Georgina Price and her fiance Christopher Lardner always had a soft spot for felines with special needs. Their first rescue cat – Herbie was 16 years old when they adopted him. He was not very far from the rainbow bridge at the time of adoption and sadly, a few months later, he left his humans forever. Even though the couple had known him only for a few months, Herbie had touched them deeply and his departure left them heartbroken. The loss, however, paved the way for someone just as adorable to come into their life.
“I just kept thinking about all the animals that might only have five months left and would spend the whole of that time in a shelter,” Georgina said to Meow. “We decided we would look for an extra special cat that might take a little longer to find a home.”
One day, scrolling down the internet, Georgina saw Toby and Quinton, two inseparable cats who were waiting for someone to become their parents. “I saw them on the RSPCA website and fell in love with their sweet little faces,” Georgina said. Black and white Quinton, a cute grandpa-looking 7-year-old, was missing all of his teeth and Toby, 6-years-old and short-haired, had a lot of loose skin.
Later-on, Georgina learned that Toby had been diagnosed with feline cutaneous asthenia (FCA) or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a congenital condition that causes unusually stretchy, loose, and fragile skin due to a lack of collagen. “We’d never heard of EDS before we found him, we just knew that he needed a loving home and we have so much love to give,” said Georgina.
The cats got to see their future parents for the first time when the couple visited them at the RSPCA where they lived in a special unit. “They were both terrified and huddled right at the back. Toby just hid behind Quinton the whole time, trembling.”
However, the felines were a bit scared, one more than the other. Quinton let Georgina pet him while toby was a little too scared. All things considered, the couple was more than confident that they could be good parents to the nervous Toby too. So they adopted both of them.
Before long, Toby and Quinton settled down in their new home. After seven months, they were more than fine in their forever home. Toby, however, tends to injure himself due to his stretchy skin condition, even when he is playing with Quinton or just grooming himself.
“Toby and Quinton are inseparable and Quinton tries to clean up Toby’s face when possible and when they play, Quinton knows to keep his claws retracted.”
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome makes Toby’s skin hang down to his knees and his parents are worried about his health. The added weight of this hanging skin may have an effect on his long-term health. “EDS can cause joint problems and the excess weight of his skin makes us think that he will have problems in later life,” explained Georgina.
Georgina and her fiancé try to keep him from jumping, in order to minimize stress in his joints. Even though Toby requires some extra care, his owners are living their happily-ever-after with the cat duo.
Everything aside, Toby is just any other kitty. He loves bird-watching, bouncy balls, and hooman snuggles. “He loves belly rubs and will plop himself next to you and look at you, waiting for you to rub his belly,” Georgina said.
Georgina hopes that Toby’s story will not only make awareness about his medical condition but also will inspire more people to adopt special-needs cats.
“It doesn’t take any more to love them and despite whatever it is that may make them ‘special needs’, they are still beautiful animals with their own amazing personalities, likes, dislikes, and the ability to love you back.”
