I feed feral cats on my block. This large, grey cat found me this summer. One summer evening after my walk, I sat on our glider, and he joined me. He is the largest cat I've ever seen. He came more frequently, which evolved into him peering in my windows and front door. In the evenings, he sprawled across my lap purring, as I sang to him and talked to him. I tried to find his guardian online, to no avail. When it started to get cold, he went into my garage, and I created a space for him. Since then, he has slept in my garage every night. I suspected he was an older cat, and I also noticed he was missing several teeth.

I took him to the local veterinarian hospital to see if they had a record of him. They think he is part Maine Coon and part domestic shorthair. They mentioned severe tooth decay. He had a chip, but they could not locate the owner.

One morning in late October, I noticed a huge abscess on one side of his jaw. The vet I took him to previously had no openings. They suggested another vet in the next town. I took him in, they gave him a shot of antibiotics, sent us home with anti-inflammatories, and a rabies shot. The vet could not see very well due to all of the swelling, but some of his teeth were broken off at the root. She said it could be bad tooth decay that caused it or some kind of trauma. She guessed that he needed at least $1300 of dental work. The vet visit was $230 for the exam, the shots, and the pain meds. He still needs the remainder of his vaccinations. They were also unable to find the owner.

The abscess cleared quickly, and I fed him moistened dry food with wet cat food. My husband did some investigating and found a typo in his chip number. The former guardian had a disconnected number. We were able to find out he is 12 years old. The first record of him was he was surrendered years ago to a shelter in Cheyenne, WY. His last known owner adopted him from there, but they were unable to tell us if the guardian lives in this area.

We have 3 indoor cats (one was a stray dumped last Christmas, and the other 2 are older females) and 3 dogs. We also feed feral cats, so we are struggling to keep up financially. My initial goal was to find him a home, but with all of the vet care needed, most people don't want to adopt an older cat with health concerns. My current goal is to try to raise the money to get him the medical care he needs, and for the time being, he can live in my garage. We added a heated bed for him, and he has a cat tree and a second bed. During the day, he normally roams outside.

He is a neutered 12-year-old male; two vets think he is part Maine Coon. He is a very big boy. I've been calling him Goliath, and also Big G, and G. He follows me around, peers in my windows, and is very vocal. He gives hugs, wrapping his paws around me, and is very affectionate. He also loves catnip, and he likes to play with shadows. He is such a sweet, stubborn, playful, independent, and hilarious cat. I love him, and I want him to enjoy the rest of his life without mouth pain. Any help is much appreciated!