Susie the sweet senior tabby cat is looking for a new home

Simple acts of kindness can make a world of difference. For a sweet senior kitty, it would mean the world.

Susie’s a heartbreaker. She’s up at the front of her kennel in the hopes someone will open the gate.

If you do, she’ll lean deeply into your hand as if she’s been thirsting for your touch. Sometimes she’ll gently lick your hand in thanks.

Until four months ago, Susie’s life consisted of a comfy chair and predictability.

But that life ended when her loving owner died. With no family members able to take her in, Susie found herself at the San Luis Obispo County Animal Services shelter.

Susie’s a 14-year-old sable tabby with splashes of white on her legs, chest and muzzle. She has beautiful green eyes and white, luxuriously long whiskers.

Since arriving at the shelter, Susie has shown herself to be a gentle kitty with good house manners who appreciates being brushed. She is a skilled lap cat.

Being a senior makes it hard for certain shelter animals to find a home.

For Susie, there’s another challenge. She needs to be a solo, indoor kitty because she’s tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

FIV is a health issue that effects only cats so it isn’t contagious to people.

Because they are indoor-only, FIV-positive kitties can lead healthy, happy lives and make wonderful companions for years to come.

Susie’s world needs one simple act of great kindness — an invitation home.

If you would like to meet Susie or any shelter animal, please call 805-781-4400, choose extension “6” and leave a message requesting an appointment.

For more information about Susie (ID No. 244909), call the volunteer line at the Animal Services shelter at 805-781-4400 or visit www.slocounty.ca.gov/aserv. The shelter is located at 885 Oklahoma Ave., off Highway 1, in San Luis Obispo.

The full-price adoption fee is $81 for cats and $115 for dogs, plus a $28 county license fee for dogs, if the adopters are San Luis Obispo County residents.

The adoption fee includes a new collar, a spay or neuter operation, basic vaccinations, a microchip and eligibility for a free veterinary check within San Luis Obispo County. Cats also are tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus, and adopters receive a carrier.