Life had not been kind to Levi, the little grey cat who came into the care of Barrie’s Street Cats Rescue last January.
It was clear right away to the volunteers that something wasn’t quite right.
“He was an odd fellow from the start," explained executive director Carol Snow.
Levi was infected by feline infectious peronitis, or FIP, which is a deadly and historically incurable disease, she added.
Street Cats volunteers heard about a drug trial happening in Ontario, so Levi was enrolled in the program.
“The financial impact for us was huge, but we knew we had to try. The cure rates in these studies has been staggeringly high, but Levi had neurological FIP, which meant his nervous system was affected making him harder to treat," Snow said.
As fate would have it, an animal sanctuary in Wyebridge happened to be looking for a barn cat to add to its furry family.
Ralphy’s Retreat Animal Sanctuary is a not-for-profit organization that cares for a variety of abused, abandoned or disabled animals — from horses to pigs, donkeys, turkeys and rabbits.
Sanctuary manager Shannon Leguizamon says one of their volunteers was also a supporter of Street Cats and made the introduction.
"We were told about Levi’s condition and the fact he was completely cured thanks to the experimental treatment," Leguizamon said. "So, on Nov. 10, Levi came to his new home. He is completely fine and off of all medications. His only issue is he doesn’t have complete control of his bowels, but that’s not such a big deal for a barn cat.”
Currently, Levi is crated and kept separate from the other animals as he gets used to barn sounds.
“We have a horse and a donkey with no eyes," Leguizamon said. "We have many pot-bellied pigs who were people's pets and then were abandoned. Some of our animals are sick, some are shy, but all of them are loved and cared for. Levi is going to fit right in.”
Levi has a great prognosis. His lifespan should be similar to any other cat.
There may be other opportunities for Ralphy’s to partner with Street Cats in the future.
Leguizamon called it “an absolute joy to meet and collaborate with the Barrie cat rescue team.”
As for Levi’s future...
“I see him living out a very happy life playing and cuddling with the other animals," she said. "He won’t be forgotten in a barn. He will be offered tons of love by all our volunteers.
"Levi is already a blessing for us — a barn cat that loves to be loved.”
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