Finding hope, healing and a home in foster care.

When Kelvin first arrived at the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS), he was in rough shape. The five-year-old cat had been found as a stray and brought to a partner agency by a kind citizen. But painful wounds covered his ears—the result of scratching from severe ear mites—and he needed urgent medical care, including treatment for his ears and a dental procedure to extract damaged teeth.

Kelvin’s Story

Kelvin was also diagnosed with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), a condition that weakens a cat’s immune system, making them more vulnerable to infections. While FIV-positive cats can live happy, healthy lives, they need extra care and should ideally be in homes without other cats or only with other FIV-positive cats to prevent transmission.

To support his recovery, Kelvin was placed in a foster home with Sandra, an experienced EHS foster volunteer who had cared for many medical cases, including another FIV-positive cat of her own. When she first learned her own cat was FIV-positive, she was heartbroken, worried that she could no longer foster. After speaking with EHS’ team, she was reassured that she could continue fostering with some changes. “Now I foster differently. Non-FIV positive cats are isolated for the duration of their stay and recovery.”

As with all her foster cats, Sandra took special care to help Kelvin feel safe in his new environment. “When a new foster arrives, I sleep in the same room with them to try to put them at ease and to learn about them and vice versa,” she explains. Despite wearing a cone for his recovery, Kelvin quickly made himself at home. “He just fit,” said Sandra.

As his wounds healed and his playful personality emerged, Sandra realized she couldn’t part with him. “Sometimes, a person just knows—this could be another foster fail,” she admits. And so, after a month in foster care, Kelvin’s stay became permanent. “I knew this guy had wormed himself into my heart and my house, and he seems to be happy with my decision—I am.”

Now, Kelvin is exactly where he belongs—snuggling up with his human, safe, loved, and at home.
For many shelter cats, especially those with medical needs or FIV, finding the right home can take time. But with EHS’ sheltering and foster programs, animals like Kelvin get the care they need to heal and thrive, giving them the best opportunity for a bright future.