Azul came to Seattle Animal Shelter as a very sick and frail kitten. She was found on the side of the road by herself with a broken tail. When she arrived at SAS, she was diagnosed with fading kitten syndrome, a period in a kitten’s early life when they are most vulnerable to hypothermia, dehydration and infection. Azul’s first days at the shelter were hard – she refused to eat and caretakers were unsure if she would recover from the fading kitten syndrome. Thankfully, Azul was moved into foster care and began eating consistently and gained back energy in her foster home. She made a full recovery and came a long way from her first days in the shelter.
On August 18, 2019, Azul was adopted by Paige and her partner. Paige instantly fell in love with Azul when she first laid eyes on Azul’s bright blue ones at the shelter. Although signage on Azul’s cage informed visitors that she wasn’t up for adoption, Paige was hopeful in bringing her home. Paige continued checking in with the shelter to get updates on Azul’s progress in foster care. When she finally made a full recovery, Paige and her partner made plans to visit her in her foster home. As luck would have it, Azul’s loving foster home was just a five-minute walk away from Paige.
Paige’s initial feelings of connection to Azul were intensified during her visit and she and her partner adopted Azul that day. Azul adapted quickly to her new home after being adopted. “We got the sense she was very grateful to finally be in her forever home after her tough beginnings,” says Paige. Azul has continued great progress in physical health with a healthier coat of fur and a newfound love of food. “We have had to really watch her with food in the house,” shares Paige, who welcomes the behavior change from the once very frail and malnourished kitten.
Apart from trying to sneak food from her parents, Azul loves to be a part of everything her parents do. She enjoys snuggling at night with mom and dad and loves car rides and plane trips. Her spunky and sweet personality has been especially valued by Paige during these uncertain times. “We love ZuZu so much. It’s been especially nice to spend all this extra time with her as we work from home.”
If you are interested in supporting the work of Seattle Animal Shelter, like the foster care program and connecting cats like Azul to their forever homes, consider supporting the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.