Teddy is a 5-month-old cat who unfortunately suffers from a rare disease that makes him look old: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
The cat you see in the photos is called Teddy and lives in Salem, Massachusetts. The sweet kitty has become famous on the web, because of the its appearance. It has only 5 months to live, yet looks like an old cat.
Its particular appearance is the consequence of a rare disease: the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, also known as felin skin astheniato. It is a congenital pathology that makes the skin very elastic and sagging, due to the absence of collagen.
The sagging skin, at the sight of the human eye, makes the cat of only 5 months look like an elderly cat and above all always sad. Unfortunately, Teddy was born like this and immediately underwent all the necessary treatments, until the diagnosis of his disease arrived. Her story began when a rescuer came to the rescue of the cat and its siblings. At the sight of his appearance, he quickly realized that something was wrong and so turned to Tara Kay, the founder of the sanctuary Odd Cat.
When the woman heard those words and saw Teddy’s appearance, she immediately understood the situation. He explained that unfortunately the cat’s skin can suddenly tear apart and cause him serious injuries. Teddy needs to undergo a constant treatment, which aims to strengthen his skin and give him an “almost” normal life.
Teddy’s life today
The cat takes daily collagen supplements and is forced to wear protective clothing and even nail protectors, to prevent it hurt yourself.
Despite his condition, Teddy has always shown himself to be a cat sweet and sociable with humans. He still has a very long way ahead of him, but the volunteers are sure he will be able to find the right balance to live a normal life and that over time, will also find one loving family, willing to accompany him on his journey and to take care of him every day.
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