brought him in right after he came into my care for the runny mess. They never called to tell me this, so I let him out with my other cats when his stool became normal. I figured by then it had been a week, and I would have heard if there was anything amiss in the sample. Now I have to treat ALL of my cats. At Christmas time.

Anyhoo...he's as sweet as ever. I gave him his first bath since his wound is finally closed up. He's not too happy with me at the moment, lol. I can't wait to see his coat after he dries out enough to brush!

ETA:

After rewatching my video, I think I should clarify that Louis seems to be the name to stick. Louie, actually. My kitty talk is fabulous, don't you think? Lol...he thinks so, anyway

**Howlinbob** · 7th December 2012, 12:18 PM

He looks gorgeous and he is very lucky to have you to take care of him.
I hope he gets over his health issues soon, I'm sure he will with lots of tlc.
More pictures please!

**Alekto** · 7th December 2012, 01:12 PM

well he sure is handsome and chatty like mine - I like Louie better too, sounds more like he could belong with Al Capone - Louie Capone!
" I have never encountered a cat like this one. " puts him in the Maine Coon category to me. Heehee! May be a Mini-Coon though? I had one of those before Neevie - all Maine Coon caracteristics, but smaller than any other cat I'd ever seen before.

Poor little mite had a hard time, but now his troubles are over he's found a fab Humanz to take care of him!! :-D

Neevie says "welcome to Maine-Coon-Kind, little Louie!" and adds "Mrrrrrr..." so I guess he's accepted. (see, I do Kitty talk too! ;-))

**KimAZ** · 11th December 2012, 04:35 AM

When you have a chance, would you tell me how you added your video? I don't have any problem with photos but can't seem to be able to figure out how to add video. Maybe I need to be on my laptop instead of my Ipad? Would love to hear how you accomplished it. Thanks.

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