Spurned Shelter Cat Celebrates Alone When No One Attends Her Birthday Party

By J. Swanson

When a young cat spent over 100 days in the shelter, staff decided a birthday party was the perfect way to help the 2-year-old tabby find her future family. “Monique loves spending time with her human friends and enjoys leaping around her pen when they play with her favourite string toy,” rescuers wrote, certain would-be adopters would rush to welcome the pretty young cat into their homes. “She also loves a good head and chin rub, and will let you know just how much by purring away in delight!”

But when the big day arrived, not a single person showed up to meet Monique, despite Battersea Dog and Cat Home‘s best efforts to blanket the community with party invitations.

“It’s always a shame to see one of our cats be repeatedly overlooked, especially one so young and with so much to offer as a pet,” the shelter’s cattery manager, Chrissie Grindrod, told The Metro. “Monique is a gentle soul who thrives with human company, whether that be playing with her favourite toys together or curling up side by side on the sofa.”

Monique’s overlooked status likely stems from her diagnosis of feline leukemia (FeLV), which is widely misunderstood among humans. Many people believe the incurable condition is instantly fatal. In reality, FeLV-positive felines (similar to HIV-positive humans) can live happy and healthy lives, although the high rates of cat-to-cat transmission means Monique must be the only cat in the home.

Rescuers hope Monique’s FeLV-positive status won’t deter would-be adopters forever, because FeLV is actually relatively easy to manage. “We would encourage any potential owners to get in touch regardless of what they do or don’t know already know about FIV,” Grindrod said. “Monique is a wonderful cat who deserves loving owners willing to go the extra mile for her, we assure you she’s worth it.”

Please reach out to Battersea if you’d like to hear more about Monique. And even if you can’t adopt right now, please share this story on Facebook. Let’s help Monique get the belated birthday present she deserves!

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J. Swanson
J. Swanson is a writer, traveler, and animal-enthusiast based in Seattle, an appropriately pet-crazed city where dog or cat ownership even outweighs the number of kids. When the weather permits, she likes to get outside and explore the rest of the Pacific Northwest, always with a coffee in hand.
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