Adopted A "stray" Cat Yesterday From The Shelter And Am Totally Perplexed

[MinaMorrigan]

Hi there! I am a new member of the site and while I don't have a behavior problem, am wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar.

My 16 year old orange female tabby Stripes passed away a few weeks ago. She was my soul kitty and the perfect companion. She let me pet and touch her anywhere and truly lived for cuddles and attention. I figured finding another cat with a similar disposition would be hard.

While I wasn't planning on getting a new kitty so quickly, I ended up at the shelter on Saturday, just to see. I didn't find any cats that I connected with and figured it would probably take awhile to find the perfect kitty for me and my boyfriend. However Monday I went to another shelter and found the sweetest little calico girl. We've now had her for 24 hours and she is seriously a freak of nature. (In a good way.)

She's been in our master bathroom since she arrived and has refused to hide or do anything cats do in a new place. She greets us immediately and purrs like a motorboat. When either my boyfriend or I enter the room, she meows a greeting and eventually falls asleep near us. She loves to be pet and hasn't had any issues with us touching her paws or tummy and even when playing, knows to be careful with her claws and our skin.

According to the shelter, she was a stray cat that was dropped off. Her ear is docked and she'd been fixed before she ever arrived at the shelter. They have no information about her, but I am amazed at how social and confident she is. There was no collar around her neck and she had no microchip. She was at the shelter for about a week, and no one came looking for her. She doesn't seem to jump onto counters or anything, but still likes to play and, of course sleep. They also think she's around 1 years of age, as it doesn't look like she's totally fully grown yet.

Did we just hit the cat lottery for a second time? Should I expect her personality to change drastically, as she adjusts to our house?

 

[verna davies]

Welcome to the site, I hope you enjoy looking around. Sorry that you lost your Stripes, it's sad when we lose them but it sounds as if you have indeed won the cat lottery. It sounds as if your new kitty is really happy to be out of the shelter and into a loving home. I cant see why she should change, she appears that she is well socialized. Just enjoy spoiling her and post lots of photos.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Well, if I were to say, I personally think you, your bf and that kitty are part of a truly wonderful little miracle.

 

[MinaMorrigan]

When I met her on Monday, my heart instantly loved her. I have no idea why or how, because I didn't feel that way towards any other cats on Saturday or yesterday. And I kept telling myself I wouldn't settle just to have a cat, it needed to feel like it was right. I don't know if that makes sense. And here's the little girl in question - we've yet to name her. So if you have any suggestions, please lemme know.

(Also included Stripes for comparison and because she was the most beautiful cat in the world....to me.)

 

[jcat]

She just has an easygoing, confident nature.
A lot of shelter cats, especially younger ones, don't need to be confined and slowly introduced to their new home and family. They just make themselves at home from the start. You'd be surprised at many of the photos and reports we get within the first 24 hours of adoption.

Our Mowgli was like that - he slept beside my pillow the first night. He must have known we were his new family, because we later found him to be a little shy with strangers at first.

 

[tangers40]

Cheese was this way when I adopted her, although she wasn't a stray. I tried keeping her confined to a room for the first few days, not only when I first got her, but when I moved this summer as well. She would have none of it, and practially ran me over when I opened the door in her eagerness to get out and explore. She never once acted shy or scared around me, even the first time I met her before the adoption. She is still nervous around strangers, and will hide if she's never met you before, but I was a stranger to her at first and she never hid from me. I think it was destiny

 

[duncanmac]

Congratulations on winning the lottery. You knew the trick apparently - wait until a cat chooses you. We have gotten lucky three times with our gang. Our newest addition was bold - she was the kitten reaching out of the cage for attention (and that was the reason we looked at her because we initially went to the shelter to look at two other cats!)

 

[Etarre]

I, too, am a firm believer in following your gut when choosing a cat. That's how I chose Juniper, and she's been an amazing cat. Unlike your new kitty, she was very shy and skittish at first, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she's very well socialized, super sweet, and exceptionally well behaved. I also feel like I won the cat lottery!

Hoping your new kitty is helping your household to feel 'full' again after the loss of your beloved Stripes. Each cat is truly an individual, but a house always feels more like a home with a cat in it.

 

[TobiDaDog]

Congratulations, she's so beautiful and sweet! I think you hit the jackpot in a lot of ways.

Reese was like that. When I found her initially in a parking lot she was scared out of her mind, but the moment she set foot on 'safe ground' and got some food in her stomach she turned into a fearless little cat.

We were so afraid that the dog was going to eat her, because she would march right up to this 70 lb beast and pounce on her paws, then roll over as if to say 'na na boo boo!'

She set right to exploring her new home and made friends with anyone and everyone, even shrieking children, which made us think that she'd belonged to someone with kids at some point. She was just plain old outgoing!

 

[Willowy]

Some kitties are just like that . Since her ear is tipped, that means she was spayed under a feral/farmcat program. . .I have met a lot of very friendly farmcats! And some people don't want very friendly farmcats, but instead want the independent ones who go off and hunt mice in the fields instead of hanging around the house. And some do take the friendlier ones to a shelter to give them a chance at finding a home that will appreciate their friendliness. So that's what I think happened: she was a farmcat who didn't want to farmcat .

