Cedric & Leon; the Exceptionally Cute Exotic Duo

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Our Story

I have always preferred cats over dogs; there's something about the independent nature of cats that I really admire. They choose to form a bond, not do so out of necessity. I'd always had cats growing up but became enamored with the Persian breed when I about 10 or 12. Ever since then, smoosh faced kitties have always had a special place in my heart. When Exotic Shorthairs (essentially short haired Persians) began to gain popularity, I knew I wanted one (or 10) and decided I'd adopt one if he or she became available in my area. I was especially fond of bi-colors, and began to look for a male bi-color. Females tend to have more tempestuous relationships when introduced as adults (hence the term "catty") and while I wasn't ruling a female out, I'd rather a male if given the choice. Months went by and the occasional ESH appeared on the rescue boards, but almost always 1000+ miles away with no availability for transport. And then one day, a young male bi-color zot named Skittles was posted a mere 100 miles from me. I immediately submitted an application and was thrilled to be accepted as his official adopter. I adopted Skittles - now Cedric - from a Humane Society shelter in Olivet, Michigan. Due to my work schedule, a dear friend make the trek to fetch him for me and bring him home. It was then I learned a few undisclosed things about my new little guy. He was front paw declawed =( which had not been included in his bio. While I had been told that he was prone to UTIs having had a few occurrences that required hospital stays in his short life already, I was NOT told that he suffered from some sort of seizure disorder in which he became disoriented and appeared to also become temporarily blind. I rushed him to emergency vet at 2am just 4 days after bringing him home, where he was given chest x-rays and albuterol treatments. Initially the vet thought he might have CHM or some other lethal condition, but his x-rays looked good and the albuterol slowed his fast/shallow breathing and he relaxed a bit. He went to a regular vet shortly after this incident for a complete checkup - where he was declared healthy with pristine bloodwork and no physical signs of issue. The vet suggested I get an appointment with a neurologist as he suspected Cedric's condition was something neurological. The specialist didn't have availability right away, so in the mean time I decided to do some research. I came across something that, despite being a cat owner for literally my whole life, I did not know. Cats are OBLIGATE carnivores - that is to say, they MUST consume a wholly carnivorous diet to reach their best health. They also lack a "thirst drive" and typically dehydrate themselves when their diet lacks the proper moisture. I had fed kibble to my cats always and it was pretty shocking to hear that it was the equivalent of feeding them cheap junk food for every meal. Imagine how you'd feel if you ate fast food every meal; you'd survive but you'd hardly thrive. You'd feel awful! I began to research more appropriate diets. Even grain free kibble was barely a hair better than grocery store kibble. I thought perhaps wet food was the best choice - and while certainly better than kibble, it still doesn't quite give them everything they need. That's when I discovered the art of feeding a balanced wholly raw diet. I immediately put together a program for Cedric and began to supplement his regular wet food (being prone to UTIs, he'd been off kibble since kittenhood) with fresh meats and the occasional egg yolk for a treat. He was SERIOUSLY interested, so we made the plunge to a fully raw balanced diet. The change is astounding. He's been with me for a year at the time of writing this (April 2017) and not once has he had a recurrence of UTI. Also, his episodes have COMPLETELY CEASED. This all occurred before we could even see the neurologist! His energy is up, he has an amazing personality and he is thick and plushy like a Persian type should be. Raw meals should be balanced 80/10/5/5 (with small adjustments to best suit the individual) consisting of 80% protein, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ. A typical 80/10/5/5 meal for Cedric (fed twice daily) consists of approximately 55 grams of protein in the form of beef, chicken, pork, salmon or rabbit; 4 grams of liver, 4 grams of kidney and 8 grams of ground chicken bone. I use the ground bone because of his flat face, it's easier for him to eat. I give an egg yolk once a week, and any non beef meals are supplemented with 50mg of Taurine powder (a critical part of a cat's diet). His improvements have been mind blowing. If you have cats, I would absolutely 100% recommend a raw diet. If you don't have the time to balance and assemble the meals yourself, balanced grinds can be purchased and fed out of the container. I bought a vacuum sealer and a digital kitchen scale and once a month I spend an afternoon prepping his meals for the next 30 days. I freeze them and then defrost 12 hours ahead of meal time. You may be thinking I had loads of free time - let me assure you, I DO NOT. I have a regular full time job, attend school for my Bachelors, and run a side gig making custom vinyl graphics, painting houses and assembling industrial lamps to order. I'm also finishing my own house and building a project car. So I'm definitely sleep deprived, but not because of the raw diet prep! It's also affordable; $50 shipped enough organs and bone to my door to last about 4 months, the meat I buy from my local grocer on sale although you could also buy it in bulk or order from the raw sources as well. It costs less than the wet food diet! If you're interested in learning more for yourself, I encourage you to Google raw feeding cats (or dogs, as they also do far better on a balanced raw diet compared to kibble) and consider joining the Facebook group The Raw Feeding Community. I can only surmise that Skittles - now Cedric - was ditched because of his health problems and his previous family could not afford his care. He came into my life and cemented himself firmly in, and we found a way to give him the best life possible that didn't involve thousands of dollars out of pocket and a continual cycle of illnesses and hospitalizations. He is an absolute joy and we wouldn't give him up for the world. Thanks for reading! >^.^

Update June 2018: Cedric is doing wonderfully! He had a recurrence of his episodes when I ran out of raw some months ago and had to feed canned while I waited on the order. I believe something in processed foods affects him quite badly, perhaps a preservative? Since returning him to his wholly raw diet, he has been episode free. I am more careful about keeping my freezer stocked now. I am uncertain if these episodes are painful or simply unpleasant, but I do not wish to see him experience them.

I have also switched his older brother and sister over to raw in the past 6 months as well, and everyone is happy and healthy. My oldest is a Persian who turned 16 this year - the breed is not known for longevity, so that’s actually a pretty remarkable age. And while he’s a bit thin, he is still in good physical shape. I also give him glucosamine vitamins, and while I think he may be approaching senility, he’s doing well with his mobility. My female, who is 4, also experienced a UTI when on the dry food. No issues since switching her over to the raw (although she’s a bit picky and gets a spoonful of canned in hers as well). Since my schedule has not relented in the time since my last update, I moved everyone to balanced grinds from My Pet Carnivore, which they have been thriving on.

They are all active and sassy, and Cedric’s amazing personality continues to shine. I admit to him being my favorite, and since he’s a cuddler and a hugger, it’s easy to see why. If you are considering the breed, I have been told that they are all carefree like he is, and I will continue to have ESHs as long as I’m capable of care-taking kitties.

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