Happy tabby Mr. Red already won the
lottery
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/07/07
Six months ago, Mr. Red was sitting in a
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Georgia Lottery |
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Mr. Red found a great home with a |
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MAILEY
MCLAUGHLIN/Atlanta Humane Society |
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Callie, a 4-month-old spayed treeing walker hound, is a
sweet puppy who was transferred to the Atlanta Humane Society from a shelter
in |
Today the large ginger tabby is the adored pet of Arlene
and Irvin Gunter of
"He just has so much personality, I knew it would
come through in his photos," said Arlene Gunter, who was working at Furkids, a no-kill cat shelter, last year when she fell in
love with Mr. Red.
Not that Gunter was the only one who loved the big guy.
Mr. Red has a habit of begging to be picked up, then wrapping his paws around a
person's neck in a big cat hug.
"He was the shelter favorite," said Samantha
Shelton, founder of Furkids. "Everybody loved
Mr. Red."
So why was such a popular and lovable guy still available
months after arriving at Furkids? Because
Mr. Red also has FIV.
"So many vets, when they find out a cat has FIV,
recommend euthanasia, and a lot of shelters put a cat down if they test
positive for FIV,"
FIV is an immunodeficiency virus, similar to the human
HIV virus, so many people are afraid to adopt FIV-positive cats, or mix them
with unaffected cats.
But Dr. Melinda Merck, a veterinarian who specializes in
felines and animal forensics, said people shouldn't be scared off by FIV.
"People can't get it, and it's not spread by casual
contact between cats," Merck said. "It's only spread through major
bites, like those that leave an abscess."
Merck said that when she owned the Cat Clinic of Roswell,
they kept two uninfected female cats with five infected males for a year.
Although the cats didn't always get along, she said neither of the females
contracted FIV.
"Cats with FIV are usually pretty healthy, and often
live for more than 10 years before getting sick," Merck said.
"We've had people drive from
The shelter has a room for 15 FIV-positive cats. Shelton
said they usually don't require more than a yearly checkup, although Merck said
because they have FIV, if they come down with a cold or some other illness,
owners should take them to the vet immediately to get it treated, rather than
waiting to see if it will run its course.
Arlene Gunter said that Mr. Red had an ear infection when
they adopted him in June, but since it cleared up, he's been fine. The big guy
loves to play with water, so they keep a tub on the deck for him to splash
around in when it's warm. He also loves games of chase, and spends every night
snuggled in Irvin's lap while they watch TV together.
"He's like an adopted son to him," Arlene said.
The couple are excited that Mr.
Red was chosen to be on a $2 scratch-off lottery ticket. Lottery officials
picked 15 cats and 15 dogs this summer out of the hundreds of entries submitted
by doting owners statewide. The public then voted on the final five winners in
each category to be featured on Fat Cat and Lucky Dog tickets.
Gunter said she hopes some of Mr. Red's luck at finally
finding a loving home rubs off on people who buy his lottery ticket. But she
said they feel like they've already hit the jackpot with their new feline
friend. "He's got these huge paws and this big fat head," Gunter
said. "He's just so cute you want to squeeze him."
Go to www.furkids.org
for more information on Furkids.
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/printedition/2007/01/07/slpetdish0107a.html