The Aiken County Animal Shelter has three wonderful indoor-only cats available for adoption – Sabrina, Tom and Yoda – who can’t seem to catch a break.
Sabrina is a velvet black, long-haired cat who loves to be petted but gets scared when you pick her up. This sweet and gentle 3-year-old, 7-pound kitty was brought to the shelter in January because her owner’s landlord changed their policy and no longer allowed pets. Poor Sabrina was terrified and confused when she got here, yet still accepted and enjoyed the attention she received from staff and volunteers. She found a home almost immediately but was returned after a short time because her adopter thought she was hiding under the bed too much. Now two months later, Sabrina is still looking for her forever home.
Tom is a 4-year-old, 12-pound, gray and white tomcat who arrived at the County Shelter in February as a stray. He is friendly and affectionate but can get a little feisty when he gets overstimulated. Since being moved from his lobby kennel to our indoor/outdoor cat facility, he’s been more lovey-dovey and much happier. Tom deserves a wonderful home with an adopter who knows and loves cats.
Yoda is an 8-pound, light gray and white Tabby who’s cuddly and outgoing. This skinny guy arrived at the shelter in January 2023 as an injured stray. His ears were ravaged by ear mites and he had an open wound on his right ear that had to be surgically repaired. He was adopted and had a real home for a while, but was returned when his adopter moved. Now, cutie Yoda is back at the shelter, waiting for his luck to improve.
One reason Tom and Yoda are still looking for homes might be because they both are FIV positive (FIV+). FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, a condition that weakens a cat’s immune system. Misconceptions about the disease persist, but here are the facts:
- FIV is not as highly contagious as experts once thought. It can only be transmitted to cats through blood transfusions or deep bite wounds. Cats cannot get FIV through casual contact with an FIV + cat. Saliva does not transmit FIV.
- Most FIV+ cats live long, healthy lives, and many never show any symptoms of the virus. Cats with FIV just need to be kept indoors and fed a balanced, nutritionally complete diet. With proper vet care, FIV+ cats can live as long as their indoor counterparts (13-18 years), and much longer than cats who live outdoors (3-8 years).
FIV is a species-specific disease. It cannot be transmitted to humans or any other animal.
Despite these reassuring facts, FIV positive cats, like Tom and Yoda, continue to be passed over by potential adopters. However, these loving felines can bring great joy and companionship to the lucky people who adopt them.
If you’re looking to adopt a feline companion, please come see Sabrina, Tom and Yoda. Great news: their adoption fees have all been sponsored! The Aiken County Animal Shelter is located at 333 Wire Road and open Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit fotasaiken.org.
Their lives are in our hands.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director
