Petfinder: Bringing About Happy Endings

April 05, 2012

Life isn’t easy for a stray cat, especially when you’re not prepared for it.

For one cat, he found himself at the age of seven suddenly on the streets and having to fend for himself. He was thankfully not declawed, so he at least had those defenses, but that wasn’t enough to keep him safe against the dangers out there. So, by the time he found his way to the animal shelter, he had an abscess on his right hip, most likely the remains of a deep bite wound. Also, he was missing some teeth, including his top canines.

For a shelter cat, he wasn’t the luckiest. He had many strikes against him that kept him from finding a home. He was old, not some cute kitten. He had an injured hip that still caused him to twitch if it was accidentally touched. And perhaps the biggest strike of all, he’d tested positive for FIV.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus will affect his immune system slowly as the years go by, but he could still have a full life ahead of him! Many rumors say that you can’t have other cats with FIV+ cats (which is a risk, but only if they inflict deep bite wounds will the disease spread) or that they will be sickly and unhappy all their lives. Rumors that probably kept potential homes from seeking him out, especially when the neighboring state of Kansas won’t even allow FIV+ cats to be adopted, feeding the negative connotation of the disease even more. The workers and volunteers at the shelter all knew him and loved him, but he’d been there since December and yet, no home.

Enter a trio of ladies who own a collection of rodents, small animals, and a dash of other small critters who wanted a sweet, mellow cat that wouldn’t bother them much. They’d talked to various rescues and decided to go visit Wayside Waifs first.

Needless to say, the rest is history, because this sweet cat won our hearts over immediately.

Cambridge, our dearest cat that lives with my roommates and I, has been with us almost two months now. He's the king of the house and spoiled rotten on a daily basis. You might say, we've saved each other in a way, since he's been a little bit of sunshine for us ever since we got him.

But in this fairytale ending, one might ask who was the fairy godmother that made the magic happen?

That would be our web resource, Petfinder. Featured on our Web Resources page, under Recreation and Sports, there's the little word "pets." This leads to several options, but my favorite hands down is Petfinder. Petfinder has brought many animals into my life, and it was the fairy godmother that allowed Cambridge and us to find each other.

So, if you're looking for any pet - be it dog, cat, snake, bird, or hamster, check out Petfinder first. Then you can help an animal find a happily ever after with you as well!

Jennie V.
South Independence Branch