Cat adoption in Conway, AR, 72032
MIxed breed; white legs and belly with grey patches above. Cat
"Rasputin Underfoot"

About this Cat

Dan Beard 1915 Rich Smith LN Apt 201 Conway, AR 72032 479-276-8811 [email protected] Re: History about Rasputin “Underfoot” Due to his behaviors, I believe he was born domestically, but dumped as a stray at Conway Human Development Center around Christmas of 2020. In January, 2021, I noticed him hanging around the loading dock/trash area of the kitchen where I worked. His whiskers weren’t fully grown yet, so I guessed that he was almost a year old at that point. I continually called out to him and offered him scraps. First, he ran away like a true stray, but soon acclimated to all of us in the kitchen who would bring him food. Maybe he was dumped because of a horrible gash on the skin of his right jaw. It looked like the gills of a largemouth bass, exposing bone, muscle, veins, arteries and nerves. We were amazed that he recovered, and showed no trace of the injury. He eventually allowed his first chin/belly rub. Another employee gave him the name “Rasputin”. Eventually the dreaded day came in which the maintenance crew showed up with a live trap. I intervened instantly, offering a deal that, if I put him gently into their trap, they would not turn him in to the “cat pound” as long as I picked him up at 3:30 that day. I kept my word and took him home. He was neutered (spayed?) at Compassion Care in Greenbrier. I asked the vet to check his jaw. She noted missing teeth and a broken jaw, suggesting a hit from a car, but she also said that “…he did a great job in there during the procedure”. He was also microchipped and given something like a rabies vaccination and, I think, feline leukemia (?). Included in his file folder are copies of this stuff, along with the instructions on how to update/change his microchip so as to direct future persons to the new owner. I am a person with a number of mental/emotional diagnoses. So, after some paperwork, I officially registered/certified him as my own, personal ESA (Emotional Support Animal; perhaps I can find documents for you). He has been fabulous. There have been days in which I have been particularly down, in a very low place in life and a low place within myself. Perhaps because he knows he is a rescued cat (?), he seemed to intuitively know to come to my lap for long periods of time to comfort me. It helped. He insists on going outside at night, despite extreme cold and adverse weather. I think this got him frostbite on his ears, feet and nose. After living with me a few months, he was late coming in one morning. That day I took an early lunch, came home and called him again. He walked abnormally and had gashes on the left side of his body (see History at Out West). He also had more broken teeth and new scars on his face. Ex-ray showed at least two broken toes on his left hind paw, now improperly healed. I think he caught a mouse trap in the goat barn across the street, and got butted around a bit. The broken teeth, lip and face cuts may have come from trying to pry his way out of the alleged mousetrap. Months later, I caught him playing with a short-tail shrew in the middle of the night (venomous). He was unstoppable, and I saw him do it again about a week later. Not long after that, he came in at dawn favoring his right front paw. He recovered, but it took him a few days; I wonder if the shrew tagged him (see History at Out West). Lately, his gait is a little sluggish and he seems to favor his right rear abdomen for an unknown reason. As far as I know, he has never been wormed or treated for heartworms. Lately, he seems kind of down and sleeps excessively. In my opinion, he has figured out that I am moving, and we have to separate. Notes and favorite games and foods: He has always been willing to eat dry Meow Mix of any flavor, but seems to also like a good canned cat food as a supplement. For sure, he digs Friskies of any kind. He ignores some other canned foods, but I can’t remember which ones. I offer him plenty of water in a CLEAN bowl. He drinks it all, but still wants you to “leave the lid up” (sorry, girls, after all, he IS a boy). I guess he just likes that country flavor. Here is a bag of all of his toys, but clearly his favorite game is that you would sit in a chair near a linoleum floor, then throw a piece of dry Meow Mix. When he shows no interest, then just wait until he is ready. When he chases and eats them for a while, then loses interest, he will walk away and you have to pick up ONE piece of dry cat food (the point is: this activity has never attracted a bug). After some vigorous chasing, he will lie on his side to catch his breath. His second favorite game his for you to take the snake with the string and just walk around the house with the STRING on the floor (he went crazy over the snake at first, then lost interest). He can be a great lap cat, but it usually has to be on HIS terms: the best method is to see him in a deep sleep in the middle of the day, pick him up and carry him in the shape in which you found him, then have a seat. He also loves to run across noisy items like newspaper and plastic. Another favorite game is to prop up some stiff plastic that he can crawl under, then you tap on the plastic. He also really likes to hide behind a curtain in a windowsill or dry bathtub so that you can tease him with objects or noises, but he gets “swatty”, so protect your hands. He is currently trained to stay off of cabinets, shelves and tables. Also, he used to accidentally cut me during play, but I have yelled at him enough so that he seldom does that anymore. It would be a good idea to put some kind of blockage under large appliances. He likes to explore under these things, but this is much more dangerous than it seems. TWICE I JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE COME HOME BY CHANCE OR BE WATCHING HIM WHEN HE GOT A CLAW STUCK DEEP UNDERNEATH THE DISHWASHER, AND ONCE UNDER THE FRIDGE. Each time he was in an awkward, unbalanced and extended position. Fortunately, I exactly guessed that I needed a 9mm socket, and happened to have it nearby. Twice I had to completely disassemble two overlapping underpanels it a terrific hurry, all the while calming him down and reassuring him. He was in great distress and getting increasingly panicky. Even after seeing exactly where his claw was stuck AND being able to easily manipulate it, it still was difficult to unhook him. He was so distressed that I am convinced he would have yanked his toe off, dislocated his shoulder in exhaustion or died in stress. Once I had to actually lift the dishwasher. It was a near-failed rescue because, as usual, dishwashers have almost zero vertical clearance under an apartment countertop. Unexplored territory: decorate an oven mitten with jangly eyes, etc., then let him attack it, but that might cause him to swat your real hand later. Summary: He was originally domestic, then a stray, now domestic again. Note: I am convinced he misses being a stray, hence his DEMAND to go outside whenever he wants. Suggestion: close your pet door for at least a few days so that he can learn where his new home is so I don’t have to worry about whether he might run away or try to find his way back here. “I’m always on the wrong side of the door”. --Rasputin Underfoot

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