Diego American Shorthair Oceanside, CA

Meet Diego - a very gentle and special boy who has been living at Cats of Oceanside HQ for the past several months and has been the best guest ever.

Diego was found in an empty lot in September 2024, just minutes from my home in downtown Oceanside. Despite being covered in fleas, malnourished and suffering from painful, oozing sores, his friendly and trusting nature remained intact. Desperate to be rescued, Diego approached anyone who called to him, waiting hunched in the lot for someone to help. He was easily picked up and I carried him to my car and took him home, where he received flea treatment that soothed his itchy skin and began the healing process.

When Diego was found, he was very anemic due to blood loss from the flea infestation and malnourished and very thin due to not having regular access to food. However, a vet visit cleared him of all diseases, including FIV, but with no microchip and no signs of previous ownership, Diego has stayed at CoO HQ to recover both physically and emotionally.

Now with extra weight on him, no fleas, all his hair having grown back and lesions healed, Diego has shown himself to be an incredibly sweet, gentle and loving cat. He enjoys being held, staying close to his person, and is especially fond of mealtime. A very talkative cat, Diego will chat with you all day long. It's one of my favorite things about him.

However, Diego feels threatened by other cats and can become defensive and very upset in their presence. He will roll on his back in a submissive position and yowl and scream very loudly. Although he is comfortable outdoors and stays close to home, we believe that after most likely being abandoned and narrowly surviving a tough life on the streets where he was obviously bullied and ostracized by other cats, Diego truly deserves the safety and comfort of an indoor life — without other animals.

He is fully litter box trained, neutered and is estimated to be 3+ years old and currently microchipped to Cats of Oceanside. Diego has a level 2 heart murmur (which is very minor) and is just something to keep under consideration if he is to be put under anesthesia.

Diego longs for a safe, secure home where he will be respected, appreciated, and loved. As a fabulous companion, he’s content spending time alone during the day and will happily cuddle, making biscuits with his paws in the evening.

Diego is a special addition to CoO, and we know he will be the perfect match for someone looking for a loyal, loving, low maintenance companion. We are willing to wait for the perfect person to send him home with, because he deserves to live the rest of his life indoors, as a single animal and so, so loved. We know this unique cat will appeal to the right person with the perfectly unique situation for him.

To inquire about adopting Diego, please send an email and explain why you're interested and think he'd be the perfect match for you to hello@catsofoceanside.org

If we feel like you are a potential match, we'll send you our adoption application.

THANK YOU for reading!