On Black Cat Appreciation Day, Best Friends Animal Society introduced a special black cat, Handsome Thomas.
Thomas is one extremely lucky cat, rescued and taken to their sanctuary in southern Utah called Cat World. In this dream of a cat paradise, he recovered after surviving a serious injury during Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
The huge sanctuary is home to hundreds of cats with incredible magical features and enclosed catios. The kitties come from rescue partners across the country. There’s also a Dogtown, Horse Haven, Piggy Paradise, Bunny House, and Parrot Garden.
Handsome Thomas Gets the Ultimate Gift
In honor of Black Cat Appreciation Day, 10-year-old Handsome Thomas got a special spotlight. They shared his back story as a “Hurricane Harvey survivor cat.”
“Anyone who meets Thomas can immediately tell that he is a sweet and gentle soul. But the black cat was understandably frightened when he came to Best Friends’ base of operations at the NRG Arena in Houston after Hurricane Harvey,” wrote Christelle L. Del Prete in 2018. “He curled up in a cat bed in the back of his enclosure, hid his face and avoided everyone. It was as if he was used to being overlooked and wanted to stay that way.”
Images via Best Friends Animal Society. Photos by Kurt Budde and Molly Wald.
The cat had a serious head wound, and nobody came forward to claim him in Houston. But luckily, he went to the Best Friends Animal Clinic and received lifesaving care. They discovered he had a possibly related sinus infection and needed antibiotics too. After he recovered, he went to Cat World.
“The Sanctuary will be his home for as long as he needs, but one day, he’ll get the ultimate gift of a new home,” Del Prete wrote then.
Black Cat Appreciation Day
Flash forward to August 17, 2022: Black Cat Appreciation Day:
“Introducing the INCREDIBLY HANDSOME Thomas,” the rescue shared. “Along with one healed-but-permanently-crumpled ear, Thomas arrived at our sanctuary with an infected head wound. Our veterinarians treated him, and while there were a few ups and downs, the antibiotics did their job, and Thomas began feeling better.”
After recovering from his wounds, Thomas found himself in Cat World, one incredibly lucky turn of events. But after his previous experiences, he had to learn to trust again.
“When Thomas first arrived in Cat World, he was very shy and spent most of his time hiding in a cubby. It took time for Thomas to realize that he was in a safe place and could finally relax and let his guard down. Once he did, he began venturing out of his cubby, and we started to see his loving personality,” they explained.
Life in Cat World did him good, and the senior cat acted like a kitten now and then.
“Nowadays, anyone who meets Thomas can immediately tell he is a sweet and gentle soul. While he is still a bit timid around people, with patience, Thomas will let his human friends pet him. He spends his days sunbathing or birdwatching, and every once in a while, 10-year-old Thomas gets a burst of kitten energy.”
On this day, Thomas got the spotlight as he was ready to find a loving, quiet home where he could slowly adjust.
“With time, patience and lots of love, one lucky family will see just how amazing this Hurricane Harvey survivor is,” they said.
Handsome Thomas Goes Home
Best Friends Animal Society shared the great news for Adopt A Senior Pet Month. Thomas was adopted along with many other animals at the Sanctuary! If you look at the pictures, you can see Handsome Thomas there, and they mentioned him by name.
“Look at some of the ADORABLE seniors adopted from our Sanctuary since last November! A total of 103 senior pets found loving families:
🐶 58 dogs. 🐱 24 cats. 🐴 9 horses. 🦜 7 parrots. 🐰 2 bunnies.
A chinchilla named Ruby, Thomas the cat who survived Hurricane Harvey, Feebee the dog who’s been at our Sanctuary since 2013 and a precious little sugar glider named Marvin all found homes,” they shared.
November is Adopt A Senior Pet Month, so it’s the perfect time to visit your local shelter and adopt a senior pet. You can check out their website here to find a senior pet near you. Senior pets can be ideal companions, and a senior cat like Thomas could be waiting just around the corner.
Check out this great video by the Best Friends Animal Society about the wonderful world of black cats.
