Esme Tortoiseshell Lethbridge, AB

Esme is in the special needs category because she is shy. Having said that, this sweet girl has made tremendous progress and will continue to do so.

Esme was one of three adult mother cats and several kittens rescued from a rural southern Alberta campground in the fall of 2021. Over the course of a few weeks, a compassionate individual from a neighbouring community took on the huge task of trapping all of them before winter set in. We were never able to figure out definitively who some of the kittens belonged to - after being rescued, the moms were too stressed to resume their roles as mothers. However, leaving them in the campground was not an option. A couple of weeks after Esme arrived in her foster home, she contracted distemper (panleukopenia virus) from one of the kittens who had been exposed while being housed for a few days in a non-PAW home. Esme was also suffering from badly infected ears; however, with veterinary support and intensive home-care, she completely recovered from all her challenges. Under all that fur is a tiny, but strong, body.

You can see from her picture the frost damage on her precious little ears. It is likely she spent the previous winter down in that lonely, frigid campground. It's difficult to imagine how she survived.

UPDATE: January 2024: that "little body" isn't so little these days...she's a bit of a chonk now :)

We can hardly believe this little beauty's transformation. From trusting only one person in her foster home - and that took time - to a little cat who her foster family have to step over as she lies in the middle of the kitchen floor: her progress has been remarkable! Her first inclination is still to run away when she's approached however, she eventually gives up and will let you pick her up. She very much enjoys being brushed and fussed over but loves playing with a string toy even more - she's so happy and playful. Noisy household activities don't really faze her. She's curious about visitors. She bats around her toys and pounces on the ball in the turbo scratcher. She races through the tunnel just for fun. She has everyone in her foster home wrapped around her little finger-claw. She lives with two small dogs who aren't exactly cat-lovers but she doesn't mind them in the least. She does just fine with other cats but for some reason, they like to pick on her! This causes her some stress sometimes.

It may take a little time for Esme to feel comfortable when she goes to a new home. Care must be taken to assure her a safe, indoor-only life as she is smart and know what's on the other side of an outside door. If a once-shy cat gets outside, it can be almost impossible to find them.

Tortoiseshell cats are very inclined towards a strong bond with their human. She's learning to tolerate kisses.