“Years ago, I adopted a pair of Persians, Hunki & Dori,” said Kat. “Yes, they were beautiful to look at but there was so much more to them than purr beauty. Shortly after, I was heartbroken when Dori passed. I looked for a very special cat to fill the huge hole in my heart and ended up with a special-needs kitty, Boogie. Boogie eased not only my heartache, but Hunki’s too as they became snuggle buddies.”
Boogie was born with a spine malformation that left her unable to walk. The neurology veterinary told us, ‘Surgery is not a viable option. It would cause more problems than if her birth defect is left unrepaired.’ So we opted for a mobility cart for challenged animals. Boogie quickly made it clear, she did not like the cart, so we let Boogie be Boogie.”
This special kitty requires extra care. Kat has Boogie on a schedule to stimulate her bladder to empty at least 3 times a day. This is done to reduce urinary infections. The schedule also keeps her bowel movements regular. Also, the cat’s long fur requires frequent haircuts to purr-vent matting. Boogie wears diapers and her mother thinks her kitty looks best in pink. Boogie relaxes during her bathing, blow drying and haircut sessions.
“The rewards of caring for this precious soul far outweigh her challenges,” said Kat.
Boogie’s name is derived from her strong will to survive and her fighting spirit. She boogies through life, no matter what she is dealt. At birth, her mother knew something was wrong with her baby, so she refused to nurse the kitten. Humans took over and as Boogie gained strength she would shuffle over to her mom and nurse.
Kat keeps her kitty mentally stimulated with a household of toys, scratching posts and comfy beds. Boogie also has new brothers and sister kitties and every night they have playtime. Like all cats, she loves laser lights and hunting the gecko’s terrarium’s escaped crickets. She can look out the screen door at the wild birds at the feeder and squirrels. She loves packing bubbles and cat videos/games on Kat’s tablet.
“This cat is so happy,” said Kat. “She makes people smile, so I share her with the world on Facebook and Instagram under; ‘Boogie's Shuffle’. Two Christmas’s ago, she weighed under 4 pounds. So, I bought her a Guinea pig’s Santa costume and then decided to do something fun for animal shelters/rescues. I started creating ‘mew’vie’ sets with different costumes and props. Then a friend asked me to make a calendar for charity. So, I created a calendar for our animal rescue shelter and
entered Boogie in Dharma Rescue’s calendar contest. Dharma rescues ‘disabled dogs and cats and gives them a new leash on life’. They animals would otherwise be euthanized at other shelters. Boogie raised $750 and won 3rd place.
She was also the winner of the FB group ‘Helping Persians’ Halloween picture contest. Our goal is to help other animals and inspire others to open their hearts and homes to special need animals. In 2020 Boogie won first place in the calendar’s cat category contest for Dharma and again raised $750. Her 2021 charity calendar raised over $1,200.
Boogie's trademark is a hair bow, she has dozens of bows. She wants everyone to know that bows are great, but she stops at hats!”
