Our Companions was contacted in October of 2013 to help rehome an eight year old tabby cat named, well… Tabby! The family was looking to rehome Tabby because they were moving and only able to keep two of their resident cats in their new home. Adopted from the Humane Society at a year old, Tabby lived with large Labradors and multiple cats in the seven years she was with the family. However, learning more about Tabby, it became evident she was never comfortable in a multi-pet environment. Tabby’s unease around other pets manifested in fearful and nervous behavior, including occasional swatting and nipping behaviors. Living in a home with animals she felt unsafe around left Tabby often retreating and hiding in her own home. Tabby had bonded with the daughter, finding solace in her company with just the two of them together. However, after some years, the daughter moved out of the home, leaving Tabby without her trusted companion. We realized that even though the move was the catalyst for rehoming, Tabby was not in an environment where she could thrive.
A big part of our mission for adoptable animals is to find the best match possible for both pets and people, which includes finding the right home environment and lifestyle for every pet companion. Just like us people, our pet companions will have different personalities and will thrive in different environments. Some are social butterflies and others, like Tabby, will show signs of stress and fear being around a lot of different people and animals. Given that she had lived in an environment that was stressful to her for most of her life, this shaped the way she reacted to the world around her.
We worked with Tabby and the family in our Rehoming Program until we were able to welcome her to our Sanctuary in July of 2014. We knew life at the Sanctuary would be a big change for her, but having a room to herself would ultimately help her heal and allow us to work with her behaviors after living in a mismatched environment for years. Staff and volunteers worked together to come up with the behavioral therapies necessary to improve her quality of life and provide an environment where she could flourish without fear.
All human-animal bonds take time, especially for a cat like Tabby who had experienced conflicting relationships of trust for so long. Our daily interactions with our Sanctuary cats allow us to tailor our approach with each cat depending on their needs. We recognized the importance of patience in order to learn Tabby’s cues for when she was looking for attention or for when she needed space. We started to learn her preferences for play, affection, and overall well-being and in turn, she began to trust people and form positive connections.
Tabby settled in and seemed to appreciate having her very own room! As a cat with a sensitive disposition and years of feeling she needed to be protective of herself, she had many nervous tendencies; she was prone to over-grooming or getting reactive. But she was also still so snuggly, and playful! It just took someone who could really read cat body language to truly understand her.
Like many pets (and people), Tabby thrived on routine. We slowly increased our interactions with her and her ability to be comfortable with us increased with time. As an adult cat, she did not need vigorous playtimes but seemed to enjