It’s been said that good things come to those who wait. There’s a special kitty who knows this is true. His story began in April 2024 when he was found stray and brought to safety at the Pictou Shelter.
The Shelter staff named him Cole. Approximately 10 years young, this handsome boy was full of spunk and playfulness. He was very affectionate and clearly loved the company of people, always ready to show you his best qualities.
Life on the streets was hard, and Cole needed to have all his teeth extracted. Even though it was ‘all gums’ for him, it didn’t stop Cole from enjoying regular kitty food. He also tested FIV+, which meant he needed to be adopted as the only cat in the home or with other FIV+ cats and live solely indoors.
It was clear that Cole was ready to give up life on the streets to enjoy the comforts of indoor life in his golden years. He was in recovery for a month and was put up for adoption in May. After two months, due to space issues, he was transferred to the Colchester Shelter where he waited patiently for another two long months before finding his forever home. As it turns out, Cole was just waiting for the purr-fect family to look into his eyes and see the sweet loving soul inside. And on September 22nd, that’s exactly what happened.
Caitlin was checking out the SPCA website when she spotted Cole. She recalls “I was drawn to him because of his backstory, his toothlessness, his goofy ear tip, his FIV+ status and how sweet he looked in his little sweater.” Caitlin had started looking before her partner Mitchell did, so when Mitchell mentioned he wanted to start searching, she pulled up Cole’s profile only to hear Mitchell say ‘I’ve been looking at him too!’ Caitlin exclaims “I just knew it was meant to be! And because I love coleslaw and silly pet names, we extended Cole’s name to Coleslaw!”
Interestingly, Caitlin had considered getting an FIV+ cat for quite a while prior to adopting Coleslaw. She is a veterinary assistant and had worked at the SPCA Veterinary Hospital in Burnside as well as numerous shifts at the Shelter Clinic. Caitlin relates “The FIV+ cats were ALWAYS the sweetest most affectionate cats. I was still living at home with my parents and childhood cats, but I knew someday I wanted to have a home filled with FIV+ cats as they are harder to adopt out.”
Coleslaw adapted to his new home very quickly. “The first day we brought him home we ignored him and let him explore the apartment, as it can be scary for a kitty going to a strange place and we didn’t want to overwhelm him,” shares Caitlin. “Amazingly, he walked out of the carrier and flopped over on his back to be petted. That same night we were sitting on the couch watching TV and he climbed up onto my chest, laid down and started purring. I believe Coleslaw knew he was home and had found his people.”
Coleslaw is definitely living his best life. His favorite things to do include sleeping on the couch, playing with strings and his stuffed toys, bird-watching in the window, playing in the water from the tap, playing in the blanket forts that Mitchell builds him (Coleslaw demands them now by digging in the blankets until a fort is made), and cuddling with his humans.
Coleslaw is proving to be an exceptional patient. “He was diagnosed with asthma a few months after we adopted him, so he is now on a steroid inhaler once a day,” says Caitlin. “He gets this through an Aerokat chamber and does very well with it. We usually give it to him after dinner when he is laying on the couch; he very rarely even ‘un-loafs’ when getting it. Thankfully we had signed him up for pet insurance right after we adopted him so they have covered anything asthma-related for him. We take him to the veterinarian regularly to do chest x-rays, blood work, and to update his vaccines. He will continue to go for bloodwork every 6 months to ensure he stays as healthy as possible.”
Despite having no teeth Coleslaw can absolutely inhale a bowl of kibble. Mitchell says “He uses his bottom jaw as a scoop and it is quite impressive.” His cute quirky personality has blossomed in his new home. “He demands forehead kisses in exchange for nose-boops. The ritual: he gets on a piece of furniture, extends his head up as high as he can, we kiss his head and in exchange, he rubs his half-open toothless mouth directly up the side of our face, purring the whole time. It’s very endearing.” Coleslaw has also become quite the host and loves to greet people at the door. When he senses that someone has entered the apartment, he races to the front door ‘mer-owing’ the entire way to rub himself on their legs and demand attention. 
Coleslaw has definitely brought joy into the couple’s lives. “His silliness and affection can make even the hardest of days better within seconds of walking through the door,” relates Caitlin. “We are so grateful to the SPCA for giving Coleslaw a second chance. Without them, he would never know what it’s like to be surrounded by people who love him.”
The couple strongly encourages people to open their heart and home to a senior or FIV+ cat. “They still have so much personality and love to give,” they say. “We’d also encourage people adopting a cat of any age to consider pet insurance, as it has allowed us to give Coleslaw the best care possible to live a happy healthy life.“
And yes, Caitlin is determined to make her dream of having a home filled with FIV+ cats a reality – one set of precious paws at a time.