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Wanted: Family for Billy the Cat, bachelor pad included

Updated May 5, 2021 - 3:55 pm

Wanted: Family with shaded backyard to adopt Billy, a cat who’s spent way too long at the Nevada SPCA shelter, wants to be your sole feline companion and longs to live outside.

Billy, a 4-year-old semi-feral brown tabby with manageable health problems, will come with a “catio,” or enclosure that will protect him from the elements and other critters.

“We were talking about Billy and we said, ‘We have to find a creative solution for this cat. Let’s figure something out,’ ” said Amy Lee, communications manager at Nevada SPCA.

Shelter staff have kicked off an essay contest that encourages potential adopters to explain why they’re the right host for “Billy’s Bachelor Pad.”

Lee said Billy is a sweet boy with a “rough and tumble” attitude. He’ll accept affection on his terms once he’s comfortable. He was originally brought to the shelter in 2018 for marking inside the house, thus his need to live outside.

Billy’s exact enclosure hasn’t been chosen, but it will have features such as weather-proofing, several ways in and out and secure spots for food, water and bedding. It will be paid for by a shelter supporter who wishes to be anonymous. The catio will need to be near a power or water source.

“We really want this cat to be happy,” Lee said. “We believe there’s someone for everybody.”

Lee explained that adopting Billy means a commitment by his adoptive family. He has feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV+), an infection that is transmissible to other cats but harmless to humans. He also has stomatitis, an inflammation of the gums that requires a quarterly treatment that will be covered by the Nevada SPCA. He’ll need to be brought to the shelter for this treatment.

Essayists must be at least 21 years old and own their homes. In 300 words or less, they should explain why they can offer Billy the perfect forever home. Deadline for entries sent to findhappiness@nevadaspca.org is May 28.

Contact Ellen Fiore at efiore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EllenMFiore on Twitter.

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