Pet Rescue

From ‘mostly-lurker’ Gary in CHI:

Fluff has had a rather too-interesting life in recent years.  She started life as a feral (her tipped left ear is her badge of honor), and was adopted as a kitten by Terry, John, and Bob.  She made herself at home in their Chicago two-flat, along with a number of other kitties, including her brother, Tommy.  A few years ago, one of her dads, John, died suddenly, and Terry died in January 2020, leaving Bob and the kitties.

The problem is that Bob’s primary residence is in Texas, and he isn’t able to spend as much time in Chicago as he would like, especially since he has two dogs in Texas (lovely Brittany spaniels that even a kitty might like).  Bob has succeeded in adopting out some of Fluff’s compatriots; the only kitties left are Tommy and Fluff.  He needs to find homes for them, as the current situation, with Bob gone so much of the time and cat-sitters coming in briefly every day, isn’t sustainable.

Tommy has always been very cautious around people, spending much of his time hiding; he never really has lost his feral-ness in that way.  Fluff used to be standoffish, too, but since Terry passed away and Bob isn’t around much, she has become very affectionate with him.  She craves attention, loves being petted, and is always near Bob when he’s on the sofa or loveseat.  She often falls asleep on the top of the sofa, right behind Bob.  

Bob isn’t aware of much of Fluff’s medical history, although he knows she did get neutered and had a rabies shot as a kitten.

As you can see, Fluff is a very pretty girl indeed.  She would never reveal her age, though humans estimate it at somewhere around 10 (she looks very youthful, no?)  She is a sweet girl who co-existed very well with multiple other cats for many years, although that, of course, is no guarantee of what might happen in a new household.  She has had no exposure to children or dogs.

If anyone in or near Chicago is interested…

Cat Rescue Bleg – Chicago AreaPost + Comments (25)

Update from Deb S:

Still need a home for Shakespeare. He got sick over the weekend, and the timing was good because we found out after an ultrasound and before the planned adoption that he has two chronic conditions. The first is a slow-growing benign liver tumor that will only become a health issue if it gets large enough to put pressure on something important.

The other condition is either inflammatory bowel disease or a slow-growing bowel cancer. Treatment for both is the same: monitor for symptoms and treat as necessary.

All of this makes the adoption more difficult as he must now be considered a special-needs cat. The jackal who had planned to take him has no means of transportation and has reluctantly backed out. I would still like to get him adopted out of NYC if possible rather than take him to Maine with me where I think I’ll have a harder time finding a home. So if anyone is interested he is still available. Thanks.

Hello Juicers. I’m a long-time lurker, from the days when B-J was on the Dkos blog-roll and John was still a republican.

My mom is in home hospice in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, and neither my brother nor I can take Shakespeare, her part Russian Blue mix. He is the best cat to ever own her. Typical Russian Blue personality, his goal in life is to be on a person. Vocal and loving, if he’s complaining either his food dish is empty or you need to SIT DOWN THIS MINUTE so he can jump into your lap. The picture is of him homing in on my lap like a heat-seeking missile.

My mom got Shakespeare about 10 years ago from a rescue connected with her vet’s office, after losing her prior cat to old age. He is at least 13, and maybe older.

He has a tilt to his head and is a bit asymmetrical, we think he might have been hit by a car or suffered some other traumatic injury before my mom got him. And he has a nervous habit of over-grooming and pulling out his own fur that has gotten worse as my mom’s condition worsened and she could no longer give him the attention he was used to.

He needs a lot of love and would probably do best with another shut-in, or a family with one or more older children who can dote on him and give him the affection he craves. He loved visits from the children who used to live next door. I don’t know how he would do with other pets but safest would be a home with none.

Steeplejack would probably attest — for someone who works from home, a senior cat can be the perfect pet.

If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, leave a comment or contact me via the link in the blogroll.

Deb S:It’s hard to get a good picture – if he’s awake and you’re near him he’s heading for your lap. In this pic he’s reaching for my hand because I’m not petting him as I should be.

Cat Rescue REBOOT: Shakespeare (NYC) Still Needs A New HomePost + Comments (36)

Commentor Luciamia has offered Shakespeare a home — but she doesn’t have transport. Update from Deb S:

My mom has only a week or two to live, Luciamia is in Baltimore… If a volunteer can make the trip, that will make my life easier. I can pay expenses. I also got medication to calm him during the trip that I can administer in advance…

I’m trying to run back home to Maine for a day to get one of my own cats boarded, the one who vanishes and can’t be found to be pilled. By the time I get home she’ll have been off her meds for over a week. I would like to send Shakespeare on his way first. We need to keep him locked away from my mother because she’s on oxygen and we can’t risk him disturbing anything, I’ll feel better knowing he’s out of the apartment before I leave.

Anyone got some spare time this weekend? Big ask, I know. Best would be if people could do shifts, swapping Shakespeare off at service stops between NYC and Baltimore.

I don’t know if public transit would be possible, if someone were willing to ride down & back with his crate under the seat. Does Amtrak permit pets? Is there an intercity bus route that would work?

Other city-to-city pet transport services under short notice? (I’d donate towards costs here… )

Anybody wants to volunteer, or has information that would help, leave a comment below. Or contact me via email and I’ll forward your message to Deb.

Cat Rescue Bleg Update: Shakespeare Needs A Ride, NYC – BaltimorePost + Comments (31)