A cat soon found out that he no longer had a place to call home after his family decided to abandon him. The cat was able to walk over to a neighbor’s house to find some much-needed food and kindness. Debbie, a Virginia-based foster volunteer, was told about a cat that her coworker had been caring for. “She asked if I could help with a homeless neighborhood cat that she has been feeding. Of course, I said, ‘yes,'” Debbie shared with Love Meow. A family, who once lived a few doors down from her, moved away and left their cat behind. The kitty had to roam the streets, going from home to home in search of food and shelter.
He was finally able to find a kind woman who could not stand to see him out on the streets suffering. “He has been outside to fend for himself since the fall. Here in Virginia, the winters are very cold, so luckily, he found shelter in my coworker’s home.” Sadly, her husband was allergic to cats. So, she decided to turn her garage into a temporary refuge and made sure the kitty stayed nice and warm, well-fed, and loved every day. “He had a bed, a heat lamp and water, and food bowls. The cat followed her around like a puppy, and he even liked to hang out with her pug dog.”
Debbie @fosterkittys
But she wished to help the kitty find even more human contact and have a more suitable place to live, so she decided to reach out to Debbie for help.
Debbie @fosterkittys
Debbie picked him up and welcomed the cat with open arms. “He is absolutely magnificent. His temperament is very sweet and docile, and he is confidently walking around like he owns the place already,” Debbie said.
Debbie @fosterkittys
The regal kitty was so pleased to finally have a bigger space to roam as well as warm laps to lay on. And he would never stray far from his foster parents as he disliked being alone.
Debbie @fosterkittys
“He is such a love bucket, a totally gentle giant. I named him Valentino since Valentine’s Day is approaching (and he’s such a lover),” Debbie told Love Meow.
Debbie @fosterkittys
Sadly, after roaming the streets for some time, Valentino picked up a nasty upper respiratory infection and also had some matted fur.
“I made a vet appointment to get an exam, blood test, vaccinations and grooming.”
Debbie @fosterkittys
The vet estimated that Valentino was somewhere between 2 and 3-years-old. They also managed to remove the matted areas on his fur to give the cat a bit of relief. And they started him on an antibiotic to help him beat his infection.
“He greeted and rubbed on everyone and just purred away. The staff gushed over him!”
Valentino snuggled up to everyone he ran into at the clinic. He even offered to “assist” while they were on the computer.
Debbie @fosterkittys
Yup, he was really living up to his name!
Debbie @fosterkittys
A kind-hearted neighbor who took Valentino offs the streets so he could have a shot at a better life someday.
“He deserves a happy life and I’ll make sure he gets it!”
Please be sure to share Valentino’s story with your family and friends.
Source: Love Meow