Cats
Special Needs Cat Finds Loving Home After Over 2,000 Days In Shelter
The shelter was losing hope, but then some kind strangers stopped by.
Emma Shallcross
04.08.20

As a rescue animal, the chances of getting adopted are sadly dependent on a number of very specific things.

It goes without saying that kittens, puppies, and other cute little furbabies will get snapped up in an instant, leaving the older or ill animals to spend a long time in the rescue center, waiting patiently in their cages.

Sometimes, these animals never get adopted.

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The sad truth is that many people are put off by the prospect of having to pay huge vet bills for a sick animal, or they worry that if they adopted an older pet then there is the possibility of them passing away, leaving the owners to go through a great deal of grief.

So with this in mind, things weren’t looking too good for special needs kitty Plankton.

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Plankton came to Ulster County SPCA rescue center when he was just a kitten. The shelter, which is located in Kingston, New York, is a nonprofit organisation that has been going since 1861.

Plankton was truly lucky to be rescued by these selfless volunteers.

But there was a problem.

After he arrived at the shelter, safe at last having being rescued from a hoarding situation with over 100 other cats, something seemed wrong. Heartbreakingly, tests revealed that the tiny little guy was suffering from kidney failure.

He was so small, but his body was giving up on him.

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But then, in a truly beautiful twist, Plankton survived.

The odds were against him, but he wasn’t ready to give up on the world just yet.

Although Plankton had recovered, he was still left with lifelong needs. He required medication three times a week, which would take ten minutes each time to administer.

This could be done at home by the owners — however, the cost of the drugs and the extra care needed to be given by the owner meant that Plankton was put under the label of a special needs cat, lowering his chances of getting adopted.

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In total, Plankton spent 2,432 long days in the shelter, patiently waiting for somebody to come and adopt him. People came and went, and so did the animals.

He must have made a lot of friends over the years, only to see them leave before him.

The older Plankton grew, the lower his chances of being rescued got.

But then, in a beautiful moment, two strangers arrived at the shelter who were about to change Plankton’s life.

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Ashlee Houghtaling and her mother, Ann, first read about Plankton in an article advertising the older animals at the shelter.

They had recently lost their dog to renal failure, and they knew that Plankton had come into their lives at exactly the right time. They came into the center to pay Plankton a visit, and they instantly fell in love with the adorable little guy.

Ashlee told the Ulster SPCA:

“I thought it was so sad that no one was adopting him because he had a medical condition. The fact that he had been there for so long – it really hit home for me. Sick cats need homes too.”

After six and a half years in the shelter, Plankton was about to be taken home.

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After all that time in the shelter, the staff had grown very fond of Plankton, meaning his leaving day was both a sad and happy one.

In a touching moment, the volunteers cheered as Plankton’s adoption papers were signed and he said his last goodbye to the rescue center.

The sweet little guy now has two siblings, Nutmeg and Boots, and is happily settling into his new home.

We’re so happy that Plankton has finally got his happy ending and are truly grateful for all the work that the selfless volunteers at Ulster County SPCA carry out.

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