Healthy, spayed, vaccinated, very affectionate 7month old FELV+ kitten needs home.
by Christian Mason
(Pueblo, CO. US (Greater Denver Area))
We moved to Pueblo last August. Shortly after we got settled in, we started noticing a neighborhood stray cat with a litter of 3 or 4 kittens. We saw them pretty regularly, but weren't able to approach them, and we weren't really sure if they were strays or indoor/outdoor cats.
We found out later that another neighbor had been feeding them, but then adopted a large dog, which kept the cats from coming around. One day the kittens showed up on our door crying and asking for food, and we couldn't put off helping any longer.
That lasted a few months; the kittens were still feral and we couldn't get near them. During the winter they made it through a few bitterly cold nights (around -20F) we weren't sure they would survive. We started shutting our own cats in a bedroom, then opening our front door and putting canned food a few feet inside. We gradually got them comfortable coming inside for food until I was able to walk over and shut the door. Our goal was to get all the kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated then try to find them permanent homes.
One at a time we were able to capture three of the cats. The first two were healthy and were socialized and able to be handled within a few days.
Outbreak was the third one we caught, and the most timid. For the first month we had her we couldn't approach her or touch her without unleashing a barrage of terrified spitting and growling, it is worth noting that she NEVER actually bit or scratched us, despite all the defensive displays. We were just about to give up on socializing her and release her back outside when she rather abruptly came around. She's become an extremely affectionate cat who really likes attention.
Unfortunately, when we took her for her shots and to be spayed we learned she is Feline Leukemia positive. We're obviously really hoping she's one of the ones who can have a long healthy life.
We have other FeLV negative cats we don't want to risk exposing to the virus. It is not easily contagious through casual contact, but over time sharing food dishes and litter boxes (as well as fighting and grooming) are risk factors. Our cats have been vaccinated, but the vaccine is not 100% effective. The best option for her is to be an indoor cat, as either someone's only cat or in a home with other FeLV positive cats. Right now she's confined to a back bedroom in our two bedroom apartment. We make a point of spending some time with her every day, but this isn't really sustainable on our end, and it's a pretty depressing life for her as well.
We just need to find the right home for this endearing little girl.
Christian
