The sweetest senior tabby journeyed up from Colorado Springs to Cat Care Society last August. One of our shelter partners there sent him our way because they knew we were better equipped to handle the host of medical issues he had. Sir Winston Winthrop brought with him a FIV+ diagnosis, Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, stomatitis, anemia, periodontal disease, arthritis, a heart murmur and hyperglobulinemia. But immediate attention was needed on a painful mass on his face.
Not surprisingly, Sir Winston was a bit grumpy when he came in due to the discomfort and swelling on his cheek. Our team quickly removed the mass and got to work treating his other medical needs, including extracting all of his teeth. At first, his prognosis was very guarded. Staff was warned to not get to attached because we weren’t yet positive he would be an adoptions candidate considering all of his issues.
Despite it all, he remained so loving, literally reaching out for affection from the staff. He did great with his FIV roommates, too.
Sir Winston went to a foster home for some TLC. By the second day, he was following his new humans around, never leaving their side and taking his medication like a champ.
It was going so well in his foster home that Madison couldn’t help but officially adopt him. 156 days into our care, he found his forever home.
“After a couple months of Winnie getting used to us and our house, a flip switched,” she said. “One morning, we were all laying in bed waking up (Winnie has always slept at the foot of our bed) and Winnie decided to come up and cuddle with us for the first time! He laid on my chest and rested his face on my face. It felt like he was finally starting to really feel safe and he wanted to let us know. He cuddled up with us for over an hour! I turned to my boyfriend and said, ‘There’s no way we are letting anyone else adopt him.’ It felt like he belonged with us. Later that month, we had to take him back for the shelter for a week while we were out of town. We hated the thought of him getting adopted while we were gone and us never being able to see him again! We told the shelter that we would like to begin the process to adopt him because we fell in love with him! It was the best decision! We love him so, so much!”
Now known as Winnie, Madison says you could never tell that he had any health issues. When he first went to their home, he would startle easily and wasn’t very interested in toys. “He is a completely different cat now!” she said. “He loves to play with us and by himself. He greets us at the door and brings us his favorite toys to play with. We always say that there is no way he is 13, because he is as playful as a kitten.”
“When we first got him, he was a bit timid and very insecure about his food. Although we fed him twice a day (and he loved his food!), he would act feral trying to get any kind of food scraps. It took him a few months to feel secure and know he was going to be fed every day. He couldn’t care less about our human food now because he knows he will always be fed. It’s so sweet to see this change in him! We are so glad he feels secure and safe with us now.”
Madison calls Winnie’s personality the sweetest. “He loves to give hugs and greet you with a chirpy meow.” Other loves include:
- Fuzzy blankets
- Burying his head in blankets and kneading them
- Getting tucked in the covers before bedtime
- Giving kisses
- Licking faces and gently biting noses
- When his humans come home from work
- Fabric toy balls that jingle, his octopus string toy, and a Hello Kitty stuffy he carries everywhere in his mouth
Winnie has even won non-cat people over with his loving nature. “He loves giving our friends kisses and hugs and sitting next to them to get pets. All of our friends adore him! Some of our friends have even told us they never liked cats until they met Winnie!”
Madison says they loved the experience fostering with Cat Care Society. “We did not have any prior experience with FIV kitties before Winnie, so we had no idea what to expect. FIV does not affect Winnie’s day-to-day life or his loving personality! We are so glad we gave an FIV kitty a chance. He is the best cat in the world!”
Have you adopted from CCS in the past? We’d love to hear how it’s going! Send us your adoption success stories (and photos!) to be featured in our #adoptionupdate series on social media or on our website.
