Have you ever marveled at the resiliency of our pets? Even with a massive injury or illness they take it all in stride, don’t complain, and go on with their lives. Uno is one such remarkable kitten.

On December 9th, Catalyst for Cats held an end-of-the-season spay day. Of the 22 feral cats brought in that day, a litter of five small, sick kittens was included. One little male was also sporting a terribly infected eye, which protruded grossly from his sweet face. As you can imagine, it was very difficult to look at but the kitten didn’t seem to even notice his affliction.

Dr. Brenda Forsythe of Orcutt Veterinary Hospital was on staff that day and said she could remove it. 2nd Chance Cats said they’d pay for the surgery, providing that I would take him and his four sick littermates home to care for. Of course I said, “Yes,” and in an instant, my household swelled from five cats to ten.

With the infirmary upstairs, I fed and medicated the skittish kittens several times a day. Being feral, they were not used to being touched. The injured one was the easiest to deal with. After five days of antibiotics, he was well enough for surgery.

When I picked him up, he was sporting a plexi-glass collar which was so big he could hardly lift his head. Even so, with stitches and drain in place, he looked much better than when I had dropped him off, albeit a bit like Frankenstein. On pain medication, he was lethargic, so I separated him from his siblings and kept him close to me. I was rewarded that first evening with loud purring, a much welcomed sound. Now he needed a name, and a friend suggested “Uno.” Perfect!

His recovery had a few setbacks due to the original massive infection, and he went through a series of minor surgeries, stitches, staples and drains. Nothing slowed him down, however, and I found myself modifying his collar in order to keep him in it. I watched fascinated as he would lumber around, swaying his head from side to side like an elephant. To get into the litterbox, he had to flip his head up in order for the collar to clear the side. To get through an opening narrower than the collar, he would again flip his head up and push his way through, collar and all. My cats hissed and skirted him as though he had the plague. He ignored them, tried to engage them in play, and eventually they accepted him. He even discovered that he could intimidate the dog, and would “crab” towards her with his little tail all puffed up. Now he just tears around the house with the other cats, playing rough-and-tumble with them or napping in their beds as he waits for someone to adopt him.

We have much to learn from our pets.