Not sure if everyone remembers Cheeto, the cat that had his leg amputated. If not, a quick summary and from now on we will call him by his new name, Shaeffer.
Shaeffer came to IMHS as a stray with his back leg crushed. Dr. Palmini at the Sano Hospital for Animals diagnosed the leg as unsavable and amputated to give Shaeffer a better chance at life. This photo were taken by staff at the hospital right after surgery.
Then for a long time, we all thought Shaeffer was feral. He wouldn't come out of his den until everyone was gone and he would spit at anyone that got too close. We all continued to talk softly and gently to him, telling him he was safe here. In March, I started my feeble attempt to photo him inside his den.
Then one day, Shaeffer decided to come out and show his true colors.
Peggy, one of the volunteers with IMHS, fell in love with Shaeffer after he showed his true self. She decided to make him part of her family. I will let her tell you the story in the email she sent us, plus her hearwarming video and all her wonderful photos will follow her email. Thank-you Peggy.
Hi Gia!
I kind of fell in love with Cheeto once he became friendly, and I believe you were the one who first witnessed this!
Sheaffer came home with me on March 30th. I named him after my favorite singer/songwriter, Todd Sheaffer and told my boyfriend, John, that it was his birthday present one day early. We kept him in our office for a couple of days, letting him settle in and the other fur kids (two Golden Retrievers and two older girl kitties) get used to his smell. He hid much of the first day, behind a dresser or in the closet. The next day he was a bit more curious, though terrified of his Golden Retriever sisters, who would never harm him, but are BIG! He was meowing to come out that night so I went in and made a bed for me in there. He just wanted to play!
The next day when John got home from work, Sheaffer was really wanting to come out so we gave him some supervised time to explore the house. He quickly learned that the dogs won't bother him and that was the end of his office time! The girl cats aren't thrilled but it hasn't been too bad, they're adjusting.
Sheaffer is a young cat with lots of energy! We have hundreds of cat toys, which the girls usually ignored. Now they are spread all around the house. He also loves to knock stuff off of tables, he's a prankster!
Perhaps the sweetest part of this story is his relationship with our Rescue Golden, Sierra. She came from a puppy mill situation 2 years ago and while she has made a lot of progress, she is still not quite comfortable, she has "safe spots" in the house where she stays most of the time. Since Sheaffer has been here she is more animated, and will often jump off of the couch to go and see what he's doing. She also seems to love snuggling with him and it makes me happy to know that, after making all of those puppies for other people, she now has a little friend to nurture.
This sweet boy is loving his new life and we are so grateful to IMHS and everyone who helped to save him. Let me know if you need anything else!
Best Regards, Peggy
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