Hopalong Cassidy was born missing a bone in each of his front legs, creating very short front legs with inturned paws. We do not know if Hopalong has siblings, but Hopalong was released, by himself, to the Everett Animal Shelter where he would have been immediately euthanized because of his disability.
Fortunately for him, Purrfect Pals, a no-kill shelter out of Arlington, saw him and rescued him. Hopalong immediately became a hit with everyone who met him, including me.
Since I knew Hopalong's foster mom (I'm a foster myself), I've known him basically his entire life. He was only about 8weeks old when we rescued him. It soon became apparent that I could not bear to see Hopalong adopted to a home where we would never know his fate. So...I adopted him. He is now three years old and doing great.
He has adapted so well to his deformity that people often don't realize he is disabled until after they begin petting him. He is able to walk, run (although not QUITE as fast as the other cats), and jump. He often sits with his arms up on the bars under a chair to relieve back tension, and can often be seen standing on his back legs only, in a prarie dog fashion. This allows him to see what is going on from "normal" cat height, since his short little legs only allow his head to be about 4" from the ground normally. When playing, Hopalong can walk several feet on his back feet alone. With his bent paws, he often looks like he's a boxer hitting his punching bag.
Celebrity Kitty
For his first few years, Hopalong attended many social functions as a shelter alumni, raising awareness of the TRULY no-kill philosophy that Purrfect Pals has. He is SO incredibly social, unlike most cats. He walks around curiously on his harness, walking right up to strangers and begging to be held or petted. And WHO can say "no" to such an outgoing guy? Once he had grown out of his kitten energy, he decided that such events are much easier when being carried around in his pet snugli! Hopalong became a local celebrity with people remembering him from prior adoption events, cat shows, trade shows or parades, where he eagerly posed for his fans from the window of our yellow "kitty car".
Hoppy won "Mr. Personality" twice and "Most Well Behaved" once at the Average Joe Cat Show and was also recognized with a special ribbon just for being such a star. Unlike most of the cats there, he never spent more than 5 minutes in his kennel. He was too busy wandering around, attracting a crowd instantly wherever he stopped.
Hopalong, of course, is an indoor only kitty (all of my kitties are). While he gets along just fine, he wouldn't stand a chance against ill-intentioned animals or cruel people, or any of the other dangers of the outside world. Hopalong leaves the house only when he is securely harnessed and with me by his side at all times.
Hoppy retired from show business in early 2008. :) He may venture into the "therapy kitty" business in the near future, since Mom now works at a homeless shelter. For now, he spends his days lounging around the house, sitting on the dining room chairs with his arms resting on the table, engaging in "conversation" with the humans. He still enjoys hanging out with his buddy Tink, but at least the chaos is a little less now that they're both older. He still enjoys clamouring up to any guests that arrive at the house - whether he's known them for eternity or met them two seconds ago. A warm lap is a warm lap. Hoppy doesn't discriminate.
Hopalong Cassidy was born missing a bone in each of his front legs, creating very short front legs with inturned paws. We do not know if Hopalong has siblings, but Hopalong was released, by himself, to the Everett Animal Shelter where he would have been immediately euthanized because of his disability.
Fortunately for him, Purrfect Pals, a no-kill shelter out of Arlington, saw him and rescued him. Hopalong immediately became a hit with everyone who met him, including me.
Since I knew Hopalong's foster mom (I'm a foster myself), I've known him basically his entire life. He was only about 8weeks old when we rescued him. It soon became apparent that I could not bear to see Hopalong adopted to a home where we would never know his fate. So...I adopted him. He is now three years old and doing great.
He has adapted so well to his deformity that people often don't realize he is disabled until after they begin petting him. He is able to walk, run (although not QUITE as fast as the other cats), and jump. He often sits with his arms up on the bars under a chair to relieve back tension, and can often be seen standing on his back legs only, in a prarie dog fashion. This allows him to see what is going on from "normal" cat height, since his short little legs only allow his head to be about 4" from the ground normally. When playing, Hopalong can walk several feet on his back feet alone. With his bent paws, he often looks like he's a boxer hitting his punching bag.
For his first few years, Hopalong attended many social functions as a shelter alumni, raising awareness of the TRULY no-kill philosophy that Purrfect Pals has. He is SO incredibly social, unlike most cats. He walks around curiously on his harness, walking right up to strangers and begging to be held or petted. And WHO can say "no" to such an outgoing guy? Once he had grown out of his kitten energy, he decided that such events are much easier when being carried around in his pet snugli! Hopalong became a local celebrity with people remembering him from prior adoption events, cat shows, trade shows or parades, where he eagerly posed for his fans from the window of our yellow "kitty car".
Hoppy won "Mr. Personality" twice and "Most Well Behaved" once at the Average Joe Cat Show and was also recognized with a special ribbon just for being such a star. Unlike most of the cats there, he never spent more than 5 minutes in his kennel. He was too busy wandering around, attracting a crowd instantly wherever he stopped.
Hopalong, of course, is an indoor only kitty (all of my kitties are). While he gets along just fine, he wouldn't stand a chance against ill-intentioned animals or cruel people, or any of the other dangers of the outside world. Hopalong leaves the house only when he is securely harnessed and with me by his side at all times.
Hoppy retired from show business in early 2008. :) He may venture into the "therapy kitty" business in the near future, since Mom now works at a homeless shelter. For now, he spends his days lounging around the house, sitting on the dining room chairs with his arms resting on the table, engaging in "conversation" with the humans. He still enjoys hanging out with his buddy Tink, but at least the chaos is a little less now that they're both older. He still enjoys clamouring up to any guests that arrive at the house - whether he's known them for eternity or met them two seconds ago. A warm lap is a warm lap. Hoppy doesn't discriminate.