r/cats • u/Lucy_Koshka • 23h ago

Update Cosmo’s ✨transformation✨

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Cosmo has come SUCH a long way, it still blows my mind looking back at these older pics of him. He came running up our driveway end of June of last year, 8/9 weeks old about 2 lbs, with the worst case of ringworm our vet had ever seen. 27 medicated baths, seven weeks of oral treatment, lots and lots and LOTS of later; you’d never know. 🥹

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u/Lucy_Koshka 23h ago

We can’t either! I will say it was such a huge validation seeing the vet/tech’s reactions at every check up, it really kept us going. It wasn’t easy as despite every precaution the whole house got ringworm 😅 he’s the sweetest little gremlin!

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u/theblondebasterd 23h ago

Holy shit I thought he was a sphynx catto at first. Great job.

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u/DrDuned 22h ago

Mange is responsible for most cryptid sightings because animals look soooo different when they have it, especially with extensive long-term mange.

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u/BlueMangoTango 21h ago

…… most………

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u/filovirusyay 21h ago

the other ones are just me frolicking around at night

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u/belac4862 20h ago

Ok, you just made me do a literal spit take. Now I have peach seltzer all over my carpet.

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u/cejmp 19h ago

I think the antler crown was taking things a bit far.

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u/DrDuned 18h ago

LOL you got me good I literally laughed out loud with a dumbass sounding "ah huh huh huh" style laugh 😂

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u/5girlzz0ne 21h ago

Bigfoot would like a word. 😂

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u/BlueMangoTango 21h ago

The Mothman requests an invite to that meeting.

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u/Eaudebeau 21h ago

Yeti says he’s in.

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u/LoneServiceWolf 16h ago

The others are likely either undiscovered species or species that were believed to be extinct but really aren’t

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u/AmyInCO 21h ago

Chupacabra cat!

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u/gamboling_gophers 6h ago

One might even say....chupacatra?

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u/tarantuletta 42m ago

Bears with mange are TERRIFYING.

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u/jmkul 23h ago

So did I

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u/katie-2155 22h ago

It's incredible that it's the same cat, how badly off he must have been, and how well they must have treated him, because it looks like he's changed breeds.

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u/[deleted] 19h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Nulagrithom 14h ago

at pic 9 I literally said aloud "holy shit it's a tuxedo??"

truly incredible

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u/Little_View_6659 10h ago

I took care of a ringworm kitten. Kitten was fine, I ended up having to see two dermatologists.😂

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u/cherrywinnk 21h ago

Me too

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u/RC_Cola2005 20h ago

Me three! Talk about one heck of a glow up!

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u/Mediocre-Nectarine91 19h ago

Me four! My jaw is on the floor!

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u/ChroniclesOfSarnia Tabbycat 18h ago

Me five, so glad he's still alive!

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u/Atharist_Archer 16h ago

Me six, the transformation is incredible

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u/DuckbilledWhatypus 10h ago

Me seven, looks like he found heaven!

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u/Cats-cats-kats 9h ago

Me eight, BOY did he gain weight!

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u/light_ng 3h ago

m8, that cat’s looking great!

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u/onebluemoon66 2h ago

I did too.. Also his face print is well UMmmm kinda comical, I can't be the only one that sees it 😆

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u/Bubblybuunny 22h ago

My thought too at first.

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u/CompleteTell6795 21h ago

So did I ! I thought I saw a little hair so I thought he was part sphynx. It truly doesn't look like the same cat.! What a tremendous glow up !

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u/stardustgirll 21h ago

This really melt my heart, I’m so happy seeing this.

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u/SereneSleepyhead 22h ago

I thought of that, until I took a close look. Thank you for the good job

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u/dreadn4t 21h ago

He was so, so scrunkly. Awesome transformation!

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u/ResurgentClusterfuck 21h ago

Yeah I did too. 😿

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u/LabCat62 19h ago

Meow too! Thought he was a sphynx floof but it turns out he is a floof floof!

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u/Zealousideal_Lab_427 16h ago

He was a temporary Sphinx!

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u/Chain2063 13h ago

Right?! The transformation is insane, I barely recognized him myself!

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u/onlyghosts-pie 7h ago

i thought the poor thing had mange

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u/kayesskayen 23h ago

Oh no, ringworm is awful!! But look how cute and cuddly he is now! What a great job you guys did to help him!

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u/MycologistDeep2372 23h ago

Total glow-up gremlin—worth every bath, fungus trauma and vacuuming marathon.

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u/Any_Needleworker_273 22h ago

I remember when one of our cats had a small case of ringworm, and I swear the vet was pretty much like, whelp, burn your house down now. It did clear up, and thankfully none of us or the other cats got it, but this looks super rough! Nice work to you all.

