Here are the bios posted on Petfinder:
Double Stuff is full of zest, pep, and gumption. Just ask him. He is the talker of his group, always chattering away. He has an opinion about everything. Everything. He's zany. He's got a lot of energy. He's full of curiosity. He's also a big ol' baby and craves attention. As long as you bring the attention to HIM. He's been known to lay in his bed, crying until his foster caregiver comes over to pet him. That's right. He makes HER come to HIM. Double Stuff would love to spend his days with his momma Nadya. She understands him and is quick to comfort him when he encounters something that is scary or makes him nervous. He's also great pals with his sister Fudge Stripe and could definitely spend his days playing with her.
Fudge Stripe (also known as "Fudgie") is sweet, gentle girl who loves long naps curled up with her brother Double Stuff and her sister Zotz. When there's no sunbeam to warm up in, she uses her brother and sister as blankets. She also enjoys sneak attacks on unsuspecting siblings. She's the queen of flash wrestling. She's the yin and yang kitten. One part sweet; one part tough girl with a devilish plan. She loves to play. Fudgie would love to go to her forever home with her warm blankets, er, siblings Double Stuff or Zotz (or both!).
Shortbread is lovingly referred to as "Shortie," a name that is befitting because she is the smallest of the litter. The smallest AND the bravest. She's kind, gentle, sweet, and wickedly smart. She could take over the world if she wanted to. But her kind heart lets her leave the world safe from any plans she could concoct. She loves to be held. When she was a little younger, she would tell her foster caregiver that she wanted to play by tapping the toy, running over to the foster caregiver, tapping her, and then running back to the toy. And true to her gentle nature, she makes sure only to snag the toy, not human fingers. She keeps her claws in when she can. She doesn't want to hurt anybody! And lest you try to take advantage of this small, gentle, and unafraid little kitten, you will feel the dopey wrath of her bodyguard Zagnut, the biggest kitten of them all! (Actually only that second part is true - Zagnut IS huge and he is Shortie's best friend, but he would rather sleep away his troubles than attack anyone. He's a gentle giant. A gentle, goofy, loveable giant.)
Zagnut is a giant. A gentle, sweet, unassuming giant with an enormous head and a heart that matches. He's a lover, not a fighter. His best friend is Shortie, the smallest of the litter. He curls up with her and helps her bathe those hard to reach places. He's a goofy boy that puts up with the endless kisses his human foster caregiver bestows upon him. Zagnut is going to be one BIG boy. We think his daddy was a bobcat. To
balance out your house, Zagnut the giant should be adopted with his sister Shortie, the smallest kitten in the litter. That's Zagnut's best friend. If you're in the mood for THREE kittens, he'd also love to spend the rest of his days with his sister Zotz.
And finally, Nadya's profile:
It's hard for me to write a bio that fully expresses how wonderful Nadya is, particularly without crying.
For those unfamiliar with Nadya's story, let me start from the beginning. It's a long story but it will show you just how marvelous Nadya really is. It will also expose just how much I (her foster caregiver) love this cat, after only knowing her for four months. You will fall in love with her, too.
Nadya was a stay living in a colony in Minneapolis when she was brought to Feline Rescue. She was pregnant. Her coat was dull and full of dandruff. She didn't make a peep in the car ride to her foster home. Once in her new surroundings, she hid for about a half hour and then decided that she was over the shock of being inside. She purred for me, a deep, happy, rich purr. She flopped over, exposing her basketball sized belly, begging for belly rubs. She sat on my lap. She was so happy.
After almost three weeks of waiting, Nadya gave birth to six kittens, one of whom died shortly after birth. A day later, two orphaned kittens, only a week old, were in desperate need of a nursing momma as they refused to take to bottle feeding. I brought them into Nadya's room. She knew something was up. I took them out of the carrier and began to rub them with Nadya's blanket, to help disguise their foreign smell. They started crying. Nadya instantly jumped up next to me and began licking the kittens. Once they quieted down, she left. I placed them next to her kennel where the other kittens lay. The orphans began crying again. Nadya ran over, picked each of them up, and carried them into her kennel. They were her kittens from then on. Nadya now had seven kittens to take care of. Her heart grew bigger.
A week later, Nadya developed an incredibly high fever and stopped eating. She nursed her kittens dutifully but would not eat for herself. Her kittens came first, despite how she miserable she felt. She was put on antibiotics and after a week, the fever went down. A few days later, the fever returned. An FIV test was performed. It came back positive. More antibiotics and sub-Q fluids for Nadya for 10 days. A week after her medication regiment was over, her fever came back again. She and the kittens spent three nights at the vet clinic. She continued to nurse and bathe and potty her kittens even though she felt horrible (her ears were so hot!) and was hooked up to an IV.
Nadya is FIV positive. The jerk who knocked her up bit her (males tend to bite the scruff of the female's neck) and infected her with FIV. FIV is akin to kitty AIDS. It compromises her immune system and makes her more susceptible to illnesses. FIV is not the worst illness to contract. FIV is not something to be feared. It is not that scary. Nadya should live a long life. The worst thing about this diagnosis is that it will scare off good people who want to adopt her. And that breaks my heart.
She is the most wonderful girl. She's had a hard life - the tip of one of her ears is missing due to frostbite; she was on the streets, fending for her life; and, oh, yeah, she has FIV. And despite it all, she purrs. She's happy. She loves to be petted. She loves to play with her kittens. She's a fabulous momma. She's an amazing cat. FIV doesn't define who she is. Nadya's heart does.
If you want to read more about FIV, here are some good sites:
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-tips-shouldnt-fear-fiv-in-cats-feline-immunodeficiency-virus http://www.foha.org/index.php?id=92
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/brochure_fiv.cfm
One thing to note: She is safe around other cats (as long as they have a peaceful relationship). The only way this virus is transmitted is through a bite that breaks the skin. She cannot infect another cat through daily contact or saliva (from licking or drinking from the same water bowl).
Nadya deserves a good home. What she doesn't deserve is FIV. She's an absolutely fabulous girl. I can't stress it enough. She's so sweet. She has a heart of gold. She deserves someone whose heart matches hers. After eating good food for the past few months, her coat is shiny, silky, glossy, smooth, and fabulous. Come meet Nadya and see just how beautiful she is, inside and out.
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