Savannah's Paw Tracks

Autobiography of a Former Shelter Cat

Archive for the tag “scared cat”

What Were The Humans Thinkin’…?

Nobody seems to talk about this too much,  so I decided I would. It’s about what sometimes happens  to us adult cats when humans rescue us from shelters.  We are returned for some of the oddest reasons..so this raises a question in my mind…

“Just how much do humans think through what it means to adopt an adult cat?”

I know that adopting an adult cat…meaning one that is a year old or older…is different than adopting a young kitten. The kitten doesn’t have as long a history of life events as we adults do.  And of course, the older the cat, the more life experiences (good and bad) they have.

That means we usually need lots more adjustment time when we get a forever home…and we toally need our new family to help us out lots.

So here’s my “nit to pick”…I totally agree that animal shelters need to allow humans to return adult cats if they don’t work out in the new home…otherwise the cat would just get dumped on a street…but I have to wonder what humans are thinkin’ when they take an adult cat home and return them for reasons like these…

Spreckles was 18 mos. old, loved to play, loved peeps, enjoyed other cats and totally loved a good lap and lots of pets
RETURNED: after a couple weeks, the family returned her ‘cuz she was “too affectionate”…Huh?!

Fred was 10 years young…loved to play and Oh Cat! What a lap dude! And he was drop dead gorgeous…he was a Norwegian Forest Cat…everyone knows these guys are pretty hefty and that was Fred…no small cat he…so, gets adopted by a retired couple who come lookin’ for a Maine Coon cat or one big like that…

RETURNED: after less than 48 hours ‘cuz he was TOO BIG! What!!??

Peep and Bo…brothers and 8 years old.  They were dumped at the county shelter ‘cuz their family moved and didn’t get a new place where they could keep the cats. So they were saved by my former shelter, a private no kill non-profitshelter.  So this ladie wants them, has the shelter hold them over the Christmas holidays ‘cuz she has company and she wants their arrival to be as free of stress as possible.  I thought, now that’s very nice, Huh? She visited them several times before she could take them home.
RETURNED: after a month or so ‘cuz they were to difficult to manage…they were having some adjusment problems and took it out on each other…back they came. This is Peep…

Ashley…she was about 12 months old…and loved to play, cuddle and be with people.  Just a real sweetie.
RETURNED: twice! mostly ‘cuz she was too playful! She was 12 months old! Don’t human know we like to play until we are really really old??

I guess I am just asking humans to think through what it means to adopt an adult rescue cat. It is tough on us when we get returned for reasons that could have been thought through before taking us to a home and giving us hope that we have found our forever family.

That’s just my opinion…my thoughts…I’m gonna go take a nap now and think more about “why humans should adopt adult rescue cats”…maybe I could talk about that ‘cuz I really do think we are worthwhile.

Catch’ya later, Savannah

Hiya! Savannah Here Again

Well…just a really lazy Monday. First spent some quality time with Mom hanging out in bed this morning…she gives me so many pets and chin rubs and head scatches…puts me right into a trance!

Then she had to get goin’ to get to the gym…by the time I figured out she was leaving I looked up and said “hey! what about me?”

..and she just took my picture and blew me a kiss goodbye!

So then I hung out with Dad and had my brekkies next to his chair in our bedroom while he read the newspaper.  He feeds me my brekkies and my din din next to his chair, ‘course for din din the chair is in our family room, not our bedroom. But I had brekkies with Dad (he is making sure he and I build a solid relationship and so I have to come to him for my food and eat while he is there…pretty good strategy, huh?)

Then later he gave me a really good long brush…and wham, I am totally out like a light…so I drug myself up to my bed in Mom’s office for my morning snooze…

Hope your day is a relaxing and special as mine!  Paw pats, Savannah

Whew! What a Workout!

Well, Mom and Dad left me alone all day yesterday…then last night…OH MY CAT!!

They decided I needed to do my WHOLE workout routine at ONE TIME!! I was ready for bed, but said “what the heck…I can do this!”  Even tho’ I, personally, had been very busy during the day…what with first watching the bedroom and hummer feeder outside…

Then I had to go do interior patrols…sittin’ on my cat tower to watch the finches and doves…err..umm…to make sure nothing was gonna get in the house from outside…then I had to go up and down the stairs, and watch the side yard from upstairs to make sure nothing could climb the wall and get in…’course I may have taken a little nap at each patrol station…

Soooo….they decide I need some exercise just ‘cuz THEY didn’t get any…so first they had me do about a catjillion reps of my core workout…ya know the one where you have to squeeze your abs tight to flip from side to side…and I had to do 2 sets!

Then they want me to get goin’ on my aerobic stuff to get my heart rate up and all…ya know this one…chase that stupid red dot you can never catch…

So first, ya have to see it…

…now get a good focus on it…

 

…next get it right between your paws for contol…

 ..aaiiieee yowl! it got away..run..

..then use your hind legs and try to pounce on it from above…

…now just breathe…and ignore it!

Then I catch my breath thinking Mom will be tired by now…but nooooooooo…she says there is still the upper body workout to do…ya know…building your chest, back, front legs…gettin’ good eye–prey—paw coordination…so out comes the green feather thingy (which I luvluvluv) but Oh Cat!…I’m getting a bit tired here…

So first I spot it moving over my head…

..then I use my upper body to pummel it

Well, now I am totally exhausted…I need a snack and my pets and my bed…I don’t think I will be so hard on the staff next time they take a day away.  Just sayin….

Paw pats, Savannah

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