'Lonely' Charlotte: Huntington Adoptable Pet Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Charlotte, a 9-month-old female, is the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pet of the Week.

She is the last of a litter of five kittens, said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter.

"All of her siblings have been adopted into their forever homes, but because she can be shy and a bit moody, she has been left behind," Larkin said. "That fact alone is enough to break your heart, and her background story will add to that heartbreak."

Charlotte is not from this area, Larkin said. All five kittens were rescued by a good Samaritan outside of Lake George, she said. They were posted on Facebook as "kittens for free," which is always a red flag for a rescuer, according to Larkin.

This particular good Samaritan saw the post and set out to help, Larkin said. And only after she
committed to helping, did she find out where they were located. She and her family took a trip back in November to go get them. When she arrived at the location, she had the intention of only taking one or two kittens, but when she got there and saw the condition they were in, she decided she wasn’t leaving anybody behind, according to Larkin.

"She thought she could take care of them on her own but, unfortunately she did not realize how sick they were, although she tried her best to help," Larkin said.

All of the kittens had upper respiratory infections, mites and ear infections, severe head tilts because of the ear infections, were infested with fleas, worms and other assorted parasites, were dehydrated and extremely lethargic, Larkin noted.

"After struggling for a short time and trying to nurse them back to health she reached out to us to help — she had recently adopted three other kittens from us last year — and of course we said yes," Larkin said. "It was just too big a project for her to handle without the necessary testing and medication needed."

Charlotte and her siblings arrived on the rescue's doorstep at the beginning of December and off they went to directly to the shelter's in-house veterinarian hospital so they could get the proper care they needed to treat all of their ailments.

"Thankfully they were so happy to be held and loved, and they gave the vet and his staff no problems during this time," Larkin said. "When they were returned to us two weeks later, they were all placed in our kitten room to join the rest of the crew."

Charlotte, a petite grey and cream tabby with huge expressive grey eyes, was the most vocal when she arrived at the shelter. She was always meowing about something, according to Larkin. Her foster mom said she had a "cattitude" issue, Larkin said.

"Not sure if she was yelling for food or attention! But, unfortunately she is the quiet one now in the room. She can usually be found hiding in one of the cubbies just watching everyone else play, but, sometimes if a toy lands directly in front of her she will come out to join in, but she is content to just observe."

She does have a "buddy" in the room that she likes to hang out with: Niko, Larkin said.

You can sometimes find her curled up in the crib in the room, looking very cozy.

Charlotte has a good appetite, and she really would prefer a separate plate, but she does come to the community plate at mealtime, Larkin said.

"Sometimes she just needs a little bit of encouragement."

She does like to be brushed, but it is always on her terms, according to Larkin. She also likes chin and head scratches which will get her tiny motor running nonstop. Occasionally, she will get the "zoomies" and race around the room, running across the floor and leaping onto the condo.

"But lately that hasn’t happened and we think it is because she misses her siblings," Larkin said. "If you bring a tablet/phone into the room, and sit down on the floor, she may be inclined to settle down next to you and watch birdie TV. She did that in her foster home when she was with her siblings."

Charlotte has tested negative for FELV and FIV, finally tested negative for parasites, had her ears and heart checked, received all vaccines, is litter box trained and has been spayed.

"She and her siblings went through so much, so we are grateful she is finally in good health," Larkin said. "Physically she is fine, but we think emotionally she is lonely and needs a special person/family that can spend the time to work with her."

If you are interested in meeting Charlotte, who made such a long journey to the shelter, 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.

"Since Charlotte was very bonded with her siblings, not surprisingly, we are encouraging potential adopters to take her with another kitten, unless your home already has a cat or kitten that needs company," Larkin said. "We would love to see her find her new family before we are inundated with kittens and she gets passed over again, for something smaller, younger, and not as shy. Charlotte deserves the same chance at a new happy life, just like her siblings. She wants to show you the same lovable attitude she had while in foster care and when she first arrived at the shelter, but she needs your help and love. Won’t you open your heart to her?"