Meet Bixby, a handsome brown tabby with soulful green eyes, an enormous personality and, until now, no home of his own. No favorite windowsill. No designated side of the bed. No person expected to report for daily head scratches. Bixby has spent his life being loved by many people, but never belonging to someone in the way every cat deserves.

He does not even have a last name yet.

For years, he has simply been Bixby, beloved shelter celebrity, professional greeter and enthusiastic collector of human affection. Everyone at his previous shelter in Fresno adored him. He was the cat people stopped to visit, talked about after their shifts and wished they could take home themselves. Bixby gave out friendship freely, as though he had an unlimited supply, while quietly waiting for the day someone might finally give him a family name in return.

Because a cat this friendly was never meant to spend his whole life without a home. Bixby deserves a couch with his preferred cushion, a kitchen where he can supervise dinner and a person who says, “That is my cat,” with unreasonable pride to anyone willing to listen. He deserves mail addressed to the household where he lives, holiday cards featuring his face and an official last name that makes it clear he is no longer passing through.

Bixby is also proudly toothless, which only adds to his charm. He may not be able to flash a full grin, but he has perfected the gummy smile and has lost none of his enthusiasm for meals, treats or expressing strong opinions about both. He is also carrying a little extra Bixby around the middle. You could call him overweight, although he would probably describe himself as generously proportioned and built for maximum cuddling. A sensible diet and gentle activity will help him feel his best and stay comfortable.

One of Bixby’s front legs was injured long ago and healed in an unusual position. He cannot use that leg for walking, but it is stable and does not appear to bother him. He simply moves through life in his own distinctiv