Otitis was a regular house cat who spent most of his life with the same household until he acquired cysts in his ears. The cysts were causing Otitis a lot of agony, and his family couldn’t afford to get his ears removed, so they had to put him down.
They gave Otitis to the Feline Rescue Association of Baltimore, where volunteers were able to gather enough money for him to have surgery. Otitis spent time with a foster home while waiting for his ears to be removed and healing, and they were shocked at what a different cat he became after he was no longer in pain.
“His foster family told me that he was in so much pain with his cysts that he never played and moved as minimally as possible,” Molly Lichtenwalner, Otitis’s new mom, told The Dodo. “Now he’s constantly running around and playing and loving life, so much happier without his ears.”
When Lichtenwalner eventually got her own pet, she knew he or she would be an animal who required a little more love and attention. She grew up with a deaf sheepdog and understands how lovely it is to have a special needs pet.
“I knew Otitis was the right cat for me when I saw him,” Lichtenwalner said. “He was an elderly, special-needs cat that I knew desperately needed a home and affection, which I knew I could provide. I subsequently learned that several people inquired about him, but no one actually applied for him – I was the first.”
Due to his ear removal, Otitis is now deaf, but that hasn’t slowed him down at all. The 10-year-old cat is still as loving and playful as ever, especially now that he’s happy and pain-free in his new home.
“He has a very sassy but loving attitude,” Lichtenwalner said. “He loves to play, but also loves to just snuggle up in bed and lay on your chest and purr all night long. He just absolutely adores people.”
Otitis resembles a seal because to his white fur and absence of ears…
The fact that Otitis has no ears isn’t the only thing that distinguishes him. Otitis is a very sensitive cat as a result of everything he’s gone through, and he can always tell when his mother is depressed or going through a difficult time.
“I awoke from a nightmare one night to find Otitis lying on my pillow,” Lichtenwalner stated. “My heart was racing, and Otitis could see I wasn’t feeling well. He moved off his cushion and onto my chest, where he dozed until my heartbeat returned to normal before returning to his pillow. It’s astonishing how sensitive he is to my emotions.”
Otitis enjoys being at his mother’s side to console her and is always willing to assist her in any way he can, just like she did for him by giving him a second opportunity.
“He is without a doubt the finest thing that has ever occurred to me,” stated Lichtenwalner.
