LOCAL CAT: Chief Pon-O Domestic Short Hair Mix Clayville, RI

Chief Pon-O has been at the shelter for several months, fattening up and enjoying life on the inside, and is now ready to graduate!. This smart stray kitty befriended a woman attending the football games at Ponaganset High School, and he chose his new friend well because the woman happens to be the daughter of a shelter volunteer, and Chief soon found his way to becoming our guest at the shelter. When he arrived at the shelter in late October he had zero regrets about finding himself on the inside, even living in a cage. Chief was too thin, and had some bare patches of fur due to fleas, and he was just happy and relieved to have a steady supply of food and a warm home. And also happy to have the love and affection of humans!

He has the tipped ear that is the mark of trap-neuter-release cats, though we’re not sure why a cat this social would have been released after neutering. Given how friendly and affectionate he is, we think someone cared for him at some point in his life, but based on his condition when he arrived at the shelter that “someone” probably wasn’t around any more to look after him. So he went and sought help at the local high school football field. He needed a little time to fatten up at the shelter, and he’s certainly done so — we tease him and call him Chief Porky, and ask him if he’s expecting kittens, because he now has a plump little belly. He’s got funny knock-kneed hind legs which, combined with his expanded belly, make for a comical presentation when he walks away from us. He’s just a “character,” that’s what we often tell him. He needed some dental work, which we were unable to schedule until after the holidays, and now that his dental is done it’s time for him to move on from the shelter, even though he seems to think he hit the jackpot here.

Chief is fine with other cats, though he can be a little pushy with new male cats that are introduced into the cat room — he’ll follow them around, get in their face a little, and maybe smack them on the head. He seems to understand an “alpha female” better than another male, and has gotten along fine with the other female cats. We’re not sure what he thinks of dogs, as we don’t currently have a shelter dog that we can trust to test with a cat, but he’d probably be fine living with a very laid-back gentle or elder dog that is accustomed to living with cats. Chief will probably enjoy living with people of all ages, including young children — he’s a real people pleaser!

Chief is estimated to be 12 years old, is neutered, box-trained, current on vaccinations, tested negative for feline leukemia, but positive for FIV. But that’s not a concern among neutered cats — it is not easily transmitted among cats that do not engage in violent fighting, and there are no special medical requirements for FIV+ cats, as long as they are indoor-only cats. Chief received de-wormers and flea treatments. Adoption fee is $50. Personal checks are accepted from R.I. residents; all others may pay by credit/debit card or money order, payable to “Town of Scituate.” No cash is accepted.

For more information or an application, email ClayvilleCritters@cox.net, call the shelter at (401) 647-7200, or visit the shelter during regular hours: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri 7 to 11 a.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please call before visiting to ensure the shelter is open and that this cat is still available. Private after-hours visits may be scheduled, but not without an application.

You can also access a downloadable application by clicking this link, or by going to the Town of Scituate’s Animal Control page and scrolling down to the link to the Cat Adoption Form:
https://www.scituateri.gov/departments/animal_control/index.php

Or copy and paste the following into your browser: https://cms5.revize.com/revize/scituateri/scituate%20ri%20cat%20adopt%20form%20rev%200922.pdf

Please email all PDF applications to ClayvilleCritters@cox.net for faster processing. Priority follow-up is by submitted application, not by inquiry. If interested in adopting, you must complete an application.