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Buster
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ridiculously gentle and cuddly, my little Buster is more than your “normal” special. Buster has permanent nerve damage (causes unknown) such that he’s incontinent (so has to wear diapers) and can’t really walk with his back legs. But does he care? NOT ONE BIT. Buster is the happiest little guy I’ve ever met. He uses his upper body strength to climb couches and the bed, he “chases” my other cats, he constantly instigates play fighting with them as well… in other words, in most ways he’s your normal, scrumptiously happy and loving kitten. He has brought LOADS of joy and love to our home and we feel blessed to have him! As my friend said, Buster is SO CUTE IT HURTS!
65 Comments »
Happy New Year!
Oh, Buster - you could steal a nurse’s heart! Don’t worry about the diapers - June Allyson made a fortune wearing Depends!
What a precious little guy. I love the wide eyes & folded paws — & he seems to have just clawed his way out of that box to say “Hi, here I am!” Bless you for giving him a happy home.
Happy New Year Buster and all the TDKers!!!!
You are one cutie pie kitty!!!
What a lucky cat to have found just the right person for him. He’s a great looking boy. I once had an old barn cat, whom I named Buster, come into my life, he was flea ridden, battle scarred, but just the happiest cat imaginable when he finally got to be an indoor cat. He showed up with a huge head wound one day (I’d gotten him a flea collar and had been feeding him for months) and rushed him to the vet’s office. The vet informed me I would have to keep hi8m indoors for a month, that I would have to clean his wound twice a day, that I would have to give him baths for a skin condition he had. I said “He’s not really my cat.” The vet just smiled at me and then told me he was going to also give me some drops for his bad eye, then looked closely at Buster, and told me I’d better put some in his good eye as well. I thought Buster would explode with purring, he was so thrilled to be indoors. I bathed him in the sink using the squirt hose, and he loved it, probably felt like a good massage to him. He was very old when he came to us and we only hd his company for two years before he succumbed to cancer, but he is still a lovely memory. Good luck with you Buster.
What a beautiful tribute to your Buster. Thank you for sharing it with us!
ABSOLUTELY! Thank you for sharing your tribute to BUSTER… and that sweet BUSTER above… he’s incredible…. and man is he a lucky kitty-baby! You are an incredible Mommy! Both of you…. Love to you all in the New Year…… JESSE JAMES’ MOM (and Holly, Maggie May, Bullet Bob, Sassy May, Penny May & Connie May)’s MOM TOO! Our life is so enriched because of these sweethearts!
What a cute little face - you can just see he is saying ‘I love you!’. Buster is just the kitty we need to start off the New Year!
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Buster is a cutie pie. Rarely seen such a sweet face. *smooches* He is also a perfect spokescat for the other ’special’ kits out there. Remember, peeps, a special kit may be the best companion you’ll ever get!
Who me? FUZZ
Overcoming adversity FUZZ
What a wonderful way to start the new year!!!! Buster is such a handsome kitty. Thank you for taking such good care of him. He deserves a home like the one you gave him!!!! I just adore him!!!
Awwwwwwww, little Buster is a cutie. How wondeful that he found such a loving home. Sounds like he’s thriving. Hugs to Buster boy!
Way to go, Buster! What a handsome little guy. Cats are amazingly resilient and Buster is living proof! God bless you for the little “extra” effort in his care — I know Buster will bring you much joy for many years!
Happy New Year Everyone!
Buster is happy because he found the perfect family and understands unconditional love. He certainly is handsome and his little face helped make my New Years morning even better.
Happy New Years to one and all - may this be a year filled with health, happiness and no unsurmountable burdens.
So very sweet!! Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! Thank God Buster found your home to live happily regardless of his challenges. We know what most would have done but God Bless you for your kindness and courage. Virtues not to be taken lightly. Purrrrrrr to Buster!
What a sweetie Buster is! he looks so happy and full of mischief.
I’ll bet he gives the other cats a run for their money .
I love Buster sooo much! Thank you for being his family!
Perfect story, perfect cat, perfect way to start the New Year!
What a wonderful face! He sure looks ready to give and receive some loving.
Happy New Year, everybody!
What a precious kitten, and great photo popping out from the box.
Happy New Year!
Im so glad you took in this kitten. He may improve. I volunteer as a receptionist at a veterinary hospital. A couple of years ago someone brought us a tiny abandoned kitten who could only drag his back legs behind him.
Over the course of a year or so he improved enough to be adopted by one of our vet assistants who knew how to express his bladder. He became “housebroken” eventually and able to ruin…if he walked, his hind legs would wobble and he’d fall over, so he ran everywhere.
He’s doing very well and is quite a character, and he grew up to be a big beautiful orange tabby. I’m glad we gave him a chance.
Hopefully your kitten’s condition will also improve as time goes on.
