Coconut was just one of the many stray cats roaming Boston’s tough streets.
Fortunately, his life took a completely different turn when he met Joni Nelson, the creator of Boston’s Forgotten Felines.
Sadly, the fuzzy white kitten was suffering from a variety of problems. His ears, in particular, had taken a beating. Not to mention the fact that the animal would not allow anyone to approach him, making his rescue all the more difficult.
Joni ultimately won the cat’s trust before bringing him to her organization’s veterinary facility, where a comprehensive examination showed a number of issues including a urinary infection, ear mites, limping, chronic diarrhea, and general filthiness.
Joni gradually realized what might have been causing his strange behavior: the cat was partially blind. Coconut seemed to get used to her over time, but he was remained wary of strangers and hissed anytime anyone approached him.
He was a real pain to feed… He’d never glance up, but when I opened his cage, he’d lash out.”
“Besides half-blindness, he was also deaf”, Joni opened up.
Coconut learned to trust the volunteers at the association, and they did everything they could to care for him. He was quickly placed in a foster family. Joni doesn’t conceal the fact that she was nervous at the time, stating that seeing Coconut afraid of strangers made her nervous. Thankfully, the cat rapidly adjusted to her new surroundings.
“Coconut is an absolute darling. He hobbles over to me to get pets every time I enter into the room… He starts purring as soon as I start caressing him… He’ll curl up close to your side, his head nestled under your arm, so you may touch him.” Ashley Ward, who is his second foster mom, told:
Coconut’s change is fascinating and wonderful, especially considering that he was just a few months ago fighting to survive in Boston’s frigid streets. Thankfully, the kitty has found his forever family!
