There are some personality types out there who can just roll with the punches, completely unphased by life's harsher challenges.
Our friend Marty embodies that philosophy, a scraggly little puss with a nasty facial injury . . . which surprisingly doesn't seem to bother him.
Marty underwent multiple surgeries to heal his severe jaw wounds, inflicted (we suspect) by a too-close encounter with a car.
It was a cruel irony that poor Marty, an emaciated cat when found, with a body condition score of 1 out of 9 (indicating he was severely underweight and in danger of starvation) would suffer a horrific injury that impeded his ability to eat.
"Marty has been inspirational" – Chevon
Marty is halfway through his lengthy rehabilitation; with two jaw reconstruction surgeries down he now awaits his third (hopefully final) operation.
Perched at a medical crossroads, Marty has been inspirational. Foster carer Chevon is amazed by his resolve.
"You have to admire his resilience through it all, he's been so unphased. Most cats wouldn't like their routine disrupted, but he keeps an upbeat attitude," she laughs.
"As soon as he got home, he was running from room to room. He never stops moving!"
No screentime or cameras for Marty (he lives in the moment)
Chevon was hoping to share more photos of Marty enjoying his foster life, but conceded that he is "impossible to take a photo of."
"As soon as you lower your camera to take a cute snap, he starts chatting away and circling around you for a pat."
The list of Marty's quirks certainly isn't short - Chevon is particularly amused by his favourite place to sit.
"He just loves to sit on my shoulder. He likes to sit there and head-butt me in the face constantly. Marty is very demanding when it comes to smooches."
Marty's dance with Destiny
There is something serendipitous about Marty falling into the foster care of Chevon.
"I was approaching the one-year anniversary of another cat I had fostered named Eeyore. He actually had the same injuries. It seems like fate that I would be paired with Marty."
"I guess we will see if I end up fostering a third kitty with a sore jaw again next year."
Marty's injured jaw continues to inhibit his ability to eat. The strict soft food diet certainly leaves a mess, with most of the food hitting everything but Marty's mouth.
"He's constantly cleaning his face, but the upside is he certainly isn't a fussy eater and is happy to be eating anything," said Chevon.
We want to thank the 112 donors, whose generous contributions continue to pave Marty's road to recovery.
Don't be fooled by this cool cat, he couldn't have gotten to where he is today without your support.
Chevon's love paired with Marty's gumption has been a great recipe for success, we can't wait to share the next chapter in his journey in the not-too-distant future xox!
