Cowboy

Cowboy was born into Renegade Rescue from a rescued pregnant cat. He's is ready for his forever home. This baby loves to be loved. Get ready for head butts, tiny pink nose boops, aggressive face rubbing, loud purring and general in-your-face smushing. He can be a little shy of new people at first, but warms up quickly to anyone who is kind to him. Give him belly rubs and talk sweet to him to win his heart. He would be happiest in a house with multiple people and maybe an animal buddy. He adjusts quickly to new people, places, and pets. He's had several foster homes with lots of other cats and dogs, so he has experience dealing with it all. He is currently being fostered in a home with one other cat who he wants to be friends with, but is being rebuffed. Cowboy is good at showing that he's not a threat by laying down and showing some submission, but he'd love to be closer to another kitty and have a friend. He likes to be where the action is and plant himself nearby for attention. He will chirp at you if you are taking too long to love him and then run into you head first. He also chirps when it's playtime. My favorite are the "check-in" meows when you've stopped petting and he gently reminds you of your duty. Also be ready to share your favorite pillow because he will love to cuddle with the top of your head while you sleep. This baby loves to sharpen his claws on a good scratching post. You may have to gently teach him what you don't want him to scratch, but he's very smart and picks it up quickly. Things he loves: chasing wand toys, catnip, cat trees, belly rubs, squeezy treats and sun. Things he hates: the car and the vet, being picked up or having his eyes/ears/paws touched. He is positive for feline herpes which means he has had Conjunctivitis (an eye infection) before. Feline herpes is very common in cats and many have it without showing visible signs. He is really only contagious if he is infected, which you can recognize by irritated red eyes with swelling and yellow/green discharge. His inner eyelid (at the inner corner of his eye) is almost always showing a little, especially when he's nervous. This may be a learned habit from previous infections, but it is safe and he can pull it in when he wants to - he's been checked out with a cat eye specialist just in case. When/if that occurs, he responds well to treatment of an anti-viral (cidofovir) and terramycin (which can be acquired at any vet office) twice a day. Isolate him from any other cats in the house just in case, and it should be cleared up within about 2 weeks. Otherwise, he is perfectly safe around other cats and animals with very low chances of spreading the infection. Like many cats and dogs with white fur around their eyes, he sometimes has trouble clearing all the eye boogers which turn black and gunky. A simple saline solution for eyes (without any other additives) can help that as well if needed. This isn't an infection though, so no fear. Overall, Cowboy is the sweetest baby and unfortunately has been overlooked for too long. Will you be the lucky person to love him forever?