A kitten who was born with special needs, found the perfect family he always wanted.
Two months ago, Texas Special Needs Pets (in Houston, Texas) was contacted about a tabby kitten needing rescue.
A shelter in Centra Texas was in the midst of a panleukopenia outbreak, and the tabby along with his two siblings were in a cage next to infected kitties.
Tiffany Maki, founder of Texas Special Needs Pets, immediately offered to help and took in all three kittens. When she checked on the little tabby, he kept trying to reach her face for a few sniffs and kisses.
He was very sassy from the start, waving his paws at his siblings, trying to act tough.
He was named Sheldon Thunderpaws and his siblings Daphne Willow and Finnegan Dash. The trio was placed in quarantine and given all the medical attention they needed.
Miraculously, the kittens didn't come down with the virus and were improving each day. When they were ready to move into a foster home, Heather Blue, a volunteer of the rescue, took them in with open arms.
Sheldon has hydrocephalus (a build-up of fluid in the brain), mild cerebellar hypoplasia, a grade-2 heart murmur, and a cleft lip/nose. Despite it all, he is always in good spirits and just wants to play and cuddle.
Even though he is the runt and a few steps behind his siblings (who do not have any special needs), he tries his best to keep up and never slows down at meal time.
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He keeps his humans close always, just in case he craves a snack.
"One of his primary goals in life is getting food. He loves the refrigerator, snacks, and meal time," Heather told Love Meow.
The tabby boy can run like a champ though jumping and climbing aren't his forte.
The family has placed ramps around the house for their special needs cats, and Sheldon takes full advantage of them when he does zoomies.
He doesn't have the best vision as he has trouble with depth perception. Whenever he wants something, he is as vocal as can be.
"He just starts meowing and we all come running to get him what he needs."
Watch Sheldon in this cute video:
The family has two resident cats, Paisley and Penny, who also have cerebellar hypoplasia.
They instantly accepted their new wobbly brother, and Penny, who was a feral rescue and is usually suspicious of new fosters, took him right under her wing.
"It seems like they knew he was a little more like them — they almost seem protective of him," Heather told Love Meow.
"It wasn't long before we knew he would fit in perfectly with our entire family."
Sheldon is now a part of the big family of seven. His siblings, Finnegan and Daphne, will soon be on their way to their very own forever home, together.
The tabby boy takes medication for hydrocephalus and gets regular checkups with his veterinarian and specialist. "Sheldon has survived the odds and is completely thriving despite all of his disabilities," Heather said.
The little wonder kitty brings so much joy to his family with his endearing personality and endless mischief. "He is attention-seeking, snuggly, and hungry all the time."
The little ball of fluff makes sure he's never alone and constantly demands cuddles and attention. He doesn't think he's any different and is so happy for the simplest things in life.
"We are thankful every day that he is a part of our family. We can't wait to see what his future holds!"
Share this story with your friends. Follow Sheldon and his adventures on Facebook and Instagram @sheldonthunderpaws.
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