Thanks so much for you words of encouragement. I’m so blown away by how MANY responses of encouragement Buster’s innocent face has generated. Talk about humbling. In response to your comment re improving….he does seem to have SOME level of improvement in how his hind legs work. From time to time he actually brings his feet forward and take a few ‘normal’ steps but it seems to take a great deal of concentration for this to happen. And when it does his legs are obviously lacking the muscular development to hold his back end up properly. And so he’ll only take a few steps in this manner before he reverts back to the ‘easier’ way for him to move. But it’s always heartening to see any little improvement. Admittedly I’d be thrilled if he gained control over his bowel etc but if not, so beit. I’m also hoping that he’ll be accepted as a therapy cat one day (they only take animals that are over a year old). I’ve applied but they won’t evaluate him until September (so cross your fingers). Again, thanks to you and EVERYONE for your words of encouragement. He’s a special guy with a huge heart and a loving manner. He’s already brought so many smiles and so much joy to everyone that meets him. One nice thing about being diapered….I can bring him every where I go!
I know how you feel about the sweet and generous comments we receive for our “children.” I have attached the blog on our JESSE JAMES. He was one of a kind! Best wishes to you and your sweet BUSTER in the new year. Again, thanks for your willingness to be a “special needs Mom.” You are incredible and are deserving of a round of MEOWS, MEOWS, MEOWS, MEOWS!!!!
http://www.dailykitten.com/archives/556-Jesse-James.html#comments
What a sweet wide eyed kitty,I’m so glad he found such a good home.
I want to know where one gets kitty sized diapers? Do you just use the ones intended for preemie humans?
No need for them here, just curious.
By the way, Buster is adorable! And I know from the quiz in the Kittenwar book that I find cats who are inside something the cutest.
Check out this site: http://www.petdiapers.com/
thank you just what we need for a trip.
When I took Buster in I was lucky enough to have a caring friend who found a blog maintained by gentlement in Malaysia who has a cat with the same issue as Buster (please go to the URL http://ngothyeaun.blogspot.com/ to introduce yourself to an AMAZING human being who has dedicated his life to helping animals). I found his email addy and he immediately contacted me with loads of insight and helpful ideas. As a result I found that your average human baby diapers work perfectly. Even using ‘newborn’ sized diapers, they were WAY to huge for a 2 month old Buster. So there were some accidents from time to time (when he slid out of the diaper). But now the ‘newborn’ size is perfect for him. And as he grows I’ll just get larger sized diapers. Mind you every week I have to sit for an hour and cut out a small hole for Buster’s tail to go through, but it’s just become habit and the best part is I can pick the diapers up at any grocery store. And I also use your normal baby wipes to clean Buster between diapers. Being I never wanted to have children I find it ironic that I’m a diaper-changing mom of a different sort now!
It’s nice to know there are still a few nice people around. Who could turn their back on such a cute little kitten ?
Does Buster have a bit of Maine Coon in him? That snorgable muzzle! I just want to take it and give him a kiss.
Buster’s mom is a street cat that is your average brown tabby girl with white markings - and his dad is either the local brown tabby Tom cat, or the local big grey tabby Tom cat. They are all part of a colony of cats that live in a small neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario (Canada). I’ve been trying to get the adults spayed/neutered and am half way done but of course, in the meantime, the kittens keep coming :(. I’ve tried relentlessly to trap (humanely of course) Buster’s mom but she is a smart one and has evaded every attempt so far. But I’m still trying. I FINALLY was successful trapping the big grey Tom cat, that may be Buster’s dad - he’s now neutered. He’s one of the only two male cats in the colony and he has sired MANY MANY a kitten.
Buster is adorable! You can see the playfulness in his eyes. Thank you for taking care of this very special kitteh. We should all have the inner strength Buster has. Smoochies!
Happy New Year TDKers!!
Happy New Year Buster! You are one GREAT KAT!!
i have a cat that has permanent nerve damage too. she is 3 year & 6 mo. old she cant walk ,i feed and water her all the time . where did you find diapers for the cat?
PetPeepers.com is one possibility. Click the link in my reply to Catwoman.
I replied above to the same type of question but in case you didn’t see it, I simply use newborn sized human diapers. Seriously. I have to cut a hole out for the tail to go through. Email me offline at chroncek@yahoo.ca because I have some info that I can tell you. I have learned alot through trial and error but more importantly I was provided LOADS of incredibly helpful information from a wonderful gentleman in Malaysia who has a cat, named “Alera”, who has the same problem as Buster. So please contact me anytime and I’d love to share more with you.
What do you mean Christmas is over? I’m in the box and ready to go under the tree!
Awww, he’s so cute! It’s so great that he’s so playful! Beautiful kitty.
Awww, what a cutie!
Buster could not be any cuter!!! i love the expression on his face and he’s got gorgeous markings. bless you for taking this special lil guy in and for giving him such a wonderful life!
Special Needs FUZZ = Special Love FUZZ
Buster is a furball of love and blessings.
Oh my Buster, you are just gorgeous and both you and your family are blessed to have each other. What a wonderful way to start the New Year, thank you for sharing Buster with us.
Okay this baby is beautiful and a fighter! I would just love to see him in action! Scaling couches and beds only with his front paws grrrr! He sounds very strong bet his has a wonderfully built torso chest and shoulders that would drive all the female kitties wild and if not that those eyes would definitely have them swooning!
Buster is the perfect New Year Kitty!
