More about Sweetie

Meet Sweetie! We accepted this adorable girl in early June 2026 after she was rejected by a local San Diego shelter for being FeLV positive.  We were contacted by her rescuer seeking assistance and we took Sally in.  We do NOT normally accept FeLV kitties, but this little girl was headed to a cage for life.  Her rescuer does not believe in euthanasia and living in a cage is NO life for ANY animal.  We initially had thought about euthanizing this little monkey after she experienced a couple days of relaxation and fun at Casa de ARWOB, so that she could at least enjoy life for a while.  This is something she had not experienced since she was stuck in a kennel for a month since being rescued.   This little girl was found along with 3 other kittens (brothers) inside a plastic bag according to her rescuers.  We are not sure where or how, but we just know they were found inside a plastic bag in early May.  The brothers are still waiting for help and we are hoping to test them in a couple of weeks to see if they too are FeLV positive.  We are hoping they have not been infected with the virus.  For now, we can say that we have fallen in love with Sweetie and we have decided to give her a chance for a couple of months.  She is a beautiful kitten with a super personality and is healthy, except for being positive for FeLV.  We are hoping someone will inquire to adopt her.  We can say that Sweetie is a total love bug and her muffin making skills are off the chart!  She loves to play, especially with the laser toy!  Check out her videos in her bio.  She is the cutest little thing! Because Sweetie is a very playful kitten, she will NOT do well in a cage.  We feel that living in a cage is not a good quality of life for any animal.  She is currently being fostered in a home with multiple cats and dogs, which means she has to stay in her kennel AWAY from the rest of the foster cats.  However, Sweetie does get to have the whole house to herself 3 times a day for a long time, so she can run, jump, and be loved on without exposing the other cats (we place them all away during that time).  Obviously this is NOT a sustainable situation for her, so we are desperate to find a foster or adopter for this little girl.  The best scenario would be a foster-to-adopt trial since she is not scheduled to be spayed until July.  An approved applicant can foster her for a couple of weeks to get to know her, which would help ARWOB out so much!  We are hoping that through a foster-to-adopt trial, her new family will fall in love with her and decide to adopt her permanently!  If you are not in a position to adopt but can offer a LONG TERM foster situation (i.e. several months to a year) to give her a chance for an adoption application to come through, that would be GREAT!!  This is why we always say that “fostering saves lives” because Sweetie cannot remain in a kennel setting and she cannot be in a home with other cats. Are you interested in helping Sweetie? If so, you must have a home with NO other cats or have cat(s) that are FeLV positive.  She would be great with children and cat friendly dogs.  We ask that you please do your research about FeLV.  The Cliff Notes?  Basically, FeLV is a feline specific disease which is highly infectious to other cats.  It is transmitted through bodily fluids and can be passed to other cats through common activities, such as grooming each other, smelling each other, going nose-to-nose, physical interaction, and sharing bowls, toys and/or litter boxes. FeLV cats can live to be senior cats, but many do start to decline as teenagers or young adults.  There is NO cure for FeLV, so her foster and/or adopter must realize that when the time comes and she no longer has a good quality of life, she MUST be euthanized, ideally at home or at the vet.   Please DO NOT inquire about this kitten because you just want to save her from euthanasia.  Please only inquire about Sweetie if you are truly serious about providing a forever home for an FeLV+ kitty.  This means you have done your research and understand that she could be with you as little as 3 months or as long as 13 years.  Emotion is a big risk for these types of kittens, as she will have to live as the only cat in the household for life, unless you plan on adopting another FeLV kitty in the future.  FeLV+ kitties can have a compromised immune system, so it’s imperative that they are INDOOR ONLY at all times.  This keeps them healthier and doesn’t expose other outdoor cats to the virus.  Are you interested in fostering Sweetie?  That would be amazing, but you have to be ready for the emotional rollercoaster that comes with her potentially getting sick and ARWOB having to make the difficult decision to euthanize.  This can be extremely hard, unless you have been exposed to this type of situation in the past.  We do not want anyone’s heart to be broken, so an adopter/foster must be aware that it’s a huge commitment in choosing to adopt/foster an FeLV+ cat.  YES, we have done both the SNAP test and the IFA test, so we are sure that she is a FeLV+ kitty.   If you would like to meet this adorable girl, please submit an online adoption or foster application at ARWOB.org and we will text or email you to schedule a phone call in order to get the process started.  Sweetie is currently being fostered in the 92111 zip code area.  Thank you!