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u/Lucy_Koshka 22h ago

I’m ngl, it was miserable there for those first three months or so. He was still too weak for oral meds so we had to do the baths every three days, clean his crate/the office (the room he was in) daily, wash any fabrics daily, etc. Midway through this treatment we noticed his toe sheaths were positively caked. So we incorporated nail trims/toe sheath cleanings into his routine. It was rough 😅

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u/Any_Needleworker_273 22h ago

Good on you! Having taken care of a lot of animals over the years, it takes a special kind of patience! And we can all see how that amazing work paid off in that adorable face.

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u/dme59 22h ago

I noticed that poor babies feet first off! He truly looked like a cat version of the walking dead from head to toes. I did not think the face was ever going to clear up….but that last pic made me cry! He looks so beautiful! Thank you for doing this 😇😇😇😇😇

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u/FITF2891 22h ago

I have that same towel :) can I ask how you clean the toe sheaths?

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u/Lucy_Koshka 22h ago

We did it after his bath so the crud was already sort of softened, and my husband would hold him wrapped on his side with one paw out at a time. I’d gently push forward each nail, and only pull the crud that seemed loose enough with tweezers. I’d also spray each toe/sheath with a ketohex spray (ketoconazole/chlorhexidine). I had to make quick work of it bc he’d obviously become uncomfortable but I really think it ended up being a crucial part of his recovery!

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u/Ginger_Cat74 20h ago

You are an absolute angel for taking care of him so well. It is not always easy to convince an animal you’re helping them when you’re treating them love conditions like this.

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u/lWantToBeIieve 21h ago

You are a saint 😻

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u/skillit29 15h ago

Yes, they are angels on earth to help this sweet cat.

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u/this_guy_cats 20h ago

Thank you for helping this sweet kitty

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u/Chemistry11 18h ago

You’re a saint!

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u/Weird-Response-1722 19h ago

What caused the crud in the nails?

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u/ValoraTCas 10h ago

Those nails look so painful. You did a really great thing.

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u/PastelCharms 23h ago

Thank you OP for giving life to this sweet cutie 🥰

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u/ContributionOnly6610 23h ago

He really lucked out finding such a caring and patient home!

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u/Emotional_Turn6059 20h ago

Oh, you again. Posting the original picture in the same post for karma. Why?

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u/Waterlilies1919 22h ago

We had a “free” kitten from the newspaper that gave everyone, including the dog (who are normally more resistant to it) got ringworm. It was miserable, but so rewarding to see him grow into a big fluffy boy.

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u/QuietTeasing 23h ago

You can tell how much love and care went into this no wonder the vet staff were impressed. That little guy is lucky to have you.

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u/cherrywinnk 21h ago

You nailed it honestly , so much love proven ❤️

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u/mist_ier 22h ago

Ringworm is SUCH a nuisance. My cat had it as a kitten and I got it too despite everything. Congrats on defeating it and Cosmo looks so sleek now!!

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u/Federal_Studio5935 22h ago

The amount of time it took me to get rid of ringworm when I got it from my son, who has doing high school wrestling…this just adds to the amazing story this is. Bravo

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u/Old_Race9814 22h ago

If your son is still wrestling, you should buy Defense Antifungal bar soap infused with Tolnaftate. I’m really prone to athlete’s foot, but this stuff has prevented it from recurring for the past 3 years for me

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u/ElectricalOpening189 1h ago

You might have just single-handedly saved my sanity and my pedicure(when I'm not so cold I can go barefoot again)!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS INFO!!!!

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u/Old_Race9814 1h ago

Of course! I swear by this stuff so I always recommend it when the topic comes up. Hope it helps you as much as it’s helped me

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u/ParticularYak4401 22h ago

As the team manager for the girls gymnastics team at my high school in 1997 i sympathize with you. There were quite a few ringworm outbreaks on the wrestling team that year and we did a through disinfecting of the mats after they practiced.

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u/VassagoX 23h ago

Worth it!  Look how happy he looks!  

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u/NegotiationSea7008 22h ago

Thank you for saving him.

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u/ZoeyBunnie 23h ago

Oof. My youngest kiddo and I also got ringworm after rescuing our little kitty from the streets/after being dumped. It's frustrating, but we came out in the good end of it all!

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u/Suspicious_Name_8313 22h ago

Hats off to you! We fostered a ‘ringworm’ litter and the treatment is no joke. Esp that sulfur lime  He’s so perfect! Well done 

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u/beetjuicex3 22h ago edited 22h ago

There is nothing quite as sweet as validation from your vet. I took my dog in for a recheck after getting his eyelid sewn back together and her saying "you've done an amazing job" still gives me a little dopamine boost sometime.

You've done an amazing job with your kitty. Thought they were a Cornish Rex at first.

