A rescue cat who has spent nearly 300 days in foster care took his first tentative steps towards finding a new home after finally allowing his carers to pet him.
Jillian Jennell Hohenbrink is the founder of FosterBabyCats, a nonprofit kitten rescue based in Alexandria, Ohio. She told Newsweek that Dewey was discovered nearly a year ago “hiding behind a library in downtown Columbus.”
“He was terrified, but in otherwise decent shape, except for a 90-degree break in his tail,” Hohenbrink said. Dewey also had only three toes on both his front paws. No one is entirely sure how he wound up in the library. “He was very young and very scared,” Hohenbrink added. “My theory would be that he was abandoned or ‘dumped’ there.”
Any number of factors can determine whether a rescue cat ends up being adopted, including coat color. An August 2013 study published in The Open Veterinary Science Journal found that black cats take longer to be adopted than those of any other color.
Dewey is a tuxedo cat, but it’s already been 290 days and counting since he arrived at FosterBabyCats. Hohenbrink said that Dewey is still working on his social skills and remains shy around humans.
“Dewey’s biggest struggle has been finding a home willing to accept his quirks. He struggles to get along with new humans,” Hohenbrink added.
But, beneath those nerves, there is undoubtedly a kind and affectionate cat. Hohenbrink said that side comes out when Dewey is around other kittens.
Though Dewey is a typical feline who loves staring out the window and getting chin scratches, he really comes alive when playing with other kittens.
It’s a side of his personality that has earned him the nickname “Mama Dewey.” The young feline is happy to let other kittens at FosterBabyCats comfort-nurse on him. “He’s always been very sweet to orphans and the more shy kittens,” Hohenbrink said.
