Happy Tails are one of the greatest accomplishments of an animal shelter – being able to see the joy, inspiration, and love that an animal, once in our care, brought to the community. This Happy Tail is no exception. Learn about Oliver’s journey (told in first person!) and the challenging yet incredible mountain he climbed with his family.
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Hi everyone!
My name is Oliver and my life changed for the first time in July of 2022. That day I was bouncing around my cage with excitement as I saw two young people looking at me with hopeful eyes. I was so excited that I was hanging off the cage door by my front two paws. These two people took me to another room and wanted to play! However, I had too much energy and couldn’t stop running laps around the room. The humans kept calling me little Paul Walker from the way I was “drifting” around and around. I got to leave the shelter and go to my forever home that day.
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A few months later, my new family and I packed up and moved north to Wyoming. There, I got to meet my new big brother Leo. He wasn’t happy to share his things with me at first, but I quickly grew on him. I had a perfect little life growing up in Wyoming. Leo taught me lots about how to play, and how to look cute so our parents could give us treats. Everything was great! That is until my life changed for a second time.
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In January of 2023, I began feeling a little under the weather and didn’t feel like eating too much. It got to the point where I had no appetite at all and little to no energy. I couldn’t get up off the floor from lying down, and my coat was wiry and greasy. My parents rushed me to the vet’s office immediately. The vet could only give us bad news. I had FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). FIP is fatal if not treated. My life had just begun and now I was walking the line between life and death. The vet told us about a company that produces their own FIP medication; this would be my only chance at survival. My parents decided to get the medication and start treatment right away.
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My road to recovery was the hardest thing my parents and I have ever had to do. For the first week of treatment, I had to get a shot every single day. From then on, I had to take disgusting pills each day. While these were far better than the shots, I was still in lots of pain. As the weeks of treatment turned into months, I finally began to feel like myself again. I got my appetite back as well as my energy. Each day was its own challenge, but I was a trooper and kept fighting.
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By April of 2023, I had finally completed my treatment and was FIP-free! My family and I had also moved back to Colorado, where my story began. Nowadays, I spend my time lounging around the house and playing with my brother. I can run so fast around our apartment that I probably should be renamed Paul Walker. My comeback has been nothing short of amazing. I’m so thankful to be surrounded by my loving family who supported me every step of the way. I am officially living life to its fullest. Thank you so much to the kind people who first gave me a home at NoCo Humane. If you hadn’t taken me in, I might not be here to tell this story. I am forever thankful. I doubt I’ll be slowing down anytime soon, so catch me if you can!!!!
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