Hudson - aka Hudsy, or The Best Boy

One cold night in January, we found ourselves with an extra TNR appointment, and no feral cats to trap! We contacted all our friends and of course, someone was feeding cats. We rushed over, set a trap, and within minutes, the fastest impromptu cat trapping event happened. We trapped a big, battered, and feral tom cat, and we named him Hudson.

Hudson was understandably angry and scared, but we told this guy all about his future as a neutered cat and how much kinder life would be. Unneutered males will roam for miles searching for a mate, which makes them very likely to be hit by cars. They are also very territorial, and will fight with other intact males. This invites them to a host of different problems, from huge infected bite wounds to feline diseases such as FIV.

From looking at Hudson you could tell he was no stranger to this life. His nose was covered with scars and his ears were torn from fighting. He had these ridiculously large jowls and we are betting he was a top cat in the neighborhood. Hudson was neutered and ear tipped with anticipation to be quickly returned to his home outdoors. But, he experienced a very rare complication that required a second surgery and a longer healing period with antibiotics. Since he was a feral cat, we had to be strategic about monitoring his incision and administering medications, until something amazing happened.

While healing from his neuter, Hudson started to realize that people weren't that bad and life indoors seemed pretty good! With each and every day, we watched this tough feral cat turn into a complete domesticated LOVE BUG. Clearly, this boy was going to need a forever home but he faced another challenge. He had chronic diarrhea with no apparent cause. He had multiple rounds of deworming and many fecal tests that all came back clear, so we started changing his diet to pinpoint any potential allergies. We were not able to confirm any allergies before we received an adoption request for him. We explained Hudson's situation and that he would be considered a special needs cat until the problem could be resolved. To our surprise, our potential adopter came highly educated in feline nutrition, and was confident she could help Hudson and find the perfect diet for him. He was adopted, and very soon after she solved the puzzle to his dietary needs!

Today, Hudson is one VERY loved cat. It's hard to believe he was once a big beat up tom cat, fighting for everything he needed to survive and now he's completely spoiled with lots of love, toys, comfy beds, and the highest quality food. His forever human has quite literally shaved YEARS off this boy. His transformation is amazing and he looks like a kitten! We are so happy that by complete chance, we were able to cross paths with Hudson and give him the future he deserves.