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The last part turned out to be true. Chance was adopted Nov. 26, 2015 and required immediate surgery less than a week later, when a surgeon at an animal hospital in Alta Vista scooped out the infection in his ear. The whole process cost $4,000.

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Miraculously, despite all the initial warnings from the shelter, Chance has had a clean bill of health ever since. He’s still got a small head tilt as a result of the infection, and his ears occasionally flareup, but no major health issues persist for the now year-and-a-half old cat.

“Since then, his quality of life is perfect. He hasn’t had any problems,” said Elizabeth. “The head tilt is slowly resolving. When he jumps off things, he’ll have to jump off of them sideways. He’ll aim to go straight, but he’ll go sideways!”

While Chance’s deafness doesn’t allow him to wander outside without supervision, it has bestowed him with some unique quirks.

“He meows louder than he should because he can’t hear himself,” Elizabeth said. “Deaf cats are just so adorable. He doesn’t mind the vacuum cleaner. He’ll actually try and play with it.”

To people thinking of adopting a special needs animal, but worried about medical costs or the commitment it takes to care for the pet, Elizabeth said the benefits far outweigh the costs.

“You get so much more back than you give to these special animals,” she said. “With Chance, I can’t imagine our lives without him. He has truly enriched it.”

A standout day with Chance was at the humane society’s Wiggle Waggle Walkathon this September. Chance, a cat in a stroller at a mainly dog affair, was one of the stars of the event.

“It was probably one of the best days of our lives, to be honest! Just seeing how happy he was and seeing everyone fawn over him. It kind of restores your faith in humanity to see so many people so excited to see a cat.”

Petfinder is an Ottawa Humane Society section in The UpBeat that features stories of the many animals needing forever homes. Thanks to Rohit Saxena for his wonderful photography, and Paul Jeaurond for the video.

If you have a story to share about an animal adopted at the Ottawa Humane Society, feel free to email The UpBeat editor Alison Mah at amah@postmedia.com.