The moment Natalie Giles aw Mr. Magoo, she knew the tiny black kitten with the funny face would
become the newest member of
her family.
Found living under someone’s
deck with his mom and litter-mates, Mr. Magoo wound up at the
vet clinic where Natalie works as a
registered veterinary technician in
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia,
Canada. She spends her days caring for sick and injured pets, but
Magoo stood out right away.
“When I first saw him, he was so
small (compared to his sibling), and
his little tongue was out,” Natalie
said. “Right then and there I knew
he was mine. I adopted Magoo the
minute he came into the clinic.”
Much like quintessential
celebrikitty Lil BUB, whose ador-
ably cartoonish face emblazons
everything from T-shirts to tote
bags, Magoo’s tongue makes him
instantly recognizable. Standing
out like a smear of bubblegum
on Magoo’s dark fur, the cat’s per-
petually exposed pink tongue has
become his defining characteristic
on Facebook and Instagram, where
he has gained thousands of fol-
lowers. But his unique look isn’t
without its drawbacks.
Natalie said Magoo was born
with an underdeveloped jaw that
also veers off to one side, which
is what causes his tongue to
hang out. His skull is also slightly
deformed. As Magoo got older,
Natalie considered surgery to
make the cat more comfortable
and help with eating and breathing, but vets were unable to perform the procedure, with Magoo’s
jaw deformity leaving them unable
to properly anesthetize him.
The good news: Natalie report-
ed that the kitty is “totally healthy
otherwise,” so she and now 3-year-
old Magoo have learned to live
with his disability. When it comes
to day-to-day care, this mostly
involves keeping an eye on Magoo
to avoid choking hazards and help-
ing him eat.
“He can [eat] on his own, but
most of the food usually ends up
all over the place other than his
mouth,” Natalie said. “He is getting
smarter and will use his paw to
bring food up to his mouth. Another
thing I worry about is hair balls.
I’ve had to help him out a
few times, but that never
happens anymore (thank
goodness)!”
Natalie also has
three dogs — Brixton,
Carlton, and Henry —
as well as another cat
named Molly. Magoo is
well-loved by all of his
furry siblings, but stray
pieces of kibble present
another potential choking
hazard for the kitty, who
only eats canned food.
“We have had that happen
once before, and it was
terrifying,” Natalie said.
Fortunately, Magoo
accompanies Natalie
to work every day at
Westwood Heights Pet
Hospital, where she said the kitty
is “an amazing coworker” who
loves to greet clients and their
pets. Instead of scrubs or business-
casual attire, Magoo arrives at the
office wearing colorful bandanas
and bow ties — and even the
occasional party hat. Magoo’s wide,
sleepy eyes and friendly person-
ality provide a bit of levity to the
workweek.
“I have never in my life had a
cat like Magoo,” Natalie said. “He
is so loving and goofy, not only
with humans but with all other
kinds of animals, too. He just
wants to show love and be loved.
He makes me smile and laugh
every day.”
Because Magoo has been such
a positive influence in her life,
Natalie encourages others to
adopt special-needs pets. Because
of potential adopters’ concerns
about expenses and additional
care, many cats with disabilities
get overlooked in shelters, but
Natalie said the rewards vastly
outweigh the risks.
“[Magoo] has changed my life
in so many positive ways, and
I can’t imagine my life
without him,” she
said. “More people
need to consider
adopting a
less-adopt-
able because
that pet
(family
member)
will show
you what
unconditional
love is, and
that’s something
money can’t buy.”
Additionally,
when Natalie first
adopted Magoo, she
thought she was helping
him out — she was a
registered veterinary
technician caring for a
special-needs kitten,
after all. Three years later, she’s dis-
covered the true benefits of their
relationship are actually the other
way around.
“The most rewarding thing
about Magoo is the constant love
he shows me every day,” she said.
“It’s like he knows we need each
other. I also thought when we first
met that he needed me, but when
it came down to it I was the one
who needed him.”
Angela Lutz is a writer living
in Kansas City, Missouri.
This not-crazy-at-all cat
lady loves to lint-roll her
favorite dress and go out
dancing. She also frequents
the gym, the vegan coffee joint, and the
warm patch of sunlight on the living room
floor. She enjoys a good cat-rescue story
about kindness and decency overcoming
the odds, and she’s an enthusiastic recipient
of head-butts and purrs from her two cats,
Bubba Lee Kinsey and Phoenix. Follow Angela
on Twitter at @amLutz.
To see more adorable
pho Tos of mr. magoo,
follow him
on ins Tagram
@mrmagooThecaT.
