Louie

Good things take time … but the waiting can be hard. For Louie, as he waited for his forever family he watched his feline friends head to their homes one by one, he would then make new friends only to watch as they too found their forever after. Despite seeing so many friends come and go, Louie remained a perfect gentleman, free of bitterness, and always welcomed meeting new friends. A calm presence, he could be found in grooming or play sessions with his roommates, sharing the window “TV” watching, or teaching how to properly chase a ball. For over a year and a half, Louie settled into his life at the shelter. When he first arrived, Louie was a nine-month-old, extremely shy, timid, and human-adverse kitten. He would skitter away from visitors that came into his room: watching from up high on a perch was his preference. Over time however, with staff, volunteers, and visitors helping to build his trust and confidence, Louie gradually started to allow gentle pets until one day he started asking for affection, and even began venturing onto laps for a brief cuddle. And to our surprise, he absolutely loved cuddles from kids! While he was rarely the first cat to greet visitors at his door, we knew that in the right home where he could grow into bonds of trust, that Louie would be an exceptionally special cat! Sadly, despite his leaps and bounds in sociability, Louie remained with us. As an orange tabby, he had a genetic predisposition to stomatitis: a condition where gums aggressively respond to plaque and tartar, resulting in a need for more frequent dental care. Due to no fault of his own, this condition combined with his quieter nature saw him passed by for adoption time and again. Until a week ago. A couple came in looking for a special addition to their family, namely a cat that would be a good fit and companion for their own cat. There were happy tears when the couple announced that Louie was that cat, and they wanted to take him home! This family had experience with stomatitis and weren’t deterred by it or Louie’s quieter nature. We are over the moon with joy that Louie finally found his purrfect forever home, where we know he will be deeply loved, has a feline companion to spend the days with, and road-trip adventures! At long last, congratulations Louie! You will be so missed, but the wait was worth it!