Havana Brown kittens & cats in Chesapeake, Virginia

Winter is such a sweet young girl, that absolutely adores attention. She is still learning that being held is a good thing, but it won`t be long before she`s got the hang of being a lap warmer!

Update October 2023. I remain with my foster - not showing at the Pet Adoption Center as it stressed me out - I was there 23 times - showing just on the weekends. I am still on my rigid Rx food plan (wet and dry) and my urine is monitored every three months along with my weight. I am a loving guy who loves attention. More to follow. Announcement: sorry to disappoint, but I will not be showing at the Pet Adoption Center on Saturday, 11 June 2022. I will be there on Sunday, the 12th. Come to visit for awhile! =================================================== My owner surrendered me to CRI for the Pet Adoption Center on 21 February 2022 under the guise that I had a mental issue - least that is what their Vet told him. Read more below under 'Background. I was removed from the Pet Adoption Center on 1 March and placed on Medical Hold addressing my medical issues. I was cleared on 1 May 2022 and now available for adoption.' My Foster calls me 'Handsome Mando' ....because I am! I am the most perfect CAT EVER! I am an Awesome cat! I am an Extremely Affectionate and Extremely Loving guy who absolutely LOVES ear scratches. Go ahead and pet me - I will roll over to show my belly. I am also a Gentle, Quiet, Laid-back type of guy seeking the same in a home. Best that my new home be quiet. Loud noises and fast motions really scare me. I will hide and even may have wetting incidents external to the litter box. So no young children. Children MUST be older than 14/16 years of age. No barking dogs. Prefer adults or seniors. Get along with males and females. This last year has been extremely challenging for me as my family had changes - suddenly the home had five kids all under the age of ten. Way too much activity and noise for me. As a result, I became stressed and anxious. The anxiety affected my urinary habits - I was too scared to go the litter box, so I held it or peed someplace that was not in the litter box. I also was diagnosis with UTI and bladder infections, so now I have a history of both. Please note that when the kids were not home, I had no issues whatsoever - I used the litter box. What do I like? Let me share a little: I like to be picked up, held and hugged gently and in a quiet home (but you know that part already). I also like to be brushed. My fur is very dense and needs to be brushed. I am a Very Social guy and Friendly to all my resident foster felines - as if, I had always been here. So having other cats is okay, but I would welcome to be your only cat too! I am WICKED SMART and VERY Clever . I figured out how to use the dog flap without watching the residents. I ventured out into the garden (note backyard has Purrfect Fence)...sitting under the trees for shade and stretching out on the garden stones for the heat. The play chases occurred too. {Foster Note: prior owner kept Handsome Mando as an inside cat. No notes about his first home - perhaps he was an outside kitty?} I meow when I am hungry or will sit on the counter looking at you with my hungry eyes. I eat all the different types of Rx Urinary food as my meal plan. I will sleep in bed with you - near the knee/leg area...but could be closer. All the other spots were taken by the other Foster feline residents. My most favorite pastime is positioned in front of the window or front door watching life unfold. The Vet suggested that I have an 'Enrichment Program' to assist with the correction of my inappropriate urination. My family had a large cat-friendly dog. We were friends and we played together. ================================ Background with Medical Updates: My owner surrendered me after two years because they were unable to provide a safe and quiet home for me. I did see a Vet - many times - tried medications and special prescription food. Cat Rescue, Inc accepted me knowing I came with inappropriate peeing. Why was I surrendered? Because I was showing signs of anxiety and stress over the past year (2021). Initially, my family of ONE adopted me from an ASPCA when I was 5 years old and already declawed. I had the best two years in a quiet home.... but then, the family dynamics changed drastically with the addition of a wife and five very young children under the age of ten. My Family was so patient with me. They tried all they could to help me. They added more litter boxes for me in different locations, tried calming collars, sprays, and plug-ins (for me). Their Vet assessed my behavior as psychological - so it was either me or the kids leaving. Well, here I am...no surprise.... and I welcome the change of environment! The first three days for me at the Center, it was noted that while I did posture to pee in the litter pan, no pee came out....until the forth attempt. Then much later after my successful pee, it was found out that I had peed in my bed on three separate occasions ...three new bed changes for me...I did not know I did this as I kept sleeping in the wet bed. At first, it was contributed to me getting use to my surroundings...but as it turned out, it was much more than this. My first 1 March 2022 Vet visit lead to a slew of more appointments trying to figure out what was ailing me and my behavioral issues of inappropriate wetting. The Vets did diagnosed I had urethra sphincter spasms, so I was on meds for that along with pain meds for two weeks. Elevated RBC's were found in this sample; no bacteria. The second urine sample still showed blood, so I went to Blue Pearl for an ultra-sound: all normal, no inflammation, no stones. The internist stated a plausible source for the blood was the needle entering to pull the urine. He also advised a Rx wet food diet only as perhaps the dry food from my diet formed as particulates in my urine and maybe was irritating my bladder wall? The next month my diet was only wet food. I had to be isolated from the other cats and their dry food. Guess what? It worked. A month later, my free urine catch using hydrophobic litter was tested and showed NO Blood in my urine. My special needs: 1. Rx: Royal Canin Urinary SO and Urinary SO/Calm wet food and Purina Plan UR wet food. ABSOLUTELY NO DRY FOOD or TREATs! 2. Transdermal Fluoxetine (Prozac) pen applied to alternating ears for up to 2 months when adopted. Vet says I can be weaned off it after two - three months (maybe sooner) after settling into my new home. It will help me adjust and not get stressed. Stress is the Culprit with my urination amount and inappropriate urination outside of the litter box. {From Foster: Mando received only three days of Fluoxetine and NEVER urinated outside the litter box. Home was quiet - had other cats, no kids, no dogs.} Note: Handsome Mando will not be checking into the Pet Adoption Center as a guest waiting for adoption, but will remain with the Foster. The goal is not to have him become stressed and have a return of his inappropriate urination. Interested to adopt him? Text Shawne at 757.237.6112 or text the Foster Liz at 757.359.9834. No not call Liz as voice mail not set up.

-