Captain Jack the one-eyed pirate cat has a ‘heart of gold.’ He needs a new home

Charles Dickens once wrote, “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”

Sweet Captain Jack hopes to find an adopter whose wisdom will mirror his own.

This 10-year-old kitty has an abundantly loving nature and is seeking someone to love, even in the face of the heartache he’s endured.

Severely underweight, this orange tabby came to the shelter with an injured eye.

Shelter staff was thankful that Captain Jack was microchipped. Upon reaching out, they found the cat’s owner had died.

Now this senior homeless kitty — with an injured eye the veterinarian determined couldn’t be saved — appeared to have reached the end of his road.

Fortunately, donations to the shelter’s Animals Requesting Friends fund made it

possible for Captain Jack’s damaged eye to be removed. Now this kitty resembles a real pirate with a heart of gold, and he’s looking for a forever home.

Beyond the emotional richness that cats and other companion animals provide, loving pets like Captain Jack also help us be healthier. Research shows that the majority of people who have regular interactions with pets have lower blood pressure and decreased heart rates; they also have healthier cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

With longer and colder nights ahead, the mutual benefits of adopting a homeless animal are clear, and — if chosen — Captain Jack will no doubt purr his gratitude while he snuggles closer this winter.

As Dickens once reflected, “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” Captain Jack couldn’t agree more.

For more information about Captain Jack (ID No. 256917), call the volunteer line at the San Luis Obispo County 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.