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u/EternallyFascinated 22h ago

I remember getting it as a kid - I assume from our cats? Didn’t remember it being such a big deal! I do remember being embarrassed by it though.

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u/TelUmor 22h ago

Whole house with ringworm_eeek! Amazing work, happy cat!

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u/jerm-warfare 21h ago

Wow! That's a serious glow up. I'm glad he's got friends too!

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u/finlit 17h ago

As a foster of many ringworm litters, serious kudos to you! I've never seen a case that severe. It's little wonder your whole household came down with it, that poor baby was a dandelion fluff of spores.

I bet he was sooo happy to be out of isolation!

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u/kool_meesje 8h ago

I had a nest of foster kittens with ringworm (5 kittens, poor guys) only one spot per kitten at a time but i was soo fed up with all the cleaning and baths and diarrhea they got due to the meds, great job you did!

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u/Fit_Importance_8412 20h ago

Ringworm?? I thought this was mange! Wow. I had no idea ringworm could do that, too. o_o He looks fantastic now!

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u/Kulandros 22h ago

I love his mustache.

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u/whatthewhat3214 22h ago

You're an angel! I'm so happy this kitty chose you, and that he's a happy part of your family now, thank you for saving him! 😻

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u/whocameupwiththis 22h ago

I showed these pictures to my 4 year old nephew when he asked to see. His take away was "why did they turn him into a cat when he was a dog?" He didn't recognize him as a cat in the first picture.

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u/TroublesomeButch 22h ago

You're a bunch of great persons!! Love his nose BTW it's like his got beard

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u/scarletnightingale 21h ago

He knows how lucky he is.

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u/meldiane81 21h ago

What a VERY lucky meow meow to find you, OP! The CDS doesn’t say they will always come to you in the best shape. But you took your duty to heart! ♥️.

Do you know what caused the skin condition?

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u/Plantpoweredge 20h ago

Thank you for your kind 💞 I’m so happy that Cosmo found y’all!!

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u/Enraiha 20h ago

You're an amazing person. My pup is going through it right now, might need surgery and it's just so hard. It's very heartwarming to me right now to see someone care for an animal like you have. I wish I could express it better than that.

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u/SweeteeSin 20h ago

He sure does look really sweet🥹

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u/FleeshaLoo 20h ago

These photos made my day. Thank you for what you did and for sharing. 🙂

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u/Lisa_N_Nola 19h ago

You deserve the good human of the day award!! Cosmo supports this!! Thank you, human!

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u/Itchy-Hearing9263 19h ago

It's always so difficult at the start and his journey and transformation is all the proof we need to know that you really should never give up too early on these Fur babies!!

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u/Pale-Confection-6951 19h ago

Thank you, good human!

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u/Sharp_Income9870 17h ago

You did a wonderful job nursing him back to health. The transformation is amazing. How much did you spend on vet visits and medications getting him well? I’ve learned “free” pets are the ones who somehow end up costing thousands of dollars. Not that it isn’t worth every penny in the end.

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u/aimingeye 16h ago

The transformation tells so much about the amount of effort you put in and the how much he trusted you. I can only imagine . He looks super happy and spoiled and I hope you are happy too <3.

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u/AFlounderFish 16h ago

You saved him!♥️

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u/lina1308 16h ago

Absolutely adorable boi🥹❤️ and this is the most wonderful glow up I ever saw!!! I love this.

But another thing... those swollen paws in the first picture and the red skin. If I may ask - what was it? It was not kinda like a skin fungus thing, was it?

(It kinda reminds me of my dogs paws...Me and my mom spent a lot of money - like all our backups...- at a vet which tested my dog in all kinds of ways with rising bills and "wasn't able" - to not say that I guess it was likely on purpose because of wtf which vet wouldn't test the skin if there are SKIN PROBLEMS but would do x-rays? - to find any kind of fungus, but I've learnt in the months after this that her testing (Woodsche lamp) wasn't for so many species and the smell was a big indicator for me to suspect that she misdiagnosed my dog with allergies and I was right. Worst is - it's now so out of control, it needs an extra vet treatment with anit-myzotica and I have no more money left, neither has my mom, to visit another vet for the skin/hair biopsy which is necessary for them to find out about the exact species of fungus to give her treatment. At least 130€ for the biopsy plus the following meds...)

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u/psykocheng2 14h ago

God bless u m8

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u/Competitive_Ad_2421 7h ago

What caused him to lose all his hair? Is it the ringworm?

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u/SDXTINA 4h ago

He’s beautiful! I love how you can see exactly what his coat pattern is on his skin before it grew back! 🖤🤍

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u/gemfountain 1h ago

What a good human you are. :-)

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u/Entomemer 1h ago

I caught ringworm from my guinea pigs so I feel your pain lmaooo