Papita’s Second Chance

Rescued from Feline Blues: Papita, the 19-pound sweetheart, triumphs over depression, Calicivirus, and hunger strikes to find her purr-fect forever home

While most of us “cat people” know that when we are feeling down, stressed, or anxious, a kitty can be your purr-fect companion; but, not all of us are aware that cats can suffer from depression and sadness too. Changes in routine or environment, the loss of a loved one, illness, or injury can lead to stress and depression in cats. For many cats we rescue at Animal Defense League of Texas (ADL), the environmental stress of being abandoned, then thrust into shelter life, puts their emotions into a tailspin.

Cats are individuals, but they still benefit from the connection of love and trust that they get from their human companions. While this can be temporarily possible in a shelter, most cats need a permanent place to call home to feel happy and safe. And, thanks to the compassionate support of individuals like YOU, ADL can have a profound impact on the well-being of thousands of vulnerable kittens, cats, puppies, and dogs that enter our doors. Your continued support can make a real difference in our mission to save more homeless pets. Please send your generous gift today to give the pets in our care and our community a second chance for health and happiness.

At the distinguished age of 13, Papita, a sweet 19-pound feline was transferred to the Animal Defense League (ADL) in hopes of finding a forever family; however, the unfamiliar shelter environment quickly took its toll on her mental health. She was depressed, well over an ideal healthy weight, and not feeling herself due to Calicivirus, an upper respiratory tract infection, so our team devised a plan of action for Papita.

“Certain cats can suffer from feline depression, which can be especially prevalent in house cats surrendered to animal shelters; being taken away from the home that they know and the people that they love can be really stressful for some of our feline friends. And although they may experience sadness differently than we do, when you pay close attention, you can pick up on subtle clues that they have the blues. A depressed cat might sleep more often, eat less food or no food at all (what we call “hunger striking”), groom themselves obsessively and/or vocalize more often,” states our Director of Shelter Medicine and Veterinary Services, Dr. Savannah Beauregard.

Papita went on multiple hunger strikes while in our care, and even with our team offering a buffet of yummy food and treats, she simply wasn’t interested. The best option was to place her in a quiet, calm foster home where she could receive some extra TLC. We were thrilled to hear that she was starting to thrive, eating well, using her litterbox, bonding with her foster family, including their rescue pup. Papita truly found her happy place! In fact, her foster family fell in love and made her a permanent resident in their home. These days, she is “the boss,” loves pets, meows her way through a whole conversation, enjoys belly rubs and nap snuggles, and can’t get enough hugs, especially right before a hearty meal.