Name: Baby
Age: 3 years 5 months
Breed: DSH Tiger & White
Sex: Female
Baby has come a long way since she first arrived at the shelter. In fact, she has grown so much since being part of the Jackson Galaxy project that anyone meeting her for the first time may not even realize that this little lovebug used to be a skittish kitty back in the day. Baby has worked hard to be the sweet affectionate cat she is now. You see, when she first came to Protectors of Animals, Baby had trust issues. She had been abandoned twice, through no fault of her own. Her original person had been unable to keep her and had given her to a neighbor. The neighbor then became ill. With so much change and turmoil, Baby had shut down. She had decided that trusting people was an easy way to get hurt and that she was done with people. Any attempt to touch her was greeted with a swat and a tiny hiss. When we said, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner", we said it with a laugh, because at that time, nobody put Baby anywhere she didn't want to be!
We didn't give up. She was so tiny and cute that we wanted to scoop her up. And we could see in her eyes that she wanted to be loved. We simply needed a way to reach her. And we found one.
Baby was the first cat selected for the Jackson Galaxy project, and the first cat chosen by a volunteer. Within a few weeks Baby had blossomed so much that the volunteer working with her stopped using treats to reward Baby and began using pets! When Baby began to trust her volunteer, she opened up her heart to the rest of us. She started to play. We started to be able to pet her. She started to follow volunteers around looking for attention. Nobody needed to "put" Baby anywhere, because she started to come forward on her own.
Now does this mean that there are no lingering trust issues? No, it doesn't. Baby still does not care to be picked up and she HATES her carrier. (We suspect that she connects it with losing her home. ) She will need an adopter who is cat savvy and who is willing to keep working with her. Because Baby is still working on trust, we would also not recommend a home with small children. But give Baby a little time (with her it could be a mere few minutes of being patient) and Baby is sure to become your new best friend. Baby will chase the laser light and make you laugh. Baby will sit next to you and listen to you talk about your day (and who doesn’t need a kitty listener?). Baby will open up her heart a tiny bit more every time you pet her and let her know that she is safe and loved.
Nobody puts Baby in the corner. But we’re hoping the perfect adopter will bring her home!
The Cat Adoption Center hours:
Saturdays from 10:30am-4:00pm or 1st Wednesday of every month 5:30 - 7:30pm.
144 Main St.
East Hartford, CT 06118
Please allow for up to one week to hear back regarding your application.