Bashful BOONE came to the shelter in early May, and was a little bit of a hold-out when it came to accepting our love. Just one of those cats who routinely appealed to us to come and give him some attention -- but as soon as we opened his cage, he would dash to the other side, suddenly not quite sure he wanted our attention. So, we gave him time, and it soon became obvious that he LOVES other cats. He would come to the front of his cage and chirp at other cats when they were out and about, and often one would climb the tower next to his cage, so they could sit together for a bit, comforting each other. But this poor bashful boy just could not seem to screw up the courage to leave his cage, even though he's come to accept a lot of petting and love and attention from us.
He loves to have his head, cheeks, and belly scratched, rolls and flops around when we do so, but he is just very timid about leaving his cage when we are near, almost like he's afraid he's not allowed to. And he gets anxious when we pick him up, so we've just been giving him time to come around on his own. Boone has all the signs of a cat who will enjoy sitting next to you on the couch and receiving (and giving) love, even if he doesn't enjoy being held.
When we are not in the room, he tentatively comes out of his cage to sit with the other cats, and, after some time being out, he feels safe and is no longer anxious. But just as often, when we enter the room while he's out, he quickly tiptoes back to his cage and hops in. It's a little sad, almost like he thinks he's in jail and is not allowed to leave his cage, when nothing would make us happier than to see him out and enjoying liberty in the cat room, especially considering how much he adores other cats.
Boone really needs to leave his caged life at the shelter. Given how much he connects with other cats, we suspect that once he's in a home with another cat he will let that cat guide the way, and will soon forget about his life in confinement. He'll need a quiet introduction to a new home, in a safe place where he can't hide from his new family, and where he can easily make the acquaintance of another cat. Though we think a home with another cat is best for Boone, it's also entirely possible that he'll rediscover his "inner cat" in a home with no other pets, and just one or two humans to share his life with. He didn't seem the least bit concerned when we brought a dog into the cat room to gauge their reaction to one, so he might enjoy having a canine companion, as long as the dog is gentle and not aggressive towards small creatures. Boone should be happy living with older children, but young children will have to be cautioned to give him time to adjust to them.
Boone is estimated to be 4 years old, is neutered, box-trained, current on vaccinations, tested negative for FIV and feline leukemia, and received de-wormers and flea treatments. Adoption fee is $75. Personal checks are accepted from R.I. residents only; all others may pay by credit/debit card or money order, payable to "Town of Scituate." No cash is accepted.
For more information or an application, email ClayvilleCritters@cox.net, call the shelter at (401) 647-7200, or visit the shelter during regular hours: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri 7 to 11 a.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please call before visiting, to make sure the shelter is open, and to coordinate your visit to when cat volunteers are in to do his introduction. Though he is timid, Boone pretty much accepts all new people he meets, if they just give him some scratches on the head and cheeks.
You can also access a downloadable application by clicking this link, or by going to the Town of Scituate's Animal Control page and scrolling down to the link to the Cat Adoption Form:
https://www.scituateri.gov/departments/animal_control/index.php
Or copy and paste the following into your browser: https://cms5.revize.com/revize/townofscituate/scituate%20ri%20cat%20adopt%20form%20rev%200922.pdf
Please email all PDF applications to ClayvilleCritters@cox.net for faster processing.
LOCAL CAT, ABERDEEN
Domestic Medium Hair
🇺🇸
Scituate, Rhode Island
female, medium, young
Domestic Medium Hair
Scituate, Rhode Island
