This is the happy ending story of a cat named Chester who was thrown out like trash and abandoned without food or water in Garner, North Carolina and left to fend for himself against wild animals, traffic, and the weather. The fact that Chester is an FIV+ cat makes his story all the more heartbreaking, and in the end, heartwarming. Chester is one of the 16 written about in this PoC article. Only eight have been found at this time.
Nicole Ferrara of Oak Ridge, Tennessee is a big-time cat lover. She has a tender spot for FIV+ kitties. She and her husband left their house Sunday morning at about 7:30 am and got home at 11:30 pm to make the long trip to bring Chester to his forever home. Nicole says she officially has the best husband ever, especially considering he has to go to work Monday morning. As for Chester, he is worth every minute of that drive.
As for Chester, Nicole says he is worth every minute of that drive. After his arrival at his new home, Chester is inspecting every nook and cranny of the quarantine bathroom and is not in the slightest bit scared. This is a new one for the Ferrara family, as most new additions over the years hear their tiny, big mouthed dog barking hello, smell the other cats or hear them on the other side of the door and freak out. Instead of scurrying behind the toilet for a day of three, Chester is eager to meet and greet his new furry friends.
That won’t be happening until after Christmas. Monday morning Chester was off to the vet, where he was deemed healthy but FIV+. The vet drew blood to send off for a Western Blot test to confirm they weren’t getting a false positive. Next Chester gets to spend a few days in their spare bath, followed by a few more days boarding at the vet for Christmas. Then after Christmas, he will get to ring in the New Year with his new best friends.
Nicole reported Monday that Chester is chilling out on a piece of fleece and has already learned to give big kitty hugs and has a very loud purr. Thank you, Nicole, for saving this precious kitty. For a video of Chester, please click here.
Please keep the eight abandoned Garner cats in your thoughts and prayers. Between the below freezing temperatures, rain and lack of food, time is running out for them to be found alive.
Note that Chester will be boarded this Christmas since his new family has plans for Christmas. That’s what you do when you have a cat. You DON’T dump it at the county shelter. There are facilities all across the country that will treat your pet well while you visit with family during the holidays.
Elisa
Good for Chester. Great story and I like the name. I keep drawing so many parallels to what I read on P.o.C. I just talked to my favorite vet hospital today about adopting a needy tuxedo cat they have, and I said to put me on the list for him. He has a cool name as well, “Remmy”. Again I feel for all the less fortunate cats out there, especially in this terribly cold weather we’re having across most of our country.
I like that name too. Some people are very generous and giving. Nicole and her husband are two examples. Chester has a great character. Just an all round positive story for Christmas. Thanks Elisa.