 

[azpops]

So very sorry for the loss of your Stripes!

Cat Lottery? Could be, but have you thought that Stripes might have something to do, with you two finding each other?

In regards to your new little girl; She's cute as a button, and looks like a 'Charlie' to me! ... As she's very genic!

Wishing you'all many great years together!

Pops

BTW, took Santi to see DOC this AM, and this is what Pops' looks like when he can't sleep! ... ... Gotta find a way to catch some Z's! ....

 

[susanm9006]

Sounds like a wonderful cat. Even though she was an outdoor cat and even spayed as a feral doesn’t mean that is what her early life was. She could have been a house pet that was abandoned in mid kittenhood or early adulthood. Whatever the case she sounds more than ready to remain a pampered and greatly loved housecat for the rest of her life.

Looks like a Carlita to me.

 

[Suru]

Mine took to the house immediately and started exploring too! When I realized that he was so well socialized, I began to take him out in the car whenever possible and t my friends' houses. He loves it!

 

[MinaMorrigan]

jcat We've been keeping her in the bathroom for now, although tonight we'll take her out into the house. We just moved here about 2 months ago from half way across the country, so we still have boxes to unpack, which means we're going to kitty proof a bit tonight. Stripes her passed sister, was a potato cat, so she didn't get into anything or really know/like climbing.

I think she'll be just fine exploring the house though; she's already tried to get out a few times to explore already.

 

[MinaMorrigan]

tangers40 Cheese sounds adorable! Stripes was very friendly too, although she was never afraid of people. She greeted everyone and immediately expected pets. I have a feeling this kitty is also going to do the same. A friend came over today to visit and the new kitty was happy to visit with my friend and receive pets too.

 

[MinaMorrigan]

D duncanmac LOL actually, that is kind of the case here too. On Saturday, I had gone to look at a female orange tabby that had a similar face to my passed Stripes. She was a 5 month old kitten though and not friendly at all. I knew I wanted a cat that knew the ropes and was socialized and liked to be pet and cuddled, a lot. So I went home, knowing none of the kitties I saw that day would work.
When I showed up to the other shelter on Monday, I went to look at a Siamese named Lucky - but it had been moved to the medical ward due to walking issues. While we were looking at the other cats, New cat came directly to me and started rubbing up on the glass, wanting attention. When we went into the kennel area, she allowed me to pet her on her tummy, while she was laying down and just wouldn't stop purring. My heart kind of bloomed at that point and I realized I wasn't going to leave without her.

 

[MinaMorrigan]

Etarre Juniper sounds simply wonderful! And thank you! I've had Stripes my whole adult life, so losing her was the most painful loss I've had. She was my soul kitty and the most wonderful companion. I would have done anything in the world for her, but I couldn't stop the tumor no vet had noticed months before. The day we put her to sleep, was horrific. I woke up to the tumor ulcerating and bleeding, everywhere. It was under her tongue and had grown to larger than a grape.

I knew it was time, when we couldn't stop the bleeding and the vet said there wasn't going to be any way to stop it. He saw the lump and diagnosed it as cancer and I had already told myself if she ever had cancer, I would make the right decision for her and put her to sleep. The cancer had already caused a heart murmur and was slowly reeking havoc on her body. I couldn't let her suffer more or longer, just because I wanted her to stay in this world. It wasn't fair.

I loved her with all of my heart and it's broken, now that she's gone. But having this little light of hope to focus on, is helping ease the pain a little bit. Obviously she will never replace my beloved Stripes. But she can help add a little light to such a dark moment in my life.

 

[MinaMorrigan]

A azpops Honestly, Sunday night before going to bed, I "spoke" with Stripes. I asked her to help me find a kitten that deserved a better home and that would help ease the loneliness in my heart. Stripes had provided me with so much unconditional love and support through some very tough times, and I knew she wouldn't want me to hurt and suffer constantly without her. I do think she had something to do with it and truly, this cat has some similar attributes. She's more active though and more confident in some ways. Stripes just liked to lounge and was a very uncat cat. She was graceful but didn't know how to get down from the cat tree in her old age and could never figure out how to jump onto things. She could never hunt to save her life and she'd rather purr next to crickets, than eat them.

I think this one as a braver personality and knows how to hunt. She also is very careful not to scratch with her claws and lets me touch and hold her paws. She is a perfect mix of sweet and courageous.

I am very lucky to have such wonderful furbabies cross my life and enter my heart.

 

[jcat]

Since her ear is tipped, that means she was spayed under a feral/farmcat program. . .I have met a lot of very friendly farmcats!

Not only that, but the kittens taken in by shelters or rescues are usually picked up and carried around a lot to socialize them and end up expecting to be held and cuddled as much as possible.

 

[Tagrendy]

Well, some people feed stray cats and pet them, those cats become very affectionate towards humans & grateful. Unfortunately that's not the case for most strays. Being in shelter in my view can make a cat more aggressive / anxious, then outside while they are being taken care of. I think you got a cat that had kind humans around when he was outside, and because he didn't spend too much time in shelter he is still very much secure in nature.