The black cat who came to us in June 2008 had a fractured eye socket and a veritable patchwork of scars around his head, neck and tail. Clearly he had been through plenty in his 10 years on this planet, but the last two were probably the hardest for this sweet soul. Because they had been spent in a cage.

So cramped was his confinement that he had no room to groom himself, leaving his fur so badly matted no brush could penetrate. So long was his confinement that lack of exercise had made him obese. So cruel was his confinement that an injured, untreated eye had become infected. And his teeth were worn to rounded nubs from fruitless attempts to chew his way out of life behind bars.

What was the reason for this imprisonment, you might ask? “Blackie,” as he was then known, was FIV+.

FIV, essentially the feline equivalent of HIV, is unfairly feared by many. Primarily transmitted by bite wounds, it is a disease of the free-roaming unneutered street cat vying for territory, not the happy, indoor fellow with stability and security.

Which is just what Blackie became at our sanctuary. His coat grew back, his weight dropped to healthy range, his eye responded to medical treatment and TLC. He even made friends with a loner cat named Maggie who had never let any other roommate snuggle with her. He fairly exuded the joy of liberation.

So we named him for a special person who also was once imprisoned. And that is how Blackie became Mandela.

Today he greets every visitor to his room and never misses an opportunity to curl up in a lap. Please greet him back and become his sponsor today.

Sponsor Me Now! 

For more information about FIV: www.vet.cornell.edu