Heather And Hugo: Huntington Adoptable Pets Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Heather and Hugo, 8-week-old kittens, are the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pets of the Week.

They were rescued from two different situations and placed together in a foster home, said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter.

Heather, a gray and white tuxedo with gray eyes, arrived on a front doorstep all alone, crying for help at the beginning of June. A good Samaritan immediately reached out to a local trapper who scooped her up and brought her to the shelter. Heather was about 5 weeks old at the time.

"Much too tiny to be all alone," Larkin said.

Hugo, a tiny white and black kitten with piercing grey eyes and a black goatee, was found in an industrial area in Deer Park at the beginning of June. He was also estimated to be about 5 weeks old.

He was the sole survivor of his litter. His mom was nowhere to be found at the time, Larkin said.

"The trapper keeps returning in the hope of finding her to trap and spay her but no luck as of yet," Larkin said. "He also was scooped up and brought to the shelter and we decided that he needed company so we placed him with Heather."

Heather was very timid at first but has "really blossomed" in foster care, Larkin said. She immediately runs up to someone when they enter the room and reaches up so they can pick her up and snuggle with her.

"She is the most loving kitten this foster mom has had," Larkin said. "She actually rolls over for belly rubs, and if you decide to stop before she is finished she will let you know that is not acceptable! She is very, very active and loves playing with all of her toys, especially the feather wands and the ribbon wands. She is also like a mother hen with Hugo."

When Hugo first arrived, he had not been checked by the shelter's veterinarian and was placed in a crate until it was determined it would be OK for him to mingle with Heather, according to Larkin.

"Hugo was nervous by himself so he would cry and Heather would run over to the cage to check out the situation and let him know it was ok…whatever 'kitten chatter' they did seemed to work…he relaxed," Larkin said.

Hugo is still a bit nervous around people but considering he was a sole survivor of an entire litter, Larkin said the shelter staff has no idea what he saw or what he experienced before he came to the shelter.

He takes his play time seriously, especially with the cat wands.

"He must be part rabbit because he is always hopping like a bunny on his back legs. Maybe he is
trying to show us how big he is so he can scare us! He needs a little more time and patience in order to relax enough when you pick him up. He is not fearful of people, he just doesn’t want to be held…a very common trait with cats."

Both Heather and Hugo have been checked by the shelter's in-house veterinarian. They have both tested negative for FELV and FIV, tested negative for parasites, received their first set of vaccines, wormed and are litter box trained. They will receive another set of vaccines in two weeks and then
will be ready for their last vaccines and spaying and neutering at the end of July.

They will stay in foster care until that time, but will be available for meeting at the shelter's Adoption Event next month.

If you are interested in meeting Heather and Hugo, you may call the shelter at 631-757-4517, email cats@laphuntington.org, visit the Facebook page or visit at the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter.

The rescue is at 3 Verleye Ave., East Northport, and visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

The shelter is also open from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday nights only for those who cannot make it during the daytime hours.

"We would love to see these two peanuts have the opportunity to go to their forever home very quickly so they can grow up with a family that loves them unconditionally," Larkin said. "They, like so many others we have received this year, have had a horrific start to their young lives. Let’s show them life isn’t always like that."