Julien

In the summer of 2023, a couple living in a town near Lethbridge grew concerned when they observed that a homeless young mother-cat and her three kittens had taken refuge under a neighbour's front step. The little mom we named Emori, had lost part of her rear right leg due to some type of catastrophic injury, which made providing for her youngsters quite impossible. The couple and the neighbour started feeding the little family, and contacted rescue-groups. Regardless of capacity issues, PAW decided to make a special effort to trap the injured female and her offspring. With the indispensable help of the same couple, the Society was able to capture the kittens and, eventually, their mother. The orange boy – now named Julien – entered the trap first, true to the couple’s description of him as "super curious". His sisters, Klarra (since adopted) and Evelyn, followed a day later and Emori (also adopted) soon after.

Personality:

Julien may be curious but we are even more curious. It was the first time we had trapped unsocialised kittens of that age (five months when rescued) where one of them was so open to being handled. It took very little time for him to settle into his new, indoor life (with his sisters, of course). Even now, his favourite activity is still running - up and down the hallway, the stairwell, the cat furniture and through the tunnel and cube. Evelyn likes to join in. They have a lot of fun together and they don't seem to disagree on anything! Julien plays with little fuzzy mice, springs and sponge balls, and enjoys a string toy being flung and a laser pointer. Like many rescued cats, he still startles a bit at unfamiliar noises but recovers quickly. When new people visit his foster home, he eventually saunters out for some attention. He gets along with the two small resident dogs. He very much enjoys when his foster providers make time for him and invite him onto their laps. He loves attention and affection and at bedtime settles across the foot of the humans' bed. He doesn't stay there all night because there's always something to investigate - like, what his sister is up to. Julien is a wonderful, young fellow, sure to bring along his exceptionally happy disposition wherever he goes.

OF NOTE: In February, 2024, Julien had a urinary blockage. He was hospitalized and recovered very well but then had a recurrence in late August, 2024, despite being on a specialized diet. It is now September 2024 and Julien is recovering from yet another incident. It is not crystals, urethral hyperactivity is a possibility. He was prescribed Elavil (known to help with spasms) which has made him tired and not nearly as active as his normal self. Once a cat has had two or three incidents of obstruction, the subject of having a Perineal Uresthrostemy is usually discussed and PAW has decided to go forward with this major surgery on October 15, 2024. The outcome of PU surgery is almost always positive (as long as a cat is healthy enough to withstand surgery). It will help a cat live a normal life without bladder obstructions. We expect Julien's life to return to normal and be medication-free. Page will be updated.

October 29, 2024: The veterinarian who did Julien's surgery was right. It was a rough recovery. But Julien is a healthy young cat and made steady progress.

Two weeks later, his cone is off and his surgical site is looking great. He will have a re-check on November 1, but we don't anticipate anything but a good report. Many thanks to Dr. Chris Martens and the incredible staff at Edgewater Companion Animal Clinic in Fort Macleod, Alberta!

December 20, 2024: Julien is doing fantastic. His urinary health is, we would say, perfect. His doctor is very pleased that, as predicted, surgery fixed his issue. No medications, completely back to normal - active, playful with his friends and snuggly with his foster family.

Water fountains are a great way to encourage a cat to drink - hydration is important for ALL cats' urinary health. Julien likes the fountain.

If you would like to inquire about this sweet boy, please submit an inquiry here.

Julien and Rebus:

Julien and Evelyn:

"I is a pretzel, see?"

Sleepy boy

About 5 months

Just a few days after Julien arrived in his foster home (4 months)