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Gender: Male Approximate age: 5 Arrived From: Saint Pauls, NC Arrival Day: July 25,2026 Monte certainly knows how to make an entrance! His journey began on a Saturday when two kind travellers driving to Ohio stopped at a gas station and found him wrapped in a towel, looking limp and helpless with old vet wrap on his leg. Knowing he needed urgent help, they brought him straight to our rescue. But Monte had a wild surprise in store. Before we could we could tell them otherwise he was set down so we could check his back legs, this scared little guy mustered up every ounce of adrenaline he had and bolted straight into the swamp! What followed was a two-hour search through swarms of mosquitoes and sharp briar bushes. Though he was clearly favoring his back leg, Monte’s survival instincts were on high alert. After he disappeared into the woods behind our new building, we set a trap and kept a close watch. Shortly after, Alyson spotted something resting out in the meadow. With patience, gentle words, and the irresistible offer of food, Monte decided to trust us. He slowly stepped out and let us bring him safely inside. When he arrived in our care, Monte was a complete heartbreaker, severely malnourished, dehydrated, missing patches of fur, covered in flea dirt, and marked with puncture wounds and scratches. Removing the old, foul-smelling vet wrap revealed an infected wound that had been trapped underneath for far too long. Despite his fear, Monte showed incredible bravery. He let us carefully use scissors to cut the wrap off, clean his wounds, and give him a warm flea bath. You could see the sheer relief on his face as the warm water soothed his itchy skin and aching body. A thorough vet visit revealed just how much Monte has overcome: • Leg & Joint Health: X-rays showed severe arthritis in his hips and stifle from an old, untreated injury. • FIV Positive: He tested positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), which just means he needs a safe indoor home and routine care to stay healthy. • FIP Treatment: His bloodwork and X-rays revealed he is fighting FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), and we immediately started him on treatment. Monte is truly the luckiest boy to have found his way to our doorstep on the exact day he needed us most. He has a long road of medical treatment and recovery ahead, but his resilient, gentle spirit shines through more and more every day. He is safe, fed, deeply loved, and fighting his way back to health! You can see Monte on our live 24-hour cameras in Tom’s Room here.