12 Saves of Christmas #6: Cheeseball
It was just turning to spring when several FieldHaven team members were called for help along the Feather River in Yuba County. Over the years, a section of it became a vast homeless camp. When several agencies began cleaning up the site, they called us to help with the cats who had also made the space home. Cheeseball was one of those who needed more help than others.
He’s as adorable and charming as the name sounds. He was living on the riverbank with another cat, Feather, and it just wasn’t a healthy lifestyle for them. When the FieldHaven team arrived, Cheeseball literally jumped right into the arms of one of our people—he was ready to get out of there!
Both cats came back to FieldHaven for some basic TLC and medical care. Feather was quickly adopted; Cheeseball needed more time. He had a condition called entropion which is when the eyelids roll inward, causing abnormal, painful friction with the eye. He had surgery to correct it, and right away we could tell he felt better. He had a spa day with some serious grooming and a blowout. Then, he was as good as new!
We did discover he had the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV+) but he had no symptoms. We just knew he needed a stress-free, healthy, home to keep him at his best.
We also discovered he needed more time than most to acclimate to a new space and fellow cats. He was somewhat of a cheeky tomcat during his time outdoors, so adjusting to a new lifestyle (even though he was incredibly friendly) was going to pose some challenges. He was affectionate and curious but needed just the right family to set him up for success.
Cheeseball was with us for over seven months—a much longer stay than most cats. Whether it was his quirkiness or medical needs that caused possible adopters to overlook him we’ll never know, but it did lead to the perfect home.
One of our foster parents Emily had been talking about adopting him for months because it broke her heart every time she visited and saw him still sitting in his suite. She was familiar with FIV and very cat-savvy. She could offer indoor areas and a secure, safe outdoor space, so he could have the best of both worlds. So, after a lengthy stay at hotel FieldHaven, Cheeseball went home.
We work hard to treat every cat as an individual. We assess their needs and do everything we can to set them up for success while they are with us, and to prepare their future family for success as well. Cheeseball, like so many other cats, deserved our patience and help no matter how long it—and it couldn’t have ended better.
It’s thanks to your support that we can allow cats like Cheeseball to stay as long as they need and take our time in finding the best home for each cat. Thank you for supporting us… so that we can support them.
Spread Holiday Cheer: Donate Today!
P.S. Cheeseball wanted to say thank you for your donations. He doesn’t know where he would be today without YOU!
Print Friendly