Like it is at most rescues, at Cat Tales, most people are looking for a cute little kitten to adopt. Most of our adult cats wait many months to find a forever home. Some end up waiting a year. Then there are the cats who we worry about most because they have some kind of “issue” that deems them as “less adoptable”.
The sad thing is that often when there is some type of behavioral issue that classifies the cat as “less adoptable”, it’s because of their current situation being in a rescue. In a rescue, the kitty is living with lots of other cats and many different people coming and going. And, then when the kitty gets into his forever home, he knows it, and a whole different kitty blossoms. We recently had two of our “problem children” adopted and both were such great happy endings to their tales, we just had to share.
KELLY’S TALE
Kelly was found in Philadelphia when someone saw a person let Kelly out of their car in the middle of the city. We can’t imagine anyone letting go of a precious kitty, but we are grateful to the person who witnessed it and notified Cat Tales. Even though Kelly had been through such a sad ordeal, she took it in stride.
When she was living in our free-roaming Adoption Center, she was able to mostly peacefully co-exist with the other cats, if they gave her space. But, we knew she’d prefer to be the queen of her castle. Kelly was always social and was sweet to our volunteers once she got to know them. She would even present her tummy for belly rubs once she knew a volunteer well. However, Kelly was also known to have a bit of a sassy side, giving warning swats to new people, which was off-putting to visitors looking for their new best friend.
Kelly ended up staying in our Adoption Center from October of 2018 until she was finally adopted by a wonderful woman named Anna in August of 2020. Kelly finally has the forever home she deserves. We followed up with Anna shortly after Kelly had settled into her home. Here’s what she had to tell us:
“Kelly turned out to have a completely different personality than she was showing in Cat Tales. She is the sweetest cuddle bug, full of love and affection. No swats, bites, or hisses at all!
To be honest, after I saw her not so very welcoming side in Cat Tales, I was preparing myself for a long journey with Kelly being a little cold and distant at first, but as soon as she came out of her carrier – she would not let me make a single step without her rubbing her cheeks around my legs. Turns out Kelly loves being pet so much – on the very first day she pulled my hand to her head with paws and made me scratch her forehead while cuddling next to me!
Kelly-jelly-belly is still enjoying hanging out on her little cat tree by the window, watching bugs and birds throughout the day and… stars and planes at night. She thinks that stars and planes are also bugs. When dinner time comes, Kelly enjoys a little game where she is hunting her toys. Another thing – Kelly is still learning how to run around on the hardwood floor. She’s not so used to stop on it, so every time she runs, she ends up sliding when she stops. This is incredibly fun to watch!
Sometimes she would fall asleep in a very funny position – on her back with legs hanging in the air. I have never seen cats doing this! Overall, Kelly is very well behaved, chatty, and very very loving!
“At the end of the day, there are no bad cats, they are just misunderstood.”
– Kelly’s Adopter
It’s sad to know that Kelly spent so much time waiting for her forever home, but I’m very happy that we found each other! Turns out she was just a little shy and stressed to be around other kitties. At the end of the day, there are no bad cats, they are just misunderstood.
I hope all the kitties in Cat Tales are doing well and finding their homes! Thank you for your effort in helping cats to stay healthy find a good home!”
DANTE’S TALE
A caretaker discovered handsome Dante, a 4-year-old tuxedo cat, in a cat colony in Philadelphia. It always breaks our hearts to see friendly cats in colonies when we know they would make an awesome pet to some lucky person out there. It’s only a matter of finding the right match. When the vet examined Dante, he discovered that the poor kitty needed to have most of his teeth removed. And so they were, and – as a result – one of his cute signature gestures is that the tip of his tongue sticks out of his mouth most of the time. He probably knows this makes him even more adorable than he already is. It’s just one of his many charming qualities, though.
However, regardless of his charm, Dante was a bit of a challenge to find a home for. Mainly, this was because Dante needed to be an only cat in the house. He does not want to share the love of his humans, and if other cats were around, he would be known to spray to mark his territory and let them know it’s all his and he’s not sharing. Because of this, Dante spent several months waiting patiently for an adopter to spring him from the Adoption Center.
But, on August 29, Dante went to his forever home! We asked his adopters why, when other people are choosing kittens or even adult kitties with fewer concerns or issues, they selected Dante.
On his first visit to Cat Tales, the adopters noticed that all the cats were out playing, except for Dante. He wasn’t allowed to play with the other cats (because of the spraying issue) and could only come out when the other cats were in their rooms and he didn’t feel like they were threatening his territory. They were only looking for one cat, so he seemed perfect for them. They did get to have a play date with him alone, and that led them to love him more.
His adopters say, “He was loving and playful–the perfect cat qualities. We couldn’t wait to bring him home. And now we have. He may have his flaws, but doesn’t everyone? He might not be perfect, but he’s perfect for us.
I think he’s going to like it here. I even bought him a water fountain, which I swore I wasn’t going to do. He’s going to be spoiled. We actually didn’t want a kitten. Our work schedules seem like we would not be a good fit for a kitten. They require much more attention and sometimes we just aren’t around for it. I feel like our place is a better environment for an adult cat. Plus kittens get placed easier. It plucked at my heartstrings to know that Dante would be mostly confined to his crate. Now all the cats at Cat Tales can play as much as they want and Dante will have free run here. Also, I’m missing a few teeth, so there’s a connection there.”
If you are one of the awesome future adopters thinking about adopting an adult kitty, we hope that you won’t overlook the kitties who might have some type of little personality quirk, medical condition, or behavioral challenge. They are often the most rewarding kitties to adopt when they get into their forever home and realize they have been chosen to be your new family member.
If you’re interested in adopting a kitty from Cat Tales, pounce on over to our Adoptable Kitties page to view our adoptable kitties.
