ADOPT JASPERS! A sweet boy who needs a great home
This adoption is NOT through Furry Nation Salvation and is a Courtesy Post. Please call the individual listed below with any further questions or to set up a time to meet the pet. Thank you.Please call/text this number if interested
: ** +1 (407) 552-2958
Cat located in this city: Kissimmee, Florida
Cat’s Name: Jaspers
Cat’s Age & Sex: 9 (nearly 10) years old, male
Cat’s vetting history (spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped): Neutered
Animals story: (where found and reason for wanting to rehome): I've had Jaspers for nearly 10 years. I took him in as a kitten, pretty much right off my front lawn. My intention was to get he and his sister to a no-kill shelter, but all the rescues and shelters were full at that time, and here it is nearly 10 years later. He's always had issues improperly marking, and it seems to come from separation anxiety or something similar, but on a very tight schedule that doesn't allow me to care for him by myself as less than half an hour apart can trigger an episode. He's done it his entire life and I've never been able to get him to stop. His favorite places are my bed, under sofas, behind entertainment centers, or on stray piles of laundry. It got to the point where he simply wasn't allowed free roaming of most of the household, he has to be supervised. Another issue he has is he'll sometimes become violent towards his sister. He's attacked her enough that though she's not actively hostile towards him, she will hiss and growl if he gets too close. This doesn't seem to be from aggression, but misguided attempts to play, as he has done it with one other cat in the past when I lived with a roommate. He has never been good at moderating his strength during play despite growing up with another kitten and I have genuine fears that he will hurt her now that they're getting older and she is more fragile.
This leads to the problem I now have caring for him. Several months ago I moved, and he's started urinating on my bed if I leave him alone for nearly any length of time. I bring him out and just keep an eye on him if I'm going to be occupied in the kitchen or somewhere else he can be for longer periods, but I can be gone for barely 20 minutes and he'll have peed all over my pillows. It's to the point where I'm unable to leave my bedroom without bringing him with me. I've considered a kitty playpen to put him in if I have to leave for longer periods and he can't be with me, but this also doesn't seem like a very great way for either of us to be living as this would mean he is confined, alone, to a small space even if he's able to see me. I have tried multiple types of harnesses and unfortunately as he is older he just doesn't want to take to them at this stage in his life and will do whatever he has to to escape them.
To be totally blunt, I just can't afford the vet visits to try anti-anxiety meds, and I'm not sure I could afford the meds themselves once prescribed. I am also not confident in my ability to pill him even if I were to make it all work somehow, and less direct intervention like diffusers have had minimal effect over the years. He's already on prescription food to prevent urinary tract blockages, as he'd had multiple issues with those in the past.
Again, I love him very dearly, but between the stress caused by the marking (I'm washing my bedding multiple times a week) and how unhappy he's made his sister, I really do believe he'd just be better off in the long term in a home that has no other cats, with someone who has the capacity to work with his anxiety better than I can. I know this behavior doesn't come from spite on his part; he's a very sweet and strange boy, and it's breaking my heart to admit that I'm just not the best person to care for him.
Personality (shy, social, likes to be held, lap cat? Likes or dislikes): Jaspers is the weirdest animal I've ever known. He likes kale, lettuce-- he loves leafy greens, despite being an obligate carnivore. Sometimes he'll make a weird howling sound and sprint at full speed around the house or room, and then just flop down like nothing happened. He likes to have his sides slapped like you might with a dog. He has webbed toes, and if you look at them closely they're all different lengths. He's shy around new people and startles easily; he's a very anxious animal, but when he's relaxed he's loving, sweet, and incredibly charming. He's really not fond of being held; he kind of stares off with wide-eyed, mute terror when you do. Sometimes he'll come sit in my lap, and sometimes he'll take a nap on me if I'm in bed. It takes some time for him to warm to people, but when he does he's vocal and very sweet.
Any Supplies that go with pet (food, litter, leash, cat box, bedding, toys): He **needs** to have a litterbox with a lid because he pees in a sort of interesting way and it will splash out everywhere in an open box. I can provide a box and a bag of food. The litter I've been using is Dr. Elsey's, but I've used other litters in the past he's been fine with. Due to his urination habits, the interior of the box does need to be cleaned every couple of weeks, as the urine gets trapped between the lid and bottom half and it's not a fantastic smell. He does have a medical issue that requires prescription food. He will get urinary tract blockages without it, and if he gets a full blockage he can die within hours so it's absolutely vital he be and stay on the food. Again, I can provide a bag of food to start with.
What food is the cat eating (dry only, dry and wet): Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary SO Adult Dry Cat Food. It's about $110 for a 17lb bag through Chewy's autoship, and it lasts him a few months. Again, he **needs** to be on this food. I have tried other diets (a purely raw diet that I handmade among them) and each one ended with him at the vet, in pain. This is the only thing that keeps him healthy. There is a wet food equivalent available as well. I've been feeding him the dry, as I can afford the bag, but I have used the wet food in the past and he does like it.
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IF YOU WANT TO ADOPT:
1) Please show up with a cat carrier
2) Small adoption fee of: There is no fee, maybe get him something nice as a welcome home present instead.
3) I will call/text one month from adoption day just to make sure everything is going well
4) Please show up with your Driver's License.
5) Information sheet will be filled out (your information as well as mine)
*Please know, that when you bring your newly adopted cat or kitten home, it is always BEST to place him/her in a very small room (bathroom works great) with their litter box, food, water, and bed for a few days to a few weeks. This way the animal can adjust much quicker and get acclimated to the new environment with less stress. All cats/kittens need time to adjust, so if you adopt please allow this. Thank you.
Call/text me if interested in this kitty: +1 (407) 552-2958
