Great big Jerome passed away October 6th, 2026. He suffered a recurrence of his earlier back problems, with a collapse of his ability to use his rear end. Due to his weight and his age, and the duration of the previous treatment, it was determined that any viable solution would add to Jerome’s discomfort and pain. With the greatest of regret, this wonderful cat, with a heart as big as his body, was let go.

Description: DSH grey, extra large
Born: Approximately July 10, 2014; died October 6. 2026
Gender: Neutered male, micro-chipped

History:

This is Jerome’s second chance at finding a permanent home. Originally, Jerome was rescued as a one year old stray by The Last Chance Cat Ranch in the summer of 2015. He was subsequently transferred to the PAW Society and went on to be adopted from PAW along with Henry later that year. Sadly, he was returned to PAW in June, 2018, along with his brother, Henry. Henry has since been re-adopted.

Update: In early June, 2024, Jerome suffered an injury in his foster home. The best we can figure out is that he tumbled down a flight of stairs in the middle of the night. When found, he was not able to use his rear legs. He was rushed to the veterinary clinic but without doing more diagnostics at a specialty hospital in Calgary (CT scan or MRI), our veterinarian could only present possibilities – a ruptured disk or bad sprain. Xrays showed no fractures. Over the next few days and as he slowly regained some mobility, it became obvious the problem was mostly with one of his back legs. Following the accident, he was confined to a smaller area with no opportunity to jump up or down. With good pain management over the first couple of weeks and six weeks of rest, he made steady progress. He was re-checked at week six and his veterinarian recommended another two weeks of rest and although she was encouraged by his progress, she feels it was a disk injury. On August 5, 2024, Jerome will get to explore more of his foster home under supervision. We will keep you posted!

Update, October 17, 2024: Jerome continues to do very well. He has a bit of weakness in his rear right leg; we don’t yet know if that is permanent. But it doesn’t hamper his mobility in any way. He goes up and down the stairs, still drags around a cat bed, and gets up onto the bed for cuddles with his foster caregivers (they purchased a set of bed stairs for him. He caught on the first time they were shown to him). He is continuing to slowly lose weight with strict portioning.

Personality:

Jerome has personality to spare. That’s good, because you’ll be sharing stories of it with everyone. You can start by telling how busy a fellow Jerome is. When he wants his food, he will walk back and forth in front of you, discussing the situation. If he thinks you may be late with his meals, he’ll stand on his hind legs, his front paws on a counter or table. “Here, let me do it; you’re too slow.” Then there’s his furniture moving: he has a propensity for transporting his cat-beds about his foster-home. Up the stairs, down the stairs, three flights or more: Jerome likes to report that the beds are on the move. Maybe he’ll say something about it when you can’t see him. That’s all right; just tell him you hear him, and he’s satisfied. He likes to race a bit, too; he’ll go down the stairs faster than you can. Or at least that’s what he wants to show you. But at the end of the day, he will lie on your lap – you’ll know he’s there, the hefty guy – or curl up on the bed near you.

Jerome might be at his best as an only-cat, but he’s learned that other felines can be fun, too. Oh, he’s just a bit mischievous with his furry roommate, but there’s nothing harmful or hurtful about his teasing. There’s nothing harmful or hurtful about Jerome, period. He’s a big, cheerful fellow. Yes, he needs to lose a few pounds – in fact, we consider Jerome to be a ‘SPECIAL NEEDS’ cat due to being overweight – but we guarantee that he won’t lose any of that personality with the weight.