Toby the Cat Is the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hero You Need
Leave it to an adorable cat to become the biggest advocate for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) on the internet right now. Meet Toby, the EDS hero you didn’t know you needed.
• What is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?
• What Are Common Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Symptoms?
Toby is a 6-year-old cat who was diagnosed with EDS, known as feline cutaneous asthenia (FCA) in the cat world. Like in humans, EDS is a genetic condition that affects the amount and structure of collagen in your body.
Collagen is important in many areas of your body, including your joints, ligaments and tendons, connective tissue between organs, and your skin. In Toby’s case, his skin is most impacted. It droops and hangs off his body because it has no elasticity. Skin issues, like fragile, loose, stretchy or velvety skin are common when you have EDS.
Toby and his best friend Quinton, another special needs cat who has lost all his teeth, were at the RSPCA in England, waiting for their furever home. According to Meow, Georgina Price and her partner Christopher Lardner saw the pair of cats and immediately knew they could provide the purrfect home.
“We’d never heard of EDS before we found him, we just knew that he needed a loving home and we have so much love to give,” Price told Meow. Toby and Quinton have now been with Price and Lardner for seven months and have settled in well.
Because Toby’s skin is impacted by EDS, just like in people, Price shared he gets wounds easily, even when doing regular activities like grooming or playing with Quinton. In addition, Price said they are concerned how the extra weight of Toby’s skin will impact his health as he ages. As a preventative measure, Toby’s family tries to limit how much jumping he does to reduce stress on his joints.
Today, Toby is living his best life in his furever home. “He loves belly rubs and will plop himself next you and look at you, waiting for you to rub his belly,” Price shared. Toby is also advocating for EDS awareness, regardless of species.
You can follow Toby and Quinton’s adventures on Instagram @tummyandgummy.
For other stories that have helped people in the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome community, check out these Mighty articles:
Header image via @tummyandgummy on Instagram
Renée Fabian was the features editor at The Mighty. She has also written for The Washington Post, VICE, Healthline, Talkspace, The Fix, The Establishment, The Culture Trip, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Renée was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian.
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