'Total Purr Machine' Peppermint Patty: Huntington Adoptable Pet Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Peppermint Patty, an 8-month-old female kitten, is the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pet of the Week.

This tuxedo kitten with expressive eyes was found in May, wandering around a Farmingdale backyard with her brother, Peekaboo, and her sister, Pino. They were all captured and placed in their first foster home, but because they never really had any socialization with humans, they were extremely timid, said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter.

"We received a call to see if we could help, and we took all three of these beauties into the shelter after spending some time in one of our foster homes to determine how they would handle being in a shelter environment. Pino was adopted immediately after entering the shelter, but Peppermint Patty is still waiting for her forever home, and so is her brother, Peekaboo."

Peppermint Patty, while shy at first, is a "total purr machine" now.

"The minute you start stroking her head or her back, the motor starts and doesn’t stop...almost like it is stuck in the on position," Larkin said. "She has excellent playtime skills and loves her cat wire teaser and her toy mouse that rattles. Don’t try to switch the mouse with another one because she will turn her nose up at it! She also loves the laser toy and joins in with the rest of the kittens/cats when it appears in the room with one of our socializers. And she adores lap time, morning noon and night."

She loves the other kittens and cats and would do well in a home with another companion, Larkin said. She also loves to watch "birdie TV."

The shelter has volunteers who bring in their tablet or their phone for the cats to be entertained on a weekly basis.

Peppermint Patty has tested negative for FELV & FIV, tested negative for parasites, her ears and heart have been checked, she has been wormed, received all of her vaccines, is litter box trained and is spayed.

"Peppermint Patty will be a wonderful kitty for the family that understands she will be nervous at first," Larkin said. "She must start off in a small enclosed room so she doesn’t get overwhelmed. You should keep her cat carrier available to her, open with a towel inside so she can retreat if she feels scared but she can observe all of her surroundings. She also loves to sleep under towels,
blankets or throws, so if you are looking for her that is where she will be. But you have to check before you sit down in a chair or on the couch, just in case that is where she is resting. She loves to eat, so you may have to watch her figure…right now she is very svelte but given the opportunity she will eat everything in sight!"

If you are interested in meeting Peppermint Patty, 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.

"This striking beauty, who looks like a statue when sitting straight up, will melt your heart and if you give her a chance and take good care of her, she will love you tenfold," Larkin said. "She has been waiting for a few months now and we would love to see her find a home she can call her own for the holidays."