A Real Ham

(Update 11/15/19: Hammy has been adopted!)

Hammy is a friendly four-month-old kitten with beautiful black and white fur, a handsome face and a loving personality.  

We rescued Hammy from a public shelter as a young kitten. At the time, he was too small to be neutered and placed up for adoption, so we moved him into a loving foster home. When he was 2 months, a happy Hammy returned to Pets In Need, ready to find his forever family.

Unfortunately, Hammy soon developed a bald spot on his foot. It turned out to be ringworm, a pesky skin fungus that’s highly contagious and frustrating to treat.  

We immediately separated Hammy so that he couldn’t infect other animals. His treatment included medication and regular sulfur baths. It was seven weeks before Hammy was fully cured of ringworm, and the isolation took its toll. 

When Hammy returned to the adoption floor last week, he showed signs of stress, including pawing wildly at the walls of his condo for hours each day. 

Jamie Pearson, an adoption specialist at our Redwood City shelter, took Hammy home to give him a chance to decompress. As is so often the case, the love of a family made all the difference.

“Hammy spent the first few hours in our house running, jumping and scaling walls,” Pearson said. “I was happy to see him expend all that pent up energy, and even happier when, a few hours later, he was cuddled up in my lap and purring contentedly.” 

Today Hammy is back at our Redwood City shelter. He’s not thrilled to be confined once again, but with any luck, he won’t be here much longer. Hammy is eligible for foster-to-adopt. 

Although he’s had a rough couple of months, Hammy has a bright future ahead. Do you want to be a part of it? Contact Crystal Manning to learn more, cmanning@petsinneed.org.