Dusty the Camp Fire Cat Hits the Road

By FieldHaven Feline Center

Help Us Reach Our Goal of Raising $40,000 During Big Day of Giving

Post surgery at UC Davis

Taking care of Barbara

All we know about Dusty’s life prior to November 8, 2018 is that he lived somewhere near 6626 Skyway in Paradise. That’s where he was found by rescuers after the Camp Fire, horribly burned over his face, feet, legs and ears.

For the next several months he was cared for at UC Davis, receiving frequent bandage changes and surgery to amputate burned toes and on his eyes for a non-fire related condition. When he left UC Davis, he came to FieldHaven sporting a roly-poly body, raspy snore because of fire damaged lungs, singed coat that felt like a Brillo pad, shortened, fire-scarred ears, missing toes and burn-scarred face and legs. Oh yeah, did we mention that he is also FIV+?

Besides captivating volunteers with his cute button nose and raspy purr, Dusty did a few important things during his sojourn at FieldHaven. He spent time as a hospice cat for beloved FieldHaven volunteer Barbara during the last weeks of her life. He also made a very important FIV educational video.

On his weekend date with Elizabeth

At first, we couldn’t understand why a forever family eluded Dusty, but now we know why. Dusty was waiting for his soulmate Elizabeth to find her way from Virginia Beach last week.

Elizabeth has been volunteering with FieldHaven from afar for several months, working our found Camp Fire Cats data to get exposure to possible owners. She arrived in town on a Friday to meet the people and cats she has been working with so closely at FieldHaven for many months. She mentioned she was looking for a cool cat to share her travels. We thought of Dusty.

Making himself at home in Elizabeth’s camper

Elizabeth and Dusty spent the weekend dating. First was an excursion to visit the Marysville and Paradise Camp Fire shelters. He perched himself in the car like he’d been doing it forever, gazing about as the landscape whizzed by, his chubby little head going from side to side watching. Going into each shelter, greeting the people and cats there like they were old friends, Elizabeth and Dusty continued to bond. That Sunday, he attended a family Easter brunch, but thought it was simply his coming out party; going to each guest for pets.

On Monday it was clear they were meant to be together forever. The adoption papers were signed and off Dusty went with Elizabeth on his first adventure to Portland, Oregon. Their first stop was back to Paradise for an overnight visit with the staff and volunteers to thank them for playing matchmaker. Tuesday they were back on the road again. Follow Dusty and Elizabeth’s adventures on Dusty the Camp Fire Cat’s official Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter account. Elizabeth’s Rootless Routes Blog and Rootless Root’s Facebook page.

It is only because of you that cats like Dusty can have the adventures of their lives within the safety of a loving family.

Thanks to generous FieldHaven supporters, any donation you make on the Big Day of Giving website will be matched up to $17,500! The kitties and all of us humans who love them extend our gratitude to Mark M. Glickman for his donation of $10,000, Kim Fox-Yoder and Family for their donation of $5,000, and Barry and Karen Richards for their donation of $2,500 made in honor of all the cats they have loved.

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