Scared cat finds feline friend

[Betty]

It was a cold day in March when a scared and dirty tuxedo kitty was trapped and taken to Marshfield’a animal control facility.

After wandering the streets scavenging for food, dodging cars and trying to stay warm, the cat was very wary of humans. His arrival at the facility preceded a week of hiding in his litter box, fearfully trying to make himself as small as possible. He was a member of the “Litter Box Club,” a funny name with a fateful outcome.

Due to his shy nature, and because of the lack of resources to rehabilitate cats, Sylvester was scheduled to be euthanized after his eight-day stray hold. Fortunately, Marshfield Area Pet Shelter, or MAPS, recently had implemented a foster care program to give cats like this a second chance.

When his time was up, volunteers gently persuaded the petrified boy into a pet carrier and, with the generosity of Wildwood Animal Hospital, he was examined, vaccinated and neutered. He then began a new life in foster care, where months of patience and love transformed the frightened feline into a snuggly softie. His foster family waited without weary for that first happy purr, and through all his stress and anxiety, not once did Sylvester attempt to scratch or bite.

As time passed, the malnourished boy gained substantial weight, learned to play and developed a fondness for head nudges and belly rubs. He got along well with other cats, but he absolutely adored kittens. During his stay, litters of kittens cycled through the foster home, and Sylvester played father to all, bathing them, playing with them and providing them a solid warm body to sleep next to.

One very scared kitten, Ichabod, only came out of hiding when Sylvester was nearby. The tiny orange kitty literally would run to Sylvester whenever he entered the kitten’s room.

When MAPS opened a microchip and adoption center at Marshfield Mall, Sylvester was a frequent and popular visitor. He loved being carried, and volunteers would pass him around, switching as their arms became tired.

After nearly nine months of waiting for just the right home, Sylvester was adopted this month. Joining him in his new forever home was Ichabod, and the two play together all day and sleep happily together every night.