Cat McAuliffe
During a recent scroll through Instagram, I spotted Crescent for the first time, and her gorgeous coat and adorable face instantly caught my eye! I absolutely adore fluffy cats, especially black and white ones like my current special needs cat Keanu and my late special needs cat Mittens, so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to Crescent. In addition to her incredible fur, I also noticed Crescent had a cleft lip, a relatively rare condition that we like to raise awareness about.
Thinking Crescent was an ideal candidate for a feature, I reached out to her mom Natalie, and she graciously agreed to share this stunning felines story! I discovered that unlike the other cleft lip kitties we’ve featured in the past, Crescent’s condition isn’t something she was born. I also learned that while this gorgeous girl sustained some pretty serious injuries while she was a tiny kitten, Crescent is happy, healthy, and one of the quirkiest cats we’ve ever featured!
I really enjoyed learning this remarkable cat’s story, and I hope you will too!
Meow As Fluff: How did you meet Crescent?
Natalie: Crescent was found as a stray inside a car engine. She had serious wounds and needed surgeries, which left her with a cleft lip and a scar on her nose. She was transported from Mississippi to Massachusetts through a foster agency.
We were actually planning to adopt two Bengal cats whose owner died, but that fell through. We were devastated at the time, but now are incredibly grateful that happened because the rescue introduced us to Crescent and her foster brother Scribbles.
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MAF: What made you decide to provide a home to a cat with a cleft lip?
N: We didn’t think twice about it! I remember our vet being concerned when we told her, but after reading her story, we fell in love immediately and nothing would have changed our mind.
I remember the day we met her, we were told, “It’s ok if you don’t want her…” That has stuck with me. There was not even a doubt in our minds about taking her home.
MAF: What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think people have about cats with cleft lips?
N: I have heard, “What’s wrong with her face?” She is a perfect angel to us and I love her unique face. I think people also worry about feeding challenges; luckily, we have not had issues with her ability to eat.
MAF: What are some of the challenges — if any — you’ve faced as a result of Crescent having a cleft lip?
N: We have been lucky to only have minor challenges due to her cleft lip. Our vet has told us she is more prone to dental disease. Brushing her teeth is important. If only she loved getting her teeth brushed as much as her brother does!
Sometimes her tongue sticks out- we think it is super cute.
MAF: What do you wish more people knew about special cats, particularly cats with cleft lips?
N: Providing a home for them is so rewarding, and I love how unique special cats are. We have been very lucky with Crescent as she doesn’t need much extra care due to her cleft lip. As a kitten, she had digestive issues which were a struggle for awhile, but we learned to manage.
She also has a chronically weepy eye which needs daily attention, but we would do anything required to care for our furbaby.
MAF: What are some of Crescent’s favorite activities?
N: Crescent loves to pounce at light reflections on the wall and chase after springs and pom poms.
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She loves her cat scratchers and catnip bubbles. She loves to wait for mama to get out of the shower and will meow for a 10 minute long petting session after. She also loves to pull towels off their racks and chew on toothbrushes that don’t belong to her.
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I could go on about this question and her personality, but will not in an effort to keep it shorter!
MAF: Can you tell me the story behind her name?
N: Crescent was one of the first names my husband and I agreed on, and she actually fits it very well because the scar on her nose is crescent shaped!
MAF: What does she mean to you?
N: More than the world. She is my life — I live for her (and her brother Scribbles, of course).
To learn more about this beautiful cat, you can follow Crescent on Instagram.
