‘Sweet mama' cat came to shelter in bad shape. Then, Sock Hop's luck took a turn

Miami Herald

29-04-2025

A 'sweet mama' cat was brought to a Washington shelter in bad shape with her six kittens.
Then her luck took a turn.
The 1-year-old cat named Sock Hop was taken to the Kitsap Humane Society on April 5, the shelter said in an April 29 Facebook post.
She was sick, thin, disoriented and couldn't walk, the shelter said.
The shelter took her 2-week-old kittens and put them in a foster home so veterinarians could help Sock Hop.
They discovered she was suffering from a few conditions.
'Sock Hop struggled to stay upright and walk on her own. The smallest poke to her hips would knock Sock Hop over,' the nonprofit said.
She had a middle ear infection, Horner's Syndrome (a neurological disorder that impacts her eye and face muscles) and vestibular disease, which affects balance and spatial orientation.
The shelter said she was treated and spayed.
Someone adopted Sock Hop on April 26, three weeks after she was brought to the shelter.
She was cuddly, sweet and started headbutting workers once she felt better, the shelter's social media and marketing coordinator Abigail Shedd told McClatchy News by email.
Now, she goes by a new name of Bizzabella, Wendy Merley commented on Facebook.
Merley said her son was the person who adopted the cat.
'She's still a bit clumsy, but doesn't seem to affect her daily life. She is the sweetest cat. Loves to watch what's going on outside and cuddling on Alex's lap,' she wrote.
'Thank you for giving this sweet mama a warm, loving home and a comfy lap to live her best kitty life!' someone else commented.
Her kittens are still being fostered, the shelter said, but will soon be up for adoption.
Their names are Cha Cha, Charleston, Fox Trot, Mambo, Disco and Tango, to match the dance theme.
Sock Hop was an event in the 1950s where teens would dance in their socks.
Kitsap Humane Society is in Silverdale, just west of Seattle.