Amir

My story

Amir is a stunning medium length-haired orange kitten with a heartwarming story of resilience. This little warrior had a rough start—rescued from the streets with a nasty cold and an eye infection. His journey wasn’t easy. A well-meaning community member accidentally administered his oral medication into his eyes, causing complications that could have left him blind. Thankfully, we stepped in just in time, and Amir fully recovered! Just when things were looking up, Amir faced another life-threatening challenge. At just 1 pound, he struggled to breathe and needed emergency surgery for a diaphragmatic hernia. During the procedure, his tiny heart stopped for 9 seconds—but this little fighter wasn’t ready to give up! He made a miraculous recovery. However, during surgery, he also developed an eye ulcer. While he can still see just fine, his veterinarian is currently treating the issue. After the surgery, we noticed a small divot below Amir’s rib cage. Initially, his veterinarian suspected pneumonia, but when it didn’t clear up, further evaluation led to a new diagnosis. This diagnosis was pectus excavatum, a condition where his chest is slightly sunken in not very noticable un less you really look close. This is making it harder for him to take large breaths so he takes smaller breaths more frequently so you can normally see his chests move up and down more so then a normal cat.. Given his medical history, we consulted two veterinarians, who both agreed that surgery would be far too risky—he might not survive the procedure. Since we didnt opt to do the surgery, Amir is expected to have about eight good years and then his health might start to decline, his heart may start to struggle and might need heart medication due to the extra work it takes to breathe. Despite this, he doesn’t let anything slow him down! He runs, plays, and wrestles with other kittens, having learned to pace himself and take breaks when needed. Some Drs. tell us some people go their entire lifes not knowing their  cats have pectus excavatum so with us knowing he has it we can closely monitor if there is any concerns and know what action is needed if he was to decline. One thing that makes Amir extra special? He’s a HUGE cuddler and a total purr machine! If you’re looking for a kitten who will snuggle with you for hours, let you carry him around like a baby, and be your constant companion, Amir is your perfect match! Amir is leash trained. He likes to go outside and explore on a leash and he is use to being around dogs including small puppy. Amir needs to go to a home with another cat his age or be adopted with  his best friend Sylvestra —he will cry if he’s left alone without feline friends or human companion. Amir really loves his good friend Sylvestra and would love to be adopted with her. It seems that with her journey if we can give him one constant Sylvestra would be a awesome gift to give him to be able to be together for ever. Most Common Question about Amir:  What dangers can he face in our home with his condition? Pectus excavatum is his main challenge.  His chest is slightly compressed, which can make breathing a bit harder for him. Some risks in the future are: Overexertion – Amir has learned to pace himself, but too much intense play without breaks could cause him to tire out faster than other kittens. He may need a little encouragement to rest if he gets too excited. However in his foster home he acts like your normal kitten his age and foster never stops him from playing. Respiratory Infections – Since his chest shape affects his breathing, severe respiratory infections (like pneumonia) could be harder on him than a typical kitten. Keeping him in a clean environment and watching for signs of congestion is important. Long-Term Heart Strain – Over time (many years down the road), his heart may have to work harder, so regular vet checkups will be key to monitoring his health and he might need heart medication when he gets old. Update: 4-23-2025 Amir was adopted along with his best friend Bixby and spent four weeks in what we hoped would be their forever home. Sadly, the resident cat there didn’t get along with Amir, despite Amir's only wish being to play and make friends. Because of the ongoing tension, Amir and Bixby were returned to us and are available again. Soon after returning, there was renewed interest in adopting the pair, and a meet-and-greet was scheduled. Unfortunately, just a day before their appointment, Amir suddenly developed acute gastrointestinal inflammation and had to be hospitalized for two nights. As a result, all meet-and-greets had to be canceled. It took nearly 10 days of tests and monitoring to determine what was going on, but thankfully, all results came back normal. During this time, we made the tough decision to separate Amir from Bixby so she could move forward with her adoption, as she remained healthy and ready for a home. Now, a few weeks later. He’s gained back the weight he lost while on a special low-fat diet, and his energy has returned. He’s even made a new friend—Sylvestra, a sweet long hair tuxedo kitten currently undergoing FIP treatment that ends on June 16th. . The two have become great companions, offering each other comfort and playful companionship and have the zoomies together, clean each other and call for each other. Amir is once again available for adoption. While we know his time with us may not be as long as we wish but he may surprise us all and live a very long life —due to his underlying health challenges—he has shown us what a true survivor he is. Amir is a miracle kitten, full of love and resilience. He greets you by rolling onto his back, belly up, asking for rubs 90% of the time you walk up to him. He LOVES cuddling and just being near people. Did you know we wrote a song for him have your heared his song yet? Now, he’s waiting for a special family to open their hearts and give him the love he so deserves. Could that be you? That said, Amir is currently thriving—he plays, snuggles, and lives like any other kitten! He just needs a loving adopter who understands his condition and is willing to give him the best quality of life possible while he is here with us. Amir has started leash training! He’s doing great so far—comfortable in his harness and practicing daily walks outside. He isn't expected to have huge medical bills but with him we never know just like with any other cat anything can happen. His only ongoing care is extra daily L-lysine supplement easily purchased on Amazon and b-12 vitamin also easily purchased on Amazon. Both supplements are put in his breakfast meal and he eats them on his own. Prior to adoption, all kittens are spayed/neutered, tested for FIV/FEL Amir is negative, vaccinated and microchipped. Kittens under 5 months old must be adopted with a buddy or into a house where there's a kitten-friendly pet. This kitten is currently in a foster home. To meet this kitten, please fill out an adoption application so that we'll have your contact information, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. www.thedancingcat.org/adoptMay 22, 2025, 3:09 pm

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Amir, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.