Sweet Wakeman. Approximately 18 months ago he and about 100 other Himalayans were taken from the home of an aging breeder by the local Animal Control. Wakeman is one of the last of this group and it's taken quite an effort to get him in shape. We called him Waif Man when he first came to us. His ears were so full of mites that his ear canals were blocked solid and stretched out really wide. His skin was a mess and most of his hair just fell out in our hands. He had raging diarrhea and conjunctivitis. But now he's nearly ready to go home. We've cleared up his skin and gotten his coat grown back in. His ears are cleared up and his eyes are back to being round and wide. He's still a high maintenance boy and needs daily grooming and face washing, but what show quality Himalayan doesn't?

Due to the very poor diet he was fed for most of his life, Wakemans teeth are a rotting mess. He's going to need dental care before he can go to his new home. (Unless a wonderful adopter wants to take him and get it done at their own expense of course!) As with nearly all of the cats in this group, Wakeman's nose is so small that he labors to breath. That is hard on the lungs and heart over the years, so we need to help make it so he can breathe better. We believe he will need a "nose job" so he can breath better and keep his heart and lungs healthy as he ages. As always we have ways of finding the care at a better rate than many Bay Area vets would charge. We believe that we can get Wakeman's dental care and extractions done for around $300. If we do the dental and the nasal surgery at the same time, we should be able to get that done for "just" another $200. Heck, that's still cheaper than most Bay Area vets charge for just the simple dental part!

So PLEASE ... will you help this Senior cat get the care he needs so he can find a home? Many of the cats in this group were 12-16 when they came to us. Most of them are still alive and thriving in their adoptive homes. We expect Wakeman to be as long lived as the rest of his gene pool which means he could live into his 20's.

Wakeman was super shy when he came to us but over time he has become quite a love bug. He's a bit scared of dogs, but if they don't chase him, he's fine. He gets along fine with the two gentle larger dogs in his foster home, but when a pair of yappy little dogs were fostered there, they wanted to chase him. Even though he could have taken them down just because he's bigger than them, he was still quite upset by them and they would chase him. Needless to say, we think it's inhumane to allow dogs to chase cats, so we made sure poor Wakeman was kept away from the little yappers. Wakeman is hand shy at first. He used to run away when it was time for grooming, but he's gotten much better about having us reach for him and pick him up. He isn't happy about his baths but he's quite tolerant once he settles in. Wakeman has finally learned that he can get up on the bed and get gently combed and petted for a LONG time in the evening. He has found his purr motor and will be quite content to find a new loving, quiet home.

This is a cat who's face and personality will reach out and grab your heart when you meet him.