humphrey finds home.

It was Valentine's Day. I was sitting on my couch and heard a far-off meow. Soon, there was a chorus of heartbreaking meows sitting at my doorstep. How could I ignore it? I looked out the window and there he was - an orange and white tabby cat with sea green eyes. He looked up at me with hope and continued to meow incessantly until I opened the door. 

I always hate seeing animals outside during winter months. I stepped outside, and he immediately

began purring. In a matter of minutes, my jeans were covered with fur - he seemed so grateful that someone was paying attention to him. He was shivering from the low temps, so I warmed up a small bowl of milk for him. I thought that was all I had to offer him until I remembered I had a few cans of tuna - I quickly became his best friend. 

I called Animal Care & Control . . . twice, but they never showed up. Sadly, I am not allowed pets in my apartment. Thankfully he wasn't without shelter. There is an old shed on the property that he was able to get into, so I set up a box with a blanket to help with the draftiness. That night my friend and I went to to the store and picked up some dry cat food to help him get through the cold temps. 

Whenever kitty needed something (often just attention), he would sit in front of my door and loudly meow until I opened the door. Later that weekend another friend and I spent the afternoon building an insulated shelter out of scrap wood. But the little stinker wouldn't go inside it - pretty sure he thought it was a trick or something. 

hiding out at the vet

I posted his photo on multiple lost pet sites/groups and hoped for the best. Last night I discovered he was declawed, which made me more hopeful that I could find an owner. Fast forward to this morning and I notice he is favoring one of his front paws. I was worried that it may be frostbite, so I took a look. After a short inspection I come to the conclusion that I should take him to the vet to ensure it isn't anything to be concerned about. 

I shot a text to my supervisor informing her I would be late to work (flexibility is one of the many perks of working at FSSI) and drove kitty to the vet. I explained the situation to them and asked if it was possible to check for a microchip. I thought the chances that the owner would microchip their cat would be pretty slim, but might as well check! 

The vet tech scanned between kitty's shoulder blades and sure enough - he had a microchip! Who would have thought a cat would be microchipped?! After the vet tech called kitty's owners, she walked in and said, "Meet Humphrey." Best cat name ever. This is one story with a very happy ending - Humphrey found his home (with a little help from some humans). Every life is worth advocating for - even the furry ones :)