Happy Tails: Meet Sheldon Penner West (aka "Shelly Belly")

Sheldon with his best friend Finn

A young Sheldon (aka “Shelly Belly”)

In the world of cat rescues, every cat has its own tale to tell. Sheldon Penner West, affectionately known as “Shelly Belly,” is one such story of resilience, love, and the incredible bond between cats and their adopters. From a challenging start in a hoarding situation to becoming an indispensable member of a loving family, Sheldon's journey is a testament to the miracles that organizations like VOKRA can achieve.

Dive into Sheldon's captivating story, as narrated by his loving adopters, and discover the transformative power of love and care:

Sheldon initially joined our family in the summer of 2016 as a foster kitten. Sheldon, his sister Millie, and brother Errol had been rescued from a hoarding situation in Surrey by Laura Deck from VOKRA. Many kitties from the “Harvie Road” house were in very poor health, due to inbreeding, filth, and really deplorable living conditions. Our three had been found in the dusty and dirty attic. Sheldon was obviously unwell when he was first found, with runny eyes, a crusty face, and chronic upper respiratory issues. He looked and sounded the worst of the three, and our hearts just melted when we saw them all, but especially Sheldon.

Despite any health issues, Sheldon has always been the “alpha male” of the group, even deciding that he was “the boss” as a tiny kitten with our two other grown cats. He has always been friendly, curious and without fear around other cats or people. He was very bonded with Millie, his sister and the two were inseparable.

We had planned at first to only foster the three kittens, as we already had two mature VOKRA cats, but as time went on, and while working through both Sheldon and Millie’s health issues, we became increasingly attached to both of them. We decided eventually to adopt both Sheldon and Millie. Errol found a wonderful home with a woman who worked at his vet and continues to live a very happy and much-loved life.

Sheldon with his sister Millie

Sheldon’s raspy breathing and nasal congestion has been an ongoing and chronic problem that we’ve focused on managing over the years. After many trips to the vet and trying different supportive medications and supplements over the years, we’ve generally managed to control his symptoms with lysine, a healthy diet, decreasing any stress in his life and regular “spa” treatments in our bathroom, where he lies on a pillow and sits in a steamy room (with the shower left on high and a vaporizer on) for half an hour. It’s not great for our gas bill but does wonders for Sheldon! After his treatment, I make sure his nostrils are clear with a warm, wet cloth before he leaves the “spa.” On the odd occasion he’ll come down with an infection, which is generally treated with antibiotics and more steaming after a trip to the vet.  

Sheldon meeting his new best friend Finn

Sadly, Millie died from heart failure a few years ago, leaving Sheldon a bit lost, so we decided to adopt a younger kitten as a potential friend for Sheldon, and that was how we came to adopt Finn. Even though we were following VOKRA’s procedures for introductions, Sheldon was always curious about the new creature on the other side of the door. When he was finally allowed to join Finn in his room, Sheldon immediately went over and started to lick Finn, welcoming him to his new home. They have been best buds ever since.

When he’s not hanging out with Finn, Sheldon likes to play with his favourite mouse toy, catch the odd ball and pounce on treats that are thrown to him. He’s actually quite interested in “DIY” and enjoys helping David around the place, whether it be helping change light fixtures , using the tape measure, or fixing the back unit on the toilet. After a hard day on the job, he likes to be blow dried (even though he’s not wet), as he loves the warm air on his fur. His latest skill was discovered during lock down, when we were attending meetings from home in our office. Sheldon figured out how to use our paper shredder (safely) and many a meeting was interrupted with the sound of the shredder going on and on, with Sheldon happily pressing the “on” button for as long as he could. It has been an ongoing topic of humour when a meeting was interrupted because of Sheldon, our new PA!

Sheldon is an integral part of our family and is much loved. We know that we’ll always need to attend to and manage his condition, but he gives us back so much more. We’ve had many cats over the years, but Sheldon is indeed a special boy, and we sincerely thank VOKRA and Laura, for rescuing this wonderful boy. ❤️