Help Midtown Bruce Help His Beloved Yard Cat, Henry!

Henry is a 2-year-old stray who’s been a familiar face in my neighborhood for over a year. He was always fearful of humans, but something changed the day he saw me walking my kitten, Bruce, on a leash. From that moment, it was love at first sight!

What followed was a love story for the ages. Every day, Henry would wait in the yard, running across the grass to greet Bruce with drop-and-flops, air biscuits, and headbutts. At first, Bruce wasn’t interested in snuggling with this determined stray, but Henry refused to give up on winning his affection. While he longed for love, Henry was too scared to let me touch him. The few times I got close, he’d wince and close his eyes, as if bracing for harm.

To keep him safe, I built Henry an outdoor shelter and set up a food station. But often, he’d just sit outside my window, staring in during heat waves and rainstorms. If I tried to invite him inside, he’d bolt. I set traps and baited them with food and treats, but Henry was too smart and cautious to fall for them. I resigned myself to the slow process of socializing him.

Then, everything changed. I noticed Henry couldn’t fully close his mouth, was drooling excessively, and had stopped eating or moving around. Fearing his condition was life-threatening, my friends, neighbors, and I worked together to trap him and get him to the vet. When Henry realized what we were doing, he hid under my house for days, and we feared the worst. Finally, we devised a plan using a drop trap—but again, the treats we placed inside the trap were not enough! Feeling desperate, we thought instead of treats, maybe we could use Bruce as bait! So we placed the trap near the crawl space entrance and put Bruce on the other side. Sure enough, overcome with his love for Bruce, Henry emerged, and we finally caught him!!

After treating him for fleas and intestinal parasites, I took Henry to the vet for a full exam. The good news: he’s young and tested negative for FIV, with beautiful bloodwork! The bad news: Henry has severe dental disease. Most of his teeth are dead, his gums are bleeding, and his roots are exposed. He’s in significant pain and at risk for serious infection. While I’ve been managing his pain with medications, Henry urgently needs dental surgery. He’ll likely need most of his teeth removed, though the vet will try to save his canines.

The estimate for his surgery is $2,673, and I’m asking for help from the community to give Henry the chance he deserves.

Here’s the silver lining: After Henry heals, he’ll be ready for adoption! His time inside has revealed what an absolute sweetheart he is. And yes, Henry’s dream of snuggling with Bruce has finally come true!

Thank you for reading Henry’s story and for caring about stray animals—the most vulnerable and innocent among us. The community rallied around Bruce when he was fighting cancer, and now Bruce is paying it forward to help his best friend.

Can you help Bruce help Henry?

Every contribution helps bring Henry closer to the happy, healthy life he’s always deserved. Thank you!