Alyssa J. and her fiancé, Cody, were not preparing to adopt a cat, however when they went to Wayside Waifs, an ASPCA partner shelter, “just to look,” they fell under the very same trap many pet moms and dads have actually fallen under in the past.
The couple at first went to Wayside Waifs to have fun with the available animals when they saw a sweet two-year-old tabby called Cat Damon who rapidly took their hearts.
“The day we adopted Damon, the first thing we noticed was how playful he was,” says Alyssa. “When we got to spend time with him, we decided he would make the perfect addition to our family.”
But regardless of Cat Damon’s spirited purrsonality, he wasn’t constantly the relaxed person Alyssa fell for.
Bourne for Something Greater
After being rescued from a hoarding circumstance in Florida, Cat Damon, in addition to several other cats and little dogs, was moved to the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio. Upon arrival, it was discovered that a lot of the cats were positive for the feline leukemia infection (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency infection (FIV). Cat Damon checked positive for FeLV. This condition, though not lethal, might affect discovering the best adopter.
In addition to his medical condition, Cat Damon was likewise shocked by his past.
“He was the most shutdown and fearful of all the cats from this case,” describes Leah Finstad, Senior Manager of Placement and Foster at the CRC. “He hid in the back of his kennel and would swat and hiss when people tried to approach.”
In an effort to help him end up being more comfy and positive, the staff at the CRC moved Cat Damon into a workplace where it was quieter. Their hope was that his character would start to bloom in a more comfy setting where he would routinely engage with individuals.
“While he slowly started to come out of his shell in the office, he didn’t seem to be thriving like some of the other cats,” Leah informs us. “We decided to send him to a foster home to see how he would do in a home environment with closer monitoring.”
Though he concealed for the very first couple of days, Cat Damon quickly began to come out and explore his foster home. By the time his foster duration was over, he had actually become a a lot more positive cat.
(Good Will) Hunting for a New Home
Now back at the CRC, Cat Damon was prepared for his next experience, life in an adoptive home. Our CRC and Centralized Placement staff strove to discover him a home, however sadly discovering positioning for an FeLV positive cat can be hard.
“While many shelters will take FIV positive cats for placement, FeLV positive cats are more difficult to place,” says Leah. “There is still a lot of stigma surrounding FeLV and many shelters will not take cats that are positive into their programs due to them being more challenging to adopt out as well as being more prone to potential secondary health conditions. Since the CRC places most of our animals through shelter partners, we knew finding placement for so many positive cats would prove a challenge, but one we were willing to take on for these special cats!”
While waiting to discover his individual, Cat Damon was established in CRC Senior Manager of Volunteers and Responders, Joseph Roger’s workplace while he ran out town.
“We hoped Cat Damon would only be staying a short time with us,” keeps in mind Leah. “Well, he ended up staying another two months and completely took over the office! He even got his own nameplate outside of the office and everyone started referring to it as Cat Damon’s office.”
It remained in his workplace that Cat Damon’s character lastly completely progressed.
“He became the most affectionate and mischievous cat,” says Leah. “As soon as we came in each morning, he would start yelling for attention. Everyone in the shelter would come to his office to hang out with him throughout the day.”
Cat Damon might typically be discovered walking on the computer system keyboards, knocking things off the desk, taking lunches and tossing his mouse toys out of below the door whenever he was alone—he found out that suggested individuals would need to unlock to put the mice back which suggested more attention!
“Cat Damon became one of the most well-known and best loved animals who has ever come through the CRC,” Leah informs us.
His Final Act as Shelter Cat
After months of searching, Jasmine Holsinger, Senior Manager of Placement Partnerships, lastly protected positioning for Cat Damon at Wayside Waifs, a devoted ASPCA partner shelter in Kansas City, Missouri.
“Partnerships with shelters like Wayside Waifs are critical to ensuring pets like Cat Damon have a safe place to land after they are rescued and rehabilitated by the ASPCA,” says Jesse Rushin, Senior Director of Placement. “We are grateful for Wayside Waifs support and dedication to finding Cat Damon a great new home.”
Having produced bonds with many of the team member at the CRC and being the last cat from his case to discover positioning, the staff tossed Cat Damon a “furwell pawty.”
“This included a ‘furwell’ cake, orange punch and sherbet (in honor of our favorite orange tabby), his own bowl of tuna with a candle, Cat Damon themed party hats and décor, and staff members writing him good luck cards to send with him on his new journey,” Leah keeps in mind. “All of those cards were sent with him to Wayside Waifs, and it was so sweet that their staff mentioned things that were written in the cards when he arrived and let us know they were going to take the best care of him.”
Learning to Play a New Role
In February of 2022, approximately 6 months after being rescued, Cat Damon came to Wayside Waifs and soon afterwards fulfilled Alyssa and Cody.
“My family at home consisted of two dogs that are almost one and my fiancé,” says Alyssa. “When picking a new baby for our home, we had to make sure he would be able to adjust to our dogs. We saw how playful he was and knew he would be perfect for our crazy girls at home. We are also very happy at how well he adjusted to our home and how brave he is to play with the dogs.”
When Cat Damon very first gotten to his brand-new home, he fidgeted and didn’t wish to be left alone. In order to help him gradually adapt to his brand-new digs, the couple set him up in the restroom to start. Anytime either of them left the room, he would weep or meow till they returned. But, as the day went on, he began to push his paw under the door to have fun with the dogs. By the 2nd day, Cat Damon had the ability to be outside the restroom with guidance to have fun with the dogs and by the 3rd day, he might be left alone.
Like the little sibling he is, Cat Damon started tinkering his huge canine siblings.
“Since our dogs aren’t potty trained yet, they stay in their kennels during the day. However, when the girls are in there, Damon will get on top of the kennel and stick his paw through and start swatting at the dogs,” says Alyssa. “Now the girls are in a separate room while we are gone.”
Cat Damon’s shenanigans are simply another display of his spirited character, something Alyssa loves about him.
“Damon has been such a light in our lives. He is a great playmate with our little puppy and a very cuddly boy. I absolutely love the cuddles he gives,” she informs us. “It has also been a benefit for our dogs. They have learned sometimes it’s okay to play and sometimes it’s not a good time. They have learned how to act around a cat and what his limits are.”
The couple had actually never ever embraced a cat with FeLV prior to and were shocked to hear Cat Damon had it, however after falling for him and finding out everything about the sweet cat, they couldn’t be better with their choice.
“If you choose to adopt a cat with a medical condition, don’t be scared,” Alyssa describes. “Yes, it can be scary because cats can be good at hiding when they’re sick, however, if you take the time and get to know your cat and their personality, you can tell when they’re not feeling good.”
“We didn’t plan on adopting a cat, let alone a cat with a medical condition, however getting to know him, I couldn’t even imagine him not being part of the family,” she includes.
