by Ian Goodbar, Foster Coordinator

For the hundreds of sick animals that we treat every year, each one is a unique medical and behavioral mystery that needs to be solved, and sometimes, the most complicated cases come in the smallest of packages.

That was true for Jeordie, a Lynx Point Siamese cat, who was transported to Berkeley Humane in September 2021. At only 4-months-old he appeared to have a nasty case of conjunctivitis. The skin around his eyes was badly irritated, which was not out of the ordinary for a young kitten living on the streets. We treated him with medicated eye drops and expected it to clear up in a matter of days.

Unfortunately, his symptoms didn’t improve, and even seemed to get worse. The redness around his eyes spread all over from his ears to his toes, his skin became crusty and he began losing his hair. He spent most of his days hiding away, and while he always took his medication like a champ, he never really opened up to our volunteers or staff. We soon realized that his behavior was being affected by a rare chronic allergy. After weeks of trial and error, we finally found a special prescription hypoallergenic diet and daily allergy medicine, an immunosuppressing drug called Atopica, that worked for him.

His gorgeous white fur and striking blue eyes were now as clear as day. Not only did his redness disappear, he began to act like a normal kitten! His sweet, playful side was starting to shine through.

Jeordie’s new care regimen would include a monthly injection to keep his skin condition from recurring, which is not something most adopters are willing to take on. We knew it could take a long time to find the right match, so he was the perfect candidate for our Foster to Family program. After 6 months of love and care in a foster home, he was finally adopted by a new family—which included a veterinarian, so now he will receive expert care for the rest of his life!

We never know what to expect when the next animal comes through our doors. It’s only because of support from donors like you that we have the resources to solve these medical mysteries and set them up for long, happy, and healthy lives.