Guido

Quick bio time: Five-year old Guido (born in the spring of 2019) is one of our many fabulous FIV+ boys here at Crash's.  It took me 4 months to pen his personality traits as he needed to settle in and acclimate;  as our shelter manager so succinctly put it, "This big guy was a total tool when he first arrived but has morphed into ended up a magnificent mama's boy!  Guido is such a great cat who just wants to be sidled up next to someone.  He is this first cat to come running for afternoon brushings, and spends about 95% of his time on his back for belly rubs.  He really doesn't care for other cats, but tolerates them well.  He is very affectionate but wouldn't do well with small kids;  he'll let you know when he's had enough by giving you a little swat.  I'd love to see him with someone who is home often and can spend the time with him that he desperately wants." Even though the name implies he is a tough guy, that simply is no longer true, as the street has been taken out of this cat and replaced with sweet! Ooh, I had forgotten that I had written his arrival summary awhile ago, so I will include it here for context! Five year old Guido (born in early 2019 approximately) may have initially looked like your typical street thug, but in actuality, nothing could be further from the truth.  Granted, while he was walking the mean streets and inhabiting dark alleyways in the southside of Grand Rapids he appears to have been on the receiving end of some pretty hard knocks (bites, cuts, scrapes - you name it).  I am pretty certain that being an intact male allowed him to give as good (or bad) as he got, and because testosterone had been circulating through his bloodstream for years, it is no wonder he contracted FIV (feline Immunodeficiency Virus) somewhere along the line.  Upon intake, his head, neck, and shoulders were covered in a multitude of bite wounds of varying depth and degree of tissue destruction, the worst bite having landed on his right ear, causing nickel-sized hole after the abscess ruptured (spewing copious amounts of blood and pus in its release).  His broken and chipped canines alluded to his former trials and tribulations, along with all eight of his rear nails having been worn down to mere nubs.  He was also heavily infected with fleas, his coat gritty with course, granular 'flea dirt', and his poor pads hardened and thickened due to pounding the pavement for far too long.  But, in spite of ALL of this - and the fact that he was a bit anemic AND his x-rays showed that he was also suffering from left-sided hip arthritis - Guido could not have been sweeter and more accepting of my gentle pets and head caresses.   It goes without saying that the 1st item on my agenda was to address his wounds, which required excising that necrotic piece of skin on his ear, cleaning the area thoroughly, and starting him on systemic and topical antibiotics.  Neutering was also undertaken in short order, as was treating him for external parasites, and vaccinating him.  Because he was 'all-boy' for years, his urine possessed a more than pungent odor, so I felt it best that he hang out with me at FWC for a week to allow the smell to dissipate and to continue treating that ear.  During that time period he filled his belly (this boy can eat!), used the litter box like a boss, and spent a great many hours simply resting and recuperating, which he desperately needed. Poor guy!