by Readers Forum guest writer Gina Jennings
Raleigh, NC December 5, 2018
Grey Shadow showed up at an established and stabilized colony about 4 years ago. I was never able to trap him or get him to come near me. It was obvious from his backside that he wasn’t neutered and was still packing a pair. He was very elusive and somewhat of a castaway from the rest of the cats, due to him not being altered.
Over time I noticed that Grey Shadow’s ears got a lot worse and he was inflicting self-trauma due to the ear mites. He was getting thinner and lethargic. It was urgent that I find a way to get this cat to a veterinarian.
It was about this time that I met a lady that lived in the apartments near the colony that Grey Shadow was in. She didn’t really care for cats, and I explained that they were all altered (except for Grey Shadow!) vaccinated and some even had flea treatment applied regularly.
Eventually, Connie and I became friends and she offered to feed the cats since she lived there and I live about 20 minutes away (I have 13 feral cat colonies that I manage and none of them are at my home). Connie has been terrific! She cares for the cats so well and keeps me updated on new arrivals.
One day Connie told me that she could pet Grey Shadow, and this floored me!! I immediately arranged to get an appointment for him and sure enough, he was easy to grab and put in a top loader trap.
Grey Shadow is estimated to be 10+ years old, he was neutered, vaccinated, given antibiotics and flea treatment. Grey Shadow started to show some socialized behavior, but due to lack of cage space at the rescues, he was returned to the colony.
Since Grey Shadow’s surgery, he has bloomed! He’s the first to the table for his wet food (he doesn’t have many teeth left) and he has gained at least five pounds! He hangs out in the parking lot and at Connie’s door. He’s one of the pack and accepted by everyone.
The problem is he is TOO friendly! We are afraid that someone with nefarious intentions could take him and hurt him.
Grey Shadow comes altered, treated for fleas and will be up to date on vaccinations. He needs a home and lap to call his own. He is fine with dogs (another concern) and just wants to be held like a baby.
If you can offer this beautiful boy a forever home, please contact me via Facebook (his thread is here) or email gina@safehavenforcats.org
Gina Jennings
Note from Elisa: This is the latest in the Readers Forum series. Anyone who would like to write their own story can contact me via Facebook PM or by email at elisablacktaylor@gmail.com You’ll get the credit as the writer. Basically, all I do is space out the content for easier reading. Photos by Gina Jennings.
