Basil & Watson

Below is a slice of daily routine and life with Basil and Watson.

Watson (formerly Sammy)

We first found Watson on Petfinder and instantly fell in love with him. We drove a little over three hours to RAIN Rescue to bring him home, and he has been part of the family ever since.

A few weeks after we adopted him, we noticed he started having trouble controlling his bladder. Not long after that, he also lost control of his bowel movements. After several vet visits and meeting with a pet neurologist, Watson was diagnosed with FIP. Thankfully, we were able to get him the antiviral treatment that saved his life.

While the treatment beat the virus, it couldn’t undo all of the damage. Watson has some lasting neurological issues, so he sways when he walks and still needs help going to the bathroom. Even with all of that, he has never let it slow him down. He is one of the sweetest cats you could ever meet. His favorite hobbies are getting pets, watching Star Trek with mummy and daddy, and reminding everyone that personal space is optional.

Basil (formerly Surprise)

Not long after adopting Watson, my girlfriend and I were back on Petfinder looking at cats when Basil caught our attention. We learned that, as a kitten, he had been attacked by another animal and was left paralyzed from the waist down.

We had already gotten used to caring for Watson and had everything set up to care for a special-needs cat. We knew we could give Basil the care he needed, so we made another trip to RAIN and brought him home.

Basil needs help getting around and going to the bathroom every day, but he has a huge personality. He’s definitely our grumpy cat. He likes to act tough, and every now and then he’ll remind us, and our mastiff, with a swipe of his paw who’s really in charge. But underneath all that attitude is an adorable cat who has completely won us over.