Every guest gets a warm welcome when they arrive at the Allen household: from two adorable kitties named Smudge and Felix.
Smudge’s beginning sounds like something out of a story book. When Isle of Palms residents Kathleen and Matt went to donate towels to the Cats Only shelter, they agreed to foster Smudge for “just the weekend.” He was so tiny that he needed to be bottle fed and ended up making an unlikely best friend – an orphaned baby deer named Doelene. The pair loved curling up to cuddle and gladly kept each other company.
Even after Doelene grew up and returned to the wild, she continued to visit the home of the vet tech who had rescued her and introduced her to Smudge, eventually bringing along her own baby doe. Now 11 years old, Smudge still exudes personality. He’s not afraid to let you know when he’s hungry and loves curling up in the smallest spaces for naps.
His big brother Felix, a tuxedo cat who is now 14, is the gentle soul of the pair. He’s been through more than most pet cats. Felix once survived four days trapped in a neighbor’s garage and later a coyote attack that left both his front legs fractured. Still, this cuddly boy plays fetch like a kitten and always greets the family’s grown kids at the door whenever they come to visit.
Together, Smudge and Felix live like true brothers. They wrestle, then they cuddle and at the end of the day the Allen household feels complete because of them.
By Allyah Harrar
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