In 2023, just months after opening our new shelter on Livernois, Ferndale Cat Shelter removed 53 cats and kittens from a home. The cats were triaged at the shelter and we quickly worked to find foster homes and schedule spay and neuter appointments. Many of the adult cats remained at the shelter in our cat room. Chango was one of these cats. A quiet and gentle ginger boy with a vacant expression, Chango was the glue that bound these cats together. Soon to be known as “the cuddle puddle,” the cats we pulled from this home were accustomed to living on top of each other, having very little room to stretch and play and roam. Chango was always in the middle of the cat pile and could often be seen grooming his bff Stewart or shy Carley. Chango would always be the first to greet a new-comer with headbutts and sniffs. He wasn’t easy to handle, making medication or nail trims difficult, but he was never aggressive. He never hissed or swatted humans or other cats. He was a chill presence, like a cat buddha, welcoming all who visited and volunteered at the shelter.

Chango contracted FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) within a year of living at the shelter. He was treated for 84 days and survived! But last year he started to slow down a bit, his belly looking distended. The bloodwork didn’t reveal anything of note, so we kept an eye on him, making sure he was eating and grooming and generally being himself. Last month right before Christmas, Chango took a turn. He stopped eating, became lethargic. Fluids and anti-nausea meds and appetite stimulants were administered, but to no avail. He passed away with our shelter manager at his side, all the while telling him he was such a good boy.

We don’t know the details of Chango’s origins, if he was inbred like so many of the cats we took from that home. We don’t know how old he was or how he came to live there. But we are so grateful to have shared our space with him for 2 1/2 years.

You are missed, little buddy.