Well if you want to see videos….go to You Tube and look under videos for “BustamoveBuster”. My friend just helped me upload a bunch of them recently so you can see him in action!
What a great way to start the year! Hopefully Buster will encourage others to take in special kitties. Don’t worry about the diapers Buster, it just means that you can stay a baby forever. I have no doubt that your family will be especially blessed this year because of you.
Happy New Year
Buster is an addictive kind of cute. Those eyes could melt the snow after a Nor’easter.
A beautiful kit with beautiful people for a staff. Blessings to both. Lil
At last, a kitten in my ‘hood! Buster shure is a handsome boy with his tabby n’ white face and nice white mittens. The perfect New Year’s baby, to teach us all it ain’t about what you can’t do, but what you can, that counts. Cross-town smooches and head bonks to Buster and family.
This baby Buster is adorable! You are so blessed to have each other. Kitties, well, all animals, don’t ever compare themselves to others…they just figure out what they can do and have a blast doing it. We could learn so much just in that one trait. Happy New Year to Buster and his loving family…and all you TDKers!
I never cease to be amazed by how animals who humans may have thought it kinder to put to sleep, cope so well with their disabilities and enjoy their lives. Little Buster definitely starts 2008 off on a positive note!
Special Kitten + Special Cat Lover = Extraordinarily Unforgettable
Mutual Relationship.
May God bless you Buster’s owner - I know it requires alot of extra responsibility (from personal experience).
I applaud your unconditional love and courageous attitude.
Buster’s precious little life is most certainly worth going the extra mile.
A belated Merry Christmas to this baby and all the ones from December 16th thru January 1st. Happy New Year to all!
Buster’s story is admirable. Thank you for giving this cutie a chance.
I wish more people took in cats/kittens with handicaps. My parents have 3. Princess, Mark, and Simon are some of the coolest cats I know.
Happy New Year to all on TDK!
When Buster gets older, you might want to consider a wheeled cart for him. Although more commonly seen with dogs, cats can be fitted for them too. Here’s a link to see Slick, who was the hospital cat at The Cat Doctor for many years. http://www.catdoctor.com/slick/ Buster looks just like an adorable little sweetie and deserves all the love and fun he can squeeze out of life!
Buster is adorable! You are very special people to have taken in this little guy, and are being rewarded for it by him.
Happy New Year!
Buster is precious! What a sweet land lucky baby he is!
Happy New Year TDKers!
Thank you for giving Buster a chance at life–you will be rewarded many times! God Bless!
I also have a special needs cat. I have two little 20 month old sisters, Abigail and Maisie. They were born to a feral mother who died within a couple days of their being born. Their foster mom was terrific, she gave my girls such a wonderful start in life. They are the two sweetest and nicest little girls ever. My Abigail is visually impaired. She was born with an eye infection and lost one eye completely and has very limited vision in her other. The vet thinks she has maybe 5% vision in the one eye. Abbie gets around great and plays. She even likes to fetch her jingle balls. While Abbie isnt as fast and obviously cant see as well as her sister she keeps up as best as she can. She doesnt realize she is handicapped. Whenever shes picked up she purrs. You talk to her she purrs. I was telling a friend about how sweet she is and she said that Abbie was innocent because she has been treated with nothing but love from day one. Even her vet kisses her when he sees her!!!! Maisie is also a darling. Im very lucky to have these two sweet girls.
Well you deserve a major congratulations and loads of kudos yourself! I worked with a cat rescue group and one of the kittens was born with no eyes at all. Regardless, just like your little one, she never realized she was different. She figured her world out by scent and to watch her play was the most amazing and inspiring thing ever. So I ‘get’ where you’re coming from. Abbie is one luck girl and I’ll bet you feel the same way. Numerous people have commented here about how a special animal equals special loving and they are SO right.
You deserve major pats on the back. Rewards are given every day, I’m sure when the love of those “girls” are sent your way! There is nothing sweeter than having a kitty-baby curl up in your lap and look up at you with love and give you a purr…. NOTHING BETTER! Best wishes for the New Year with your “family.” JESSE JAMES’ MOM (and Holly, Maggie May, Bullet Bob, Sassy May, Penny May & Connie May’s) Mom too!
First, blessings upon you for dealing with this little cat’s problems; so many would just put him down.
Second, may I add to those who have said there may be hope for improvement. Many years ago I took riding lessons at a stable in Chicago. A kitten had been stepped on by a horse and was also incontinent and had no use of his hind legs. They didn’t do much for him except feed him and clean his bedding now and then, but that little fella hung on and 6 months later I saw him walking around the stable. I’ll cross my fingers and anything else crossable that Buster has the same good luck and good healing powers.
He is so handsome! I’m gald you are taking such good care of him… he looks like he has so much fun! Bet he loves that empty box! He’s precious and if you wouldnt mind….giving him a great big squeeze for me! ; )
-One cat lover to another
How precious Buster is! He has such a beautiful face with bright, alert eyes. I’ll bet he doesn’t miss a thing!
What a beautiful little kitty. Best of luck to both of you. He is so lucky to have found a home with you. May Buster have many years with you, and may he improve with age.
Sending positive healing energy your way.
Peace, hugs and purrs.