Yani, 'Playful And Outgoing,' Is Huntington Adoptable Pet Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Yani, an 8-month-old male bi-color kitten, entered the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter in September.

Yani arrived with his two sisters, who were adopted together, but he is still waiting for his forever home, said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter.

"All three kittens had the misfortune of being born in a trap to a feral mom," Larkin said.

The mom was trapped, spayed and released, but the shelter took the three kittens with the hope of socializing them so they could be adopted, Larkin said.

"And now we really need to help this handsome boy," she said.

Yani is part of the group with the unusual, intriguing names. One of his sisters was named after a young woman who had adopted from the shelter previously, and that particular cat was her lifeline when she was battling cancer.

"We decided to honor her by naming one of the new kittens after her," Larkin said.

Yani entered the kitten room later than his sisters, not because of his personality, but because he had a few health issues that needed to be addressed, according to Larkin. He had conjunctivitis, a "very bad" upper respiratory disease followed by ringworm.

He was quarantined from the rest of the kittens and wound up spending almost a month in isolation.

"How scary that must have been for him, to come into the shelter with his sisters and then be taken away and have no interaction except for the volunteers who took care of him," Larkin said. "Thankfully he recovered fully and has been thriving in the kitten room with all of the others."

Yani is very playful and outgoing and will chase the feather toy, the stuffed mice and the springs
for hours, Larkin said. He loves to play with the others and will usually start the activity.

"He adores the others in the room but it must be so sad for him that he constantly is overlooked," she said. "He usually finds a 'best buddy' to cuddle with but then they leave the shelter because they are going home with their humans."

When he is not playing with all of the toys in the room or cuddling with one of the girls, he can
always be found sitting on the highest perch so he can get the best view looking out the
window, according to Larkin. And if he is feeling very cuddly he will share his perch with them.

Yani also has quite the hearty appetite and is usually the first one at the food plate when it arrives.

"It is sometimes a challenge trying to get into the room with the food because he is under your feet leading the way to get the prime spot!" Larkin said. "While we do not require kittens to be adopted in pairs, we feel that it would be in Yani’s best interest to either go home with one of the other kittens we have at the shelter (right now Sally is his buddy), or if you already have another kitten/cat in your house that would be wonderful. He is very interactive and would really do well."

If you are interested in meeting Yani, 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.

"Before this gentle boy turns into a teenager and is totally overlooked because of the smaller
and younger kittens in the room, let’s give him his own forever home with his own humans," Larkin said. "He deserves a chance just like his sisters! How can you look into those beautiful yellow eyes and not fall in love? He is waiting patiently for you to arrive so he can choose you!"