THE GATOS DIFFERENCE
Every rescue has its own personality, which is reflected in its policies and practices. Some rescues favor taking in kittens because they are adopted faster and boost their adoption statistics. Others focus on senior, special needs, FeLV/FIV-positive cats, and those that are sometimes considered unadoptable.
Viva Los Gatos is somewhere in between, balancing the circumstances of every cat that crosses our path with available foster space and our ability to provide the level of care needed. As a result, our intake includes adult and senior cats as well as young and neonatal kittens that have been rescued from dire or dangerous situations.
Consider Frieda (right), who was locked in a carrier and tossed into a dumpster to die. Or Journey, whose family no longer wanted this older lover boy. There's Lafayette, who was adopted as a kitten and returned a year later for no apparent reason, and then returned from a second adoption for being too affectionate. (Seriously.)
The Harry Potter Kittens (bottom right), abandoned by their feral mother, were taken in at two days old. Defying the odds, they survived their rough beginning with round-the-clock feeding and extra care from their devoted foster family.
And let's not forget Linus (top right), whose late-night rescue from a country club brought him to safety with Viva Los Gatos. As Linus grew, we discovered he had megaesophagus and gave him the care and attention required for a special needs kitty. Sadly, Linus is no longer with us in person, but his memory is forever.
As with all our kitties, we wait for the right person to come along... someone who loves the cat for who they are, and is fully devoted to their well-being. Sometimes that takes years and until that time, they are loved and nurtured in their Viva Los Gatos foster home.
Last but not least, we return everyone's phone call, email, Facebook message, text, website inquiry, you name it. We are often told that we were the only ones to respond to an individual's request for help. Even if we can't directly assist, we offer seasoned guidance and share resources and connections that can.
We're all in this together. Thanks for sharing the journey!
