Status / Details
2018, Adopted
Additional Info
About Harold H Flufferton
With his current haircut and his pudgy body Harold is a funny guy and fun to photograph. But his is not a funny story. Let me tell it to you.
Harold came up to previous adopter of mine while she and her husband were walking thru their neighborhood. He was soliciting her attention, she felt he was clearly asking her for help. He was very badly matted and was only able to move with difficulty. She and her husband followed him to a home and spoke with the man in the yard. He said Harold was not his cat and “he would never let a cat of his- and he had three- get in such bad shape”. He just put food out for neighborhood cats who did not have homes. He said he had been feeding him for a long time – I don’t know how long. A few days later this cat loving woman saw Harold again and put him in a crate and took him to a rescue she volunteered with. During an exam with the rescuer’s vet they found Harold had a microchip. His owner was contacted and, perhaps anxious to avoid animal cruelty charges, she came in to sign an Owner Surrender forms. Harold was called “fur bound” his mobility was so limited by his tight painful matts. Harold was anesthetized at the vet and his hair was shaved except at the end of his pompom tail. His eyes which are hard to see in my photos are a beautiful copper color.
He was adopted by his rescuer and was introduced to her two cats. At this time his ability to move was still impaired from muscles which had atrophied from non use. He systematically explored everything in the house. By the end of the his two weeks there he was social doing well – he had climbed on a lap, and jumped up on the bed, and given his mom a little lick and enjoyed being petted. Unfortunately one of the two original cats in the home started attacking him and he was very distressed. His new mom asked me if I could take him and of course I said Yes.
Harold seems to be very healthy. He passed his vet exam with flying colors. He was tested for FIV and FeLV (Feline AIDS and Leukemia, two diseases that can be transmitted between outdoor cats) and he was negative for both. He had been previously neutered. He has been wormed and vaccinated and given flea meds and supplements. He is a bit over weight. (“It looks good on him”.)
So after being outside, to being in his rescuer’s home for a couple weeks, he is now in foster with me. It has been a busy couple weeks for this boy, lots of change. He is inside and around humans, he is growing new muscles and is freed from all that fur. He has a very big Persian coat which means thick, long hair and undercoat. Giving him an annual spring “lion cut” shave is probably a good idea for him.
Harold is a wonderful cat. He is doing very well with all this change. He was settling quite quickly into his foster mom’s home. Persians need a steady diet of love. This boy has had an unusual history and he is in transition going back to being a treasured little Persian kid. (Not that he is little). He needs a family who understands that he needs to catch up with the changes in his life. Mr. Flufferton is friendly to petting but he is not yet, with us, a lap cat. He is a wiggly shoulder kitty. He is good natured and polite. He has only been with us a few days. So what I am saying is is he is adapting very well, transitioning back into being a pampered kitty but he has more changing to go. His new family needs to understand that and give him a little space and time.
One other thing: I am sure he would like to get outside. He understands front doors and lingers near them. He needs a family with no young kids who would let him out. I would suggest no little dogs, no dog doors. (I don’t know how he is with dogs.) It would be great if he had a catio or really well cat fenced back yard for him to enjoy. He might well be good with harness training and enjoy excursions with his new family. It would be easiest if he were, for now, an only cat. He may be okay with a gentle older quiet kitty. No alpha cats. He is a character and a one of a kind. He’s funny, curious, determined, and good-natured. He loves anything called food. He is going to be a lot of fun for someone.
Harold Harefoot Flufferton happily eats wet and dry food and is litterbox perfect.
His foster mom is Harriet in Santa Cruz.
Contact Harriet at (831) 336-2983 or email: harrietkitty@comcast.net if you have questions, or send an Adoption Application. If you are unable to reach Harriet by phone or email, email us at Info@purebredsplus.org.
NOTE: We prefer families with children bring them to the adoption appointment. Why? This allows interaction between the children and the cat. This helps ensure they will be a good fit for each other. A mismatch between a child and a cat is not in anyone’s best interest!