Shelter Cases - Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter

Skimpy’s Story

Meet Skimpy. This incredible cat has overcome big challenges with a heart full of love and a zest for life. Skimpy met the Friends of the Shelter when the vet clinic staff asked for help in aiding a cat with a urinary tract blockage. After a week at Grant County Veterinary Clinic with catheterization and fluids, Skimpy joined a foster home—only to stage a daring escape! Thanks to dedicated trapping efforts, he was successfully trapped and returned to his foster home after three days, but his adventure and unrestricted diet during his escape led to another blockage and a five-day vet stay.

Now, Skimpy’s thriving on his special prescription food, with no issues since, and he’s ready to charm his way into your home! Despite any cravings Skimpy may have, it is imperative to keep him on his prescription diet to keep him from experiencing another urinary blockage.

Skimpy is a total lovebug who greets everyone with affection, adores snuggling, and even “dances” with joy! He gets along beautifully with kids and his feline foster friends. Skimpy is obsessed with lounging on the catio. To keep this superstar happy, he needs a secure, enclosed outdoor space (a catio!) and must stick to his prescription diet for life. Our dedicated foster has cared for Skimpy for months, and he’s proven he’s an amazing companion ready for a forever family to spoil him. Will you give this resilient, cuddly cat the loving home he deserves?

Click here to donate to the Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter to support our efforts.

Mason’s Story

Meet Mason, the Sweetest Snuggle Princess! This incredible cat’s journey began when the Friends rescued her as a skinny, pale yellow-striped kitten, just four months old, from a mobile home park. She soon showed signs of serious illness.

At the Grant County Veterinary Clinic, despite fluids, antibiotics, and steroids, her condition worsened, leading to a heartbreaking diagnosis: Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), specifically the dry form, which cruelly affects the central nervous system and is nearly always fatal. Yet, Mason’s fighting spirit shone through, and with the tremendous help of a newly FDA-approved drug used for fighting FIP, she defied the odds to become the loving, cuddly cat she is today.

This super-loving cat is ready to steal your heart with her cuddly nature—perfect for cozy movie nights! Mason gets along wonderfully with kids, other cats, and kittens, making her a purr-fect family addition.

Mason has a few special needs to keep her happy and healthy: she thrives on World’s Best litter due to a clay litter allergy (which caused swelling in her paws, lips, and ears, now fully managed!). She prefers soft, dim lighting, as bright lights bother her, likely due to nerve sensitivity from her past struggle with FIP, per her vet. She likes being brushed but is sensitive near her lower back—treat her gently, and she’ll reward you with endless affection!

This resilient girl has been with our dedicated foster for a while, and we’re committed to finding her the perfect forever home where she’ll be spoiled like the princess she is. Will you give Mason the loving, calm environment she deserves?

Click here to donate to the Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter and support our mission.

Castle’s Story, Part 1

May 29, 2024/in Shelter Cases, Stories from Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter/by Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter

When a new cat appears in a neighborhood, people usually think that he’s passing through, a happy wanderer, a capable survivor. People thought that about the little tuxedo cat that they glimpsed in their rural neighborhood, from a distance. Those glimpses didn’t show them that the fellow was losing weight.

Finally, one day, a woman saw the tuxedo on her patio. He wasn’t sure that it was safe to be seen, so he moved out of sight. Yet, he seemed to feel the need to be close to humans. Eventually, after a few days, the woman understood why.

The cat’s left hind leg was shredded. It looked, those who saw the wounded leg thought, like the cat’s leg had been in a leg-hold trap. Somehow, in a way that no one wanted to imagine, the small creature had pulled his leg out and was looking for help.

Yet, his need and his fear battled each other. So, the Friends of the Shelter helped. Members set and baited a cat trap. The hungry cat went in.

That was when the cat became Castle. That was when people discovered that Castle had been a pet. He hadn’t chosen to be a roamer. A human he’d relied on made that decision, and it was a nearly fatal decision for poor Castle. The cat was heading toward starvation when he walked into the leg-hold trap.

To survive, Castle needed a drastic amputation, a surgery that the Friends of the Shelter’s Emergency Vet Fund covered. That life-saving amputation was drastic. That surgery meant that Castle needed long-term, dedicated help to recover. Castle had to learn to do everything. The story of his recuperation is in the next installment of Castle’s continuing saga.

Click here to donate to the Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter and support Castle’s recovery.

Marley’s Story, Part 1

March 24, 2024/in Shelter Cases, Stories from Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter/by Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter

When a law enforcement officer asks for help from the shelter staff, it can be very serious. Situations don’t get much more serious than Marley’s was. Neighbors had been watching Marley suffer without food or water. However, in Kentucky, animals are property, with few laws to protect them. People, even kind ones, hesitate to get involved. But one weekend someone finally couldn’t watch silently any longer. That person called law enforcement. The officer responding to that call found Marley, pictured above.

The officer asked for help from the shelter. When two shelter staff members arrived, they saw a dog who was too weak to stand up. Yet the dog’s huge eyes were friendly. He even tried to wag his tail to greet them. Even as he was close to death, Marley was being a good dog.

Marley’s owner signed the paperwork, relinquishing the “property” to the shelter. Then the staff member lifted the dog, who didn’t weigh much, since bones covered with fur aren’t very heavy, and carried Marley to the truck.

No one was sure what Marley’s future would be — or could be. There’s a point where starvation does too much damage for the creature to recover. But, at the shelter, Marley managed to raise his head to eat and drink. Marley ate, drank, and rested all weekend.

A few days later, the Friends of the Shelter became involved. Most crucially, one member offered to take Marley home and try to save him. What happened next, with lots of love, nursing, vet care, and even water therapy, for Marley is in the other parts of Marley’s story.

Click here to donate to the Grant County Friends of the Animal Shelter and support Marley’s recovery.