We adopted Teus (pronounced TAY-us) from the New York State SPCA as a teeny, tiny kitten and loved him immediately. After about a year he started having what we thought were behavioral problems regarding the litter box, but we dealt with them and just kept trying to figure out what was going on. My husband and I moved to Minnesota to start graduate school and things escalated - Teus could no longer defecate on his own, and we were taking him to the vet several times a week at the end - his bloodwork was normal, and no one could figure out what was wrong. Finally our vets - WONDERFUL people - read an article on perineal hernia repair, something more common in dogs but very rare in cats. Basically, this means the end of his colon had formed pockets, and things were getting "stuck." We tearfully left Teus at the hospital for surgery, but it went really well and he is now able to go like a normal kitty! It still makes me cry to think about it - we love him so very much. He sleeps on my head at night and purrs loudly, and loves to chew on catnip bananas and play with tiny sparkle balls.

Heidi Miller
Minneapolis, MN