meet our permanent residents
Some of our fosters are unable to be adopted due to medical needs, socialization challenges, or other special circumstances. While we are lucky to provide them with a safe and loving permanent home, the rescue remains financially responsible for them. The costs of some of their ongoing care is significant. These cats (and dog) rely on our rescue – and supporters like you – to thrive, giving them a stable and happy home for life.
hOPE
Our well-traveled, paralyzed foster cat, Hope, came to us all the way from Kuwait. She was tragically hit by a car there, breaking part of her spine and leaving her paralyzed, and was facing euthanasia until a rescuer stepped in. We took a chance on her, and her kind rescuers in Kuwait helped her reach the U.S.
Despite seeing multiple specialists for her complex medical needs – both diagnosed and still undetermined – it became clear that a traditional forever home wouldn’t be the right fit for her. She required someone experienced, patient, and attentive to her unique and extensive needs, and we wanted to ensure she would always have the care and attention she deserves.
Hope resides at Gianna’s home, and she rules her foster home like the queen she is. She spends her days demanding doors be opened so she can soak up sunlight, riding elevators (or human hands) to the bay window, and insisting that Gianna tuck her in under the covers for snuggles. Life with Hope is never dull, and her spirited personality proves she’s a survivor through and through.
WALTER
Our senior hospice pup, Walter, was rescued from our partner shelter after being found roaming the streets – emaciated, deaf, itchy, and all alone. Gianna had been hoping to foster a small senior dog, but Walter (who went from 40 lbs to 66… definitely not so small) turned out to be a far more complex medical case than expected.
In addition to being diagnosed with cancer, liver disease, arthritis, chronic ear infections, and a yeast infection in his skin, Walter developed pneumonia shortly after coming into foster care and nearly lost his life. During his emergency hospitalization, we also discovered he had an enlarged heart and heart disease. Despite all of this, Walter has been thriving in our care for a year and a half – and counting!
Walter requires extensive and expensive medical care, including medications for his heart and liver disease, arthritis, skin allergies, and ear infections. He regularly sees both a dermatologist and cardiologist in addition to his primary care doctor, requires specialized grooming for his skin, and eats a carefully tailored diet from the Farmer’s Dog.
Through it all, Walter remains a happy, loving pup who enjoys the simplicities of life – napping, eating (anything and everything), and pooping. He loves people but isn’t a fan of cats, which makes sharing a foster home with them… interesting. So instead, he lives his best life in a separate area of house where he is happy and content. We’re so grateful to be able to give Walter a second chance to live out his golden years.
FROSTY
Frosty is Brandy’s brother and is a special-needs cat. Unlike Brandy, Frosty was diagnosed with both progressive retinal atrophy, which severely affects his vision, and congenital diffuse myopathy, a rare muscle disorder with limited scientific research. His condition makes him extra cautious, prevents him from jumping or climbing without assistance, and leaves him easily exhausted after play, which presents as heavy breathing and muscle tremors in his body and face. Because so little is known about his condition, it’s impossible to predict how he’ll progress over time. We are hopeful he will live a long and happy life, but at minimum, he will likely need many accommodations as he ages. For his safety, stability, and quality of life, Frosty remains with us permanently so that his needs can be carefully monitored and managed, and so he stays comfortable getting around in a familiar place. Despite these challenges, Frosty enjoys life to the fullest: hunting (loudly) with his pom-pom toys, lounging in the catio, snuggling with his humans, and being carefully monitored by his bestie/seeing-eye-cat, Brock.
princess
Princess is a former feral kitten rescued from a wooded area where a colony of abandoned cats had been living and reproducing. She was friendly with her caretaker who stepped in to feed her and her brother, but she was not able to be taken inside due to their cat-aggressive dogs. At a high risk of being picked up by animal control and likely euthanized due to her lack of true socialization, we could not say no to helping when her caretaker reached out to find placement for Princess.
Originally, Princess came to us as a foster with the expectation that she would be further socialized and eventually adopted; her brother, who was much more feral than she was, went to a barn home. Princess’ fearfulness made socializing her a long and challenging process.
It took over eight months for Princess to begin trusting Gab little by little, all thanks to her resident cat, Bowie, who she learned so much from. She is only truly social with her foster family – although still very skittish – and moving her to a new home would have caused her to regress and lose the trust and comfort she’s built. Because of this, she isn’t adoptable and remains in a permanent home with Gab where she can continue to thrive in her own special way.
Princess enjoys spending most of her time relaxing in her comfort zones of the house, snuggling into her foster mom’s hair while making biscuits, hanging out with her kitty friends, and playing with her catnip toys. After such a long journey of socialization, she now has a second chance to live safely and happily, enjoying the comfort of indoor life being surrounded by those she trusts.
brandy
Brandy came to us as a sick kitten after being trapped with her siblings. From the beginning, Brandy was very fearful of humans and never became fully socialized, even though she was only 6 weeks old upon intake. She was adopted once, but the experience was extremely stressful and traumatic for her – she hid in the same spot for days (longer than the average adopted cat), refused to eat, drink, or go to the bathroom. She was at risk of serious medical issues if it continued, and neither her foster or adoptive family were comfortable moving forward. We knew we couldn’t put her through that again, so she came back to Gab and was deemed unadoptable. As soon as she returned, she greeted all of her kitty friends, ate food, and went back to her comfort spots. We knew it was meant to be for her to be a long-term resident. She now has a safe, permanent home where she can live with limited stress or fear.
Brandy spends her days on her own terms — bird watching, hanging out with her best kitty friend, Josie, and begging her mom for snacks. At times, she enjoys pets and kisses, but only when she’s seated on one particular couch, that is! She thrives in a calm environment where she can feel safe and secure with her cat friends, living life exactly the way she wants.
brock
Brock is a former feral kitten rescued from a junkyard during another rescuer’s TNR project. He was trapped, neutered, and returned, but later ended up going back in a trap for a second time. Since we had recently taken in another kitten from his location with much success during her socialization, we couldn’t say no to this little one who desperately wanted food and safety.
Brock had a couple of medical issues once we took him in – the major one being a bad ongoing ear infection. Despite months of trying, Brock remained extremely fearful, likely in part due to the ongoing ear cleanings and medications. Returning him to the unsafe junkyard was not an option for us, and because he is still extremely skittish and nervous, he isn’t adoptable. He needs the stability, safety, and familiar environment of a permanent foster home to thrive.
With that being said, Brock has come a very long way in the past year and a half. He went from a completely terrified kitten who would hide himself under a rug or anything he could find when someone walked into the room, to a much more confident little guy who runs up to Gab for food and no longer hides (except during vacuum time, of course). He loves the indoor life, but he just likes his humans at a distance! He spends his time with the other cats, especially his best friend Frosty; exploring tunnels, wall climbers, the catio, and napping in cozy corners.