Pippy, 'Very Gentle,' Is Huntington Adoptable Pet Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Pippy — short for Pipsqueak — is the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pet of the Week. She is a 5-month-old tuxedo kitten.

"Pippy was part of a colony in Huntington but really didn’t belong there," said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter. "Nobody is sure of where she came from..did she get dumped or did she
find her way to the food source from somewhere else?"

The colony's feeder found Pippy wandering on a very busy road around two months ago and grabbed her before she could get hit by a car, Larkin said. He brought her to his home with every intention of spaying and releasing her back to the colony, according to Larkin.

"She was nervous at first but he obviously saw something in her eyes that told him she didn’t belong on the street," Larkin said.

The feeder spayed Pippy and brought her into his home and kept her in a quiet area so he could work with her.

"It took some time but she finally bonded with him and he made her relax enough to start purring," Larkin said.

He made progress with her every day, one step at a time.

"Unfortunately for Pippy she was not allowed to stay in her current situation, so the feeder reached out to us to help, and we were more than happy to bring her into the shelter," Larkin said.

Pippy has gorgeous markings and a very gentle personality, she said.

"If you remember our other tuxedo cat, Lolita, (who found her forever home shortly after being featured in the Patch) she had some good luck and feline charm!" Larkin said. "Tuxedo cats have been to many places that no other kitty has gone before…only one cat has ever climbed Mount Everest and he was a tuxedo whose owner carried him the entire way. A tuxedo cat named Simon received a medal for his services in World War II, and his job was to protect the British food
supplies from pests and mice! Sounds like a perfect job for a cat."

Pippy is fully vetted, tested negative for FELV/FIV, litter box trained and spayed. She is new in the kitten room and is still learning to trust humans, Larkin said.

"She did not have any other exposure to inside cats so she is very inquisitive as to the happenings in the room with the other kittens who are definitely not as quiet and calm as her," she said. "She hasn’t joined in the playtime or the craziness of running out of the room when the door opens, but give her some more time and she will. She does have to learn to pick up the pace with eating though…she is a slow dainty eater and the others are more than happy to help finish her food if she is taking too long to eat!"

If you are interested in meeting Pippy, you may call the shelter at 631-757-4517, email cats@laphuntington.org, visit the Facebook page or visit at the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter.

The rescue is at 3 Verleye Ave., East Northport, and visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

The shelter is also open from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday nights only for those who cannot make it during the daytime hours.

"If you have the love, patience and time to give this little girl the safe haven she so richly deserves, reach out and come meet her," Larkin said. "You will want to take her in your arms and just cuddle with her and let her know everything will be okay."