Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, all,

I have been planning on adopting a cat and have fallen in love with an adorable one at the local animal shelter. The problem is that the cat is too afraid to leave her cage! When the cage door is opened, she scurries to the back of the cage. From there, she lets me pet her and becomes a purring machine! As soon as I close the cage, she runs up to it and tries to get me to pet her again. But when I RE-open the cage, she runs to the back again. If I open and close the cage door, she will run back and forth from the front to the back. She likes people, but something about that open cage and the BIG world is getting to her!

I am wondering about her "adoptability" under these conditions. She is a pure white short hair, was a mom about 6-7 months ago and has one blue eye and one yellow eye - clearly a genetic recessive in many ways.

Any ideas? I would hate to see this cutie languish forever in that tiny cage. Thanks!

This happens a lot to shelter kitties. They are under normal conditions really lovey cats. But she probably fears being out of her cage. To many noises and strange smells at the shelter.
I bet if you bring her home to a quiet house she will adjust nicely. Just when you bring her home remember to keep in confined to one room to start off with. She has been living in a tiny cage and a large house may overwelm her.
Good Luck.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

Thank you, JaimeMarie, for your encouragement.

I have decided to adopt the cutie, even if she is a scaredy cat. We spent time together at the animal shelter. She came out of her cage reluctantly, but did so without squirming or scratching or getting hysterical. She was well-behaved, curious about the objects in the visitor's room, jumped off the ledge onto the floor and even managed to give me a head butt when she wanted me to pet her. My home is not large, so maybe she will adjust to being out of her cage quicker. I have a small apartment, just a living-eating area and a bedroom and a bathroom. The cat will have lots of places to hide since I still have many boxes from my recent move. I think she is a Khao Manee mix. Certainly not a purebred, considering those cost about $25,000 each and are rarely found outside Thailand!

Her full name will be Chiara de Luna, "Moonlight" in Italian, but I will call her Luna for short. When she gets here, I'll post a photo.

Lisa

This cat sounds very adoptable, particularly if she is in a non-threatening situation. She'll be scared at first and will probably hide a lot - then she'll come out after dark and explore, but noises will cause her to hide. Finally she'll make herself at home!

I hope you enjoy your new fur-baby. She sounds really precious and I'll be looking forward to pictures of her!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Congradulations on your adopting Luna. I like the name.When do you get to bring her home? Keep us updated.

here is a picture of one of my babies.

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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

Your kitty is hard to miss! A big long hair having a fun time on the carpet. I bet s/he is a purring machine and a hot water bottle. What a great smile!!

My Luna is coming home today. Her new human has been preparing the house, making sure there are no foreign objects like string or tape or twistie ties or advil tablets anywhere. The house has not been this clean in months. She has a few toys and some catnip. I already know from experience that cats like "home-made toys" like paper bags and towel paper rolls and usually find their own favorite spots to hang out. I have little nooks prepared for her - with an empty box here and there, a little bed (that she will probably ignore), a paper bag in a corner and a few towels tucked under an end table.

I also discovered that dollar stores and supermarkets are much less expensive than Petco or Pet Smart. I got a collar at Petco for $6.99 that was $4.99 in Stop and Shop! I will do comparison shopping from now on. I know that cat is in control of my heart, but she will not control my wallet, too.

I am hoping that she will let me show her the litter box before she runs and hides. If she is good, I can take her to the box and move her paws in it so she gets the message.

Soon there will be photos once she comes out of hiding and I figure out how to post up on this site.

Lisa