That's Slartibartfast (Slarti for short), he's got radial hypoplasia - if you remember the outcry about a cattery in the 90s breeding "twisty cats", that's the genetic defect he has. He doesn't seem to be as severe as some cases I've seen - both his front legs are malformed, but only one of his front paws is twisted inward too much for him to walk on it. It gives him an odd gait and would certainly interfere if he had to hunt for prey or try to escape predators, but not much of an issue for an indoor-only pet. He's heartbreakingly skittish, though - he was rescued from a hoarder, spent time in a shelter, and was adopted by a very young couple who didn't seem able to cope with an extremely fearful cat. It's been a challenge trying to gain his trust and build his confidence. The first thing he did when he got out of his carrier was hide in a bookcase next to my Hitch-hiker's Guide omnibus (hence the name). He hid behind and under furniture for weeks - I gradually coaxed him out a little at a time with treats (he is VERY food-motivated) and when he caught sight of Boston (the orange and white guy) he was smitten and wanted to be around him all the time, even if it meant being near me. He's a sweet guy who love scritches and cuddles but he's very easily frightened, and when something upsets him (a storm, or a maintenance guy showing up) he slinks around in a nervous crouch and hides. The balcony makes him nervous, because it has unpredictable things like wind and loud birds and sounds from the a/c units and sometimes neighbors making noise, so I have been giving Boston and Slarti their daily wet food on the balcony and if Slarti is not feeling confident enough to come out to eat his share, bringing it inside after Boston's had his. He's made a wonderful amount of progress and I'm so proud!
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