Adopt a Pet

This is Forbidden Chomp or just Chomp. He has been in the rescue for almost two months now, but we haven't shared his story because we weren't sure what was going to happen with him at first. Today he is ready to officially be posted for adoption, so buckle up for his wild story. One of our volunteers was working with a caretaker at a local colony to help get the community cats in her neighborhood TNR'd (trapped, neutered, and returned). Chomp lived outside at this colony and was known as "Broke Foot Kitty because it looked like he had a broken foot from the way he hobbled and limped around. While we wanted to get all the cats spayed and neutered there, he was the main goal of every trapping mission because we wanted to get his foot looked at as soon as possible. He began to lose weight, his foot was actively bleeding, and some of the other cats in the colony were beating him up resulting in him losing most of one ear (and resulting in his name, Forbidden Chomp). Despite his worsening condition, he was very evasive of the traps and it wasn't until five months later that he was finally captured. It was immediately clear that his foot was not broken, but that he had a condition known as pillowfoot, an immune disorder that causes swelling and ulceration of the paw pads. His was severe and the paw pad of his front left foot was one giant swollen ulcer. Pillowfoot can be hard to treat in feral cats because it requires surgery, weeks of antibotics, and daily bandage changes while it heals. With a truly feral cat that cannot be handled, this is nearly impossible and confining them indoors for an extended period during healing can be detrimental to their mental health. To add to all this, during Chomp's medical exam, we also found out that he was FIV+. FIV attacks the immune system in cats which makes them more susceptible to other illnesses and can make it much harder for them to recover from things... like pillowfoot surgery. However, we really wanted to give Chomp a chance. The ulcer and most of Chomp's paw pad was removed and he was brought to his foster home. That first night he accepted head pets and even purred. The next two weeks Chomp was a model patient. He allowed his foster parents to wrap him up in a blanket so his bandage could be removed, and his paw could be cleaned and rewrapped. For a while his paw continued to look very raw, and it did not seem like it was healing at all. Then almost overnight, it suddenly came together and started to look like a paw pad again. Chomp's personality has only continued to shine day after day. While he showed us from day one that he is a sweet boy, now that he is without pain and he is in a safe, warm place, he is finally living the kitten years he didn't get to have. He is discovering what toys he likes, and he enjoys chasing ribbons. His favorite thing is still just to be loved on. He loves to curl up where he is touching your lap and he loves to roll over get belly rubs. Chomp's personality has only continued to shine day after day. While he showed us from day one that he is a sweet boy, now that he is without pain and he is in a safe, warm place, he is finally living the kitten years he didn't get to have. He is discovering what toys he likes, and he enjoys chasing ribbons. His favorite thing is still just to be loved on. He loves to curl up where he is touching your lap and he loves to roll over get belly rubs. Most surprisingly, Chomp really wants to have another cat friend. At his foster's house he lays by the door of his room and meows and chirps to the other cats in the house. He doesn't even mind when they hiss and growl back to him. He would do well with a younger playful kitten or another very friendly cat. He has also met the foster's two large dogs. He is pretty chill with them as long as their energy remains calm. Chomp can still be startled easily, so as long as he is approached calmly, he will get along with anyone. We were so uncertain what was going to happen with Chomp, so we are thrilled for this outcome for him. His foot has healed beautifully, and he is ready to officially start the search for his forever home!