Sam, Caviar, and Miss Violet

Sam, Caviar, and Miss Violet

At FieldHaven Feline Center, we celebrate every time a cat or kitten is adopted: fuzzy, adorable, playful kittens; loving, beautiful, healthy adults; and Rodent Rangers who’ve put their “catting around” days behind them and became ready for respectable jobs.
Pictures of these happy events sprinkle the pages of Facebook, Twitter feeds, and Instagram, celebrating the joy of each furry, whiskered face going to what we hope will be their forever home.

Each time a cat comes under the care of FieldHaven, we commit ourselves to provide the very best outcome for that cat: a home, a sanctuary, a fospice (foster + hospice) home – whatever is needed. It’s not always easy to do, however. Sometimes, it’s painfully hard. We have faith and wait, but sometimes, the wait just gets a little long.

Living amongst all those kitties at the shelter are those who aren’t so easy to find a home for. They may have chronic illnesses, be a little grey around the muzzle, or have behavior challenges that we just can’t resolve even with the best veterinarians, expertise, and resources.

We have three of those cats right now who are all very deserving of homes. They have been patiently waiting for a family who never seems to come along. We’ve provided all we can for them. It’s simply time for a home, and we know it’s out there. It may not be you can adopt one of them, but it could be someone you know or someone who you network with through your connections.

>Don’t let distance or financial concerns be a barrier: even if you live hundreds or thousands of miles from FieldHaven Feline Center, we will find a way to transport to the perfect home. If needed, we will provide assistance with medical expenses.

Please help us find homes for Sam, Caviar, and Miss Violet. Here are their stories.

Sam

Sam came from a feral colony, but he wasn’t feral. Upon arrival at FieldHaven, this gentle cat’s health checkup revealed he was FIV positive and diabetic. Being FIV+ is no big deal, but his diabetes will require a lifetime commitment of care. He is very well regulated on twice daily insulin shots, which he accepts without so much as a “meow.”

He has a laid-back, sociable personality and gets along with other cats. He needs a family who can commit to giving him an insulin injection twice daily and routine checkups, which can be provided at FieldHaven. We will also provide the insulin and supplies.

Caviar

Caviar needs a home where her family will not mind if they hardly ever see her. We wish Caviar could tell us what sort of horrible, traumatic experiences she had in her previous home, but we will never know. It must have been dreadful, because in spite of extensive therapy, she is still dramatically fearful of humans.

Her therapy has included consulting with a behavioral veterinarian and building a special condo where trained, dedicated volunteers work to gain her trust. She does not bite or scratch, but she is so fearful of a human hand that she cries in fear when touched. She is not a candidate for our Rodent Ranger program, as she has lived her entire life indoors.

We know a home is out there for Caviar, because we have seen it when hard-to-adopt cats like Spot, Four, and Indigo found fabulous families. These were cats similar to Caviar who were taken into homes with no expectations of being a lap warmer or giving head butts. Their families are sometimes honored with a token show of love, but mostly they just find fulfillment in knowing they are providing a safe, comfortable home.​

Miss Violet

Miss Violet should have been a super, happy-ending story. She was found when a kind person was trying to capture a stray dog. The woman saw a scrawny, little black and white kitty with something strange her neck. When captured, she discovered it was an almost-empty roll of duct tape around the kitty’s neck. Cutting off the tape roll revealed open sores on her neck, indicating it had been there for some time.

Once Miss Violet’s neck was healed and she had put on some weight, she went in for her spay and blood tests before being placed for adoption. Sadly, she tested positive for FELV (feline leukemia virus).

In the time it took to read the test results, Miss Violet went from being a highly adoptable teenager to a cat that would be condemned to immediate euthanasia in many places. Fortunately, her rescuers didn’t give up that easily.

No one knows how long Miss Violet will live before the leukemia makes her ill, but in our experience, it can be several months to several years. We simply won’t know.

What we do know, though, is that Miss Violet is healthy-acting, happy, and loving right now. She deserves to live and enjoy life for as long as she can, and if/when she gets ill, she wants a loving family to be by her side to ease her over the Rainbow Bridge.


Do you have space in your home, heart, and life for one of these worthy kitties? If so, please contact us at [email protected] or (916) 434-6022. If not, could you share their stories with people you know? We cannot give up on them, and we hope you agree we shouldn’t.

If you’d like to donate to help us continue to save cats like Sam, Caviar, and Miss Violet, your contribution in any amount would be greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: Caviar was adopted in March 2017, Sam was adopted in January 2018, and Miss Violet was adopted in May 2018.

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