Will you still love me when I’m 64?

Will you still love me when I’m 64?

This is the number one question on Ashton’s mind these days…

 Ashton is a cat who was abandoned in his carrier at Banfield Animal Hospital in May 2009. He was left with a note saying that his owner couldn’t afford him anymore and that a family member was abusing him. The note ended with the following words: Ashton promises to be the best adopted cat there is. Please understand I love him!!!

These words couldn’t be truer. Ashton is the best and it’s impossible not to love him. Almost Home Foundation rescued Ashton and placed him in a foster home, where he has proven to be a total heartbreaker. He is incredibly affectionate, amazingly good-natured, and very gentle. It’s clear that Ashton was once a super loving lap cat. He has a handsome, fluffy medium-length gray coat and has a very regal look about him. It is possible that he is part Nebelung, a rare breed which matches his physical and personality description. His favorite pose is sitting straight with his paws stretched out in front of him and folded over. He also has very unique and gorgeous opalescent eyes. They are absolutely kaleidoscopic and beautiful colors are reflected in them.

The abandonment was a scary experience for Ashton. After a few days in his foster home, his foster family knew something was wrong. Ashton was already extremely thin and frail-looking, and now he wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t move, he looked sad and tired, and he showed no interest in anything that went on. He was completely withdrawn from everyone and everything. It wasn’t a stretch to say that he was depressed. Despite the abuse, he missed his old home and family very much. He didn’t understand why he was all of a sudden in a different place, with different people, different cats, different food—nothing at all was familiar to him.

A vet appointment was quickly arranged for Ashton. At the vet, it was discovered that Ashton had hyperthyroidism and his teeth and gums were infected. His previous owners left these problems untreated, and this explained why he wasn’t eating. In addition, he was estimated to be 10-15 years old and only weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce. His age was later narrowed down to 12 years old. All of this hurt his chances of ever being adopted. It was kitten season, and who would ever adopt an old, ill cat when there were dozens of healthy, playful kittens running around? Without a doubt, his adoption is going to take someone very special.  

Due to his health issues, Ashton is considered a special needs cat. He needs to gain more weight before he can safely undergo his dental cleaning. He has been on his hyperthyroid pill for a few weeks now. So far, he has responded well to the medication and he is slowly gaining weight. This is a lifelong problem for him and he needs to be hand-fed a small pill for it every single day. Ashton is very good about taking his pill and it takes just a minute.  

Ashton is being fostered with other cats, but he should be an only cat. He was probably an only cat before and doesn’t like it when the other cats come by him. However, he really likes people and is a serious lovebug! He is a picky eater, but he loves Friskies Ocean Whitefish & Tuna, the Wholesome Goodness brand, and the Fancy Feast brand (yes, he has expensive taste!) He likes cat beds and prefers a calm and quiet environment. He is calm, reserved, and sweet and he gets very excited when it’s time to eat dinner. He is a morning cat and will always greet you in the morning with meows and hugs. He is also a big talker—he has a lot to say to you and will go on and on! Please understand that Ashton is older, so playing isn’t usually on his mind. He would much rather sit up against you and purr while you pet him.

Early on, when Ashton was depressed and seemed to be giving up, his foster family stumbled upon the Poco song “Keep on Trying.” This is Ashton’s special song. If you listen to the lyrics, it may as well be Ashton himself speaking. He is tired of crying, through with the lying from his past, and is determined to keep on trying to find his new forever home. Please help him find the home he is searching for and so deserves.

Ashton is still trying so hard, with the days of giving up far behind him. He is absolutely beloved in his foster home, where he’s waiting for the forever family that he just knows is somewhere out there. Ashton asked us to polish off his story with these words from another favorite song of his…

Send me a postcard

Drop me a line
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away

Give me your answer

Fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four

(The Beatles)

You can see Ashton online at www.almosthomefoundation.org and you can contact his foster family at katylynne@prodigy.net. Ashton looks forward to hearing from you!

Thank you!!!