Meet Elrond - A Very Special Cat!

October 11, 2010

Elrond is a very special member of the Cats Exclusive extended family. This sweet little guy somehow found his way into the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends, a shelter in Cairo, two years ago as a young kitten. As fate would have it, a long-time Cats Exclusive client, Kim Bartlett, who heads an animal welfare organization called “Animal People”, and her son, first met Elrond while attending a conference in Cairo. They instantly became attached to Elrond because he reminded them of their dear cat Sylvie who had passed away a few months before. They were scheduled to fly back to Seattle the next day so couldn’t take Elrond back with them because of the time needed to obtain the health certificate and vaccinations required. When they got back home, they continued to think about Elrond. Fortunately, a friend came forth with plans to travel to Egypt in a few months and was able to secure all the necessary documents and brought Elrond to the U.S. to live with the Bartletts on Whidbey Island. Elrond became one of Dr. Kate Schubert’s patients here at Cats Exclusive shortly thereafter.

Elrond is different in more ways than one. Not only does he have two different colored eyes (heterochromia), but he also is paraplegic. This means he does not have use of his two hind legs due to a congenital birth defect. Amazingly enough, though, this does not slow him down one bit. Whenever he boards with us here at Cats Exclusive, he loves to get out and play with the staff, cruising around the floor, chasing toys, or going from person to person for cuddles. He is a delightful, cheerful cat, and creates a bright spot in everyone's day.

Elrond’s family is very special too. It turns out their cat Sylvie had become paraplegic during her last few years of life so they knew what kind of care Elrond would need. Caring for a paraplegic cat like Elrond is time-consuming as he needs to be bathed 2-3 times a day–which, fortunately, he has grown to love. This is all part of the regular routine for the Bartletts as well as taking care of 6 other cats, 4 dogs, and a chicken. Elrond even has a special friendship with the chicken, Klinka, who sleeps right next to him each night and misses him when he isn’t around.