Chestnut

My story

Chestnut Male DSH orange tabby Estimated DOB 02/2022 Chestnut is an incredibly sweet boy who enjoys lounging on his favorite chair and being pet. He is also a big talker when it's meal time and won't let you forget that he hasn't been feed yet. Chestnut has FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), but he is healthy and doing fantastic! Cats with FIV live incredibly happy and long lives just like any other cat can. They can also safely be housed with other cats as long as they get along as FIV is primarily spread via saliva such as through deep bite wounds which we see in severe fights. Thankfully, Chestnut is a sweetheart and was likely infected being outside before he was neutered. Backstory: Chestnut was a neighborhood stray who started frequenting his finder's house. One day right before we were about to get a bad snowstorm with incredibly low temps, Chestnut showed up at her door and had a large wound on his side. His finder jumped into action and took him inside and sought immediate medical attention for him. With the amazing care of his finder and the veterinarian, he has healed up wonderfully and is good as new! Although he was already neutered when he was found, he did not have a microchip. He was posted on Petco Love Lost in the hopes that maybe he had escaped his home and had been lost outside for a long period of time which would explain the poor condition he was in. Unfortunately, no one reached out. There is the possibility that he was a stray cat that a caretaker had neutered to prevent overpopulation or he may have been dumped outside. Either way, he is in the rescue and getting the much needed care he deserves. He is doing absolutely amazing in his foster home and is learning how luxurious the inside life is where you do not have to worry about freezing temperatures or where your next meal is coming from. Housing: He currently shares the home with a medium sized senior dog. He does not mind the dog, but when they get a little rowdy and barky when someone comes over, Chestnut will go find a quieter place in the house to hangout in until the chaos has subsided. He has not been around other cats in his foster home. He may very well get along with other cats depending on their personality, but out of an abundance of caution, he'd do better with more mellow cats. Additionally, since FIV is primarily spread via saliva such as from deep bite wounds (like intact male cats constantly fighting outside), we would want him to be with other cats who have similiar personalities and get along. He has not been around any adult dogs and has only been around a young puppy for a few hours which he did not mind as they left him completely alone. It's unclear if he'd be okay with adult/larger dogs or dogs that are more energetic and want to interact with him. He likely would do best in a house without young children or in a quieter home because all that comotion and change can cause increased stress in cats which should especially be avoided in FIV positive cats. Even then, it all depends on the specific situation and he would do great in any household as long as it was as stress free as possible. Medical: Because he is FIV positive, he needs a low stress environment, quality food, exams at least yearly, and proactive veterinary care to ensure he stays healthy. Because he has a compromised immune system, he'e not the type of cat that you try the "wait it out" approach if he's sick. Although FIV cats can be more prone to certain medical diseases, they more often than not live completely normal lives compared to their counterparts. As medicine has advanced, we now know that having FIV is not at all a death sentence like it had been treated as previously. These cats live comparable lives to non FIV positive cats and deserve a home and love all the same. We highly recommend finding a veterinarian who is comfortable with and knowledgable about FIV. Depending on their clients, FIV may not be something that every veterinarian sees regularly in their practice, so it can be daunting and they may not be familiar with the most recent guidelines for FIV cats and how they can live normal and healthy lives. You can learn more about FIV through the American Association of Feline Practitioners' Feline Retrovirus Management Guidelines or from the Feline Veterinary Medicine Association's website and brochures such as this one! https://catvets.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FelineVMA_FeLV-and-FIV-Broch_Web.2.pdf All cats are spayed/neutered, current on age approriate vaccines (rabies and distemper), microchipped, given flea/tick prevention and dewormer, FIV/FeLV tested, and any other veterinary care that is needed prior to adoption. Location: Chestnut is currently in foster. If you are interested in adopting, fill out an application online at www.figandfriendspetrescue.org/adopt

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Chestnut, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.