This sweet old girl was found as a very matted stray, and brought to Hamilton Animal Services. Shortly after her arrival, shelter staff shaved off as many of the larger mats they were able to. Within the twigs, burrs, and debris found in the mats, there was a Cheerio. Definitely one of the strangest things shelter staff had seen come off of a matted cat! Staff named her Cheerio, and we thought that was a very appropriate name. 🙂
Cheerio was extremely thin, and blood work done at the shelter showed she was hyperthyroid. She was also desperately in need of dental surgery.
We were glad to get sweet Cheerio out of the shelter and into a loving foster home. Cheerio was happy to be out of the shelter cage, and even happier to have a warm lap to curl up in.

Cheerio had many vet visits during her time with us. Our plan was to get Cheerio feeling better so that she could find a home where she would be loved and properly cared for, and not be discarded in her time of need, the way her last owners had done. From her arrival, Cheerio was inconsistent with litter box use, and her amazing foster mom accommodated this with lots of pee pads and a ton of patience. Cheerio was always happy though, and had a sweet purr and a head bonk for everyone she met.
Despite weeks of special food, medical treatment and medication, Cheerio slowly lost weight, and her health wasn’t improving. One evening, she didn’t want to eat, and her foster mom knew something was wrong. She became lethargic overnight, and at the vet the next morning, it was discovered that Cheerio’s kidneys were shutting down. There was no hope for recovery, so the tough decision was made to help Cheerio pass peacefully.

While it wasn’t the outcome we wanted for Cheerio, we take comfort in the fact that Cheerio was surrounded with love at the end, and not suffering on the streets or languishing in a cage at a shelter.

Rest in peace, sweet Cheerio. We’ll never forget you.