Support Big Boy's Journey to Health and Love

Say hello to Big Boy! He won't tell us his story, but we can tell he's been through some rough stuff. These photos may look like just a few candid shots of a street cat, but what you don't see is the smile behind the lens. Because he didn't always look this healthy. This handsome boy is proof that a little patience and compassion can go very far.

We don't know where he was before he showed up on our property. And we can't help but wonder, was he abandoned? Or did he just grow up out there on the street? Either way, ever since he came here we've been determined to try and help him.

He appeared on a cloudy, blustery January day, hunkered down under a rusty old car in the back corner of the lot. He looked cold but didn't want to come in. We assumed he was just feral. Every day we put food out; some days he showed, other days he didn't. Like he was on his own clock, like a cat!

Often he would have minor injuries, nothing emergent, mainly facial scratches from cat fights or scabbed elbows. It wasn't until this May, when he showed up with a nasty cut under his eye, that we realized we needed to jump into action to try to save him. But how?

That was a long week. We couldn't trap him, so we hoped and prayed every day that he would show up for dinner each night so we could slip antibiotics into his food. And guess what? It worked! He looked so good by day 10 we were blown away. But the best part? He learned that if he showed up at our door each day, he no longer had to go out and fight for a meal. And he's been here every day since!

That was 3 months ago. But only one month ago, we had a true turning point: Big Boy decided that he wanted to receive love. His primary caretaker put out her hand to let him sniff, and he, out of nowhere, went face first into her hand for a full-blown petting session! A gentle stroke on the ears and a good scratch under the chin, and the rest was history. It took 7 months, but we finally earned his trust. And now he wants human contact every chance he gets.

So... why a GoFundMe? Well, Big Boy is no spring chicken. A neighbor who has been very helpful in keeping an eye out for him reports first seeing him on the street at least 5 years ago. If he was already full-grown at that point, that puts him at least 6 or 7 years old today. That's a lot of years for a stray. So the next step? Time to see the vet!

We think that at this point he might need a bit more than a standard TNR, so our vet is willing to do a full workup. This way, if anything is going on that we can't see, we can treat him and give him a better chance at a healthy life.

Our vetting will include:

- blood panel

- x-rays

- dental age check

- vaccines

- microchip

- neuter

- ear tipping

- pain meds/antibiotics

- laser incision treatment

- deworming

And all of that costs money... We estimate $600-$1,000 for his workup. The lower end would not include microchipping or any time release meds + laser suture treatment, the higher end includes everything on the list plus any (necessary) dental treatment. So if anyone wants to help, we want to give our guy the best care possible. He may have had it rough before, but he's with us now!

Our hope is that once neutered, he will be even more mellow and maybe, just maybe, become an adoptable cat. And if he doesn't, that's okay too. He already has a cooling shelter for summer and a warm shelter for when winter comes.

Thanks for reading! Every dollar counts towards not just his vetting, but his food and shelter. Any extra funds will be set aside for future care if needed. All support is so greatly appreciated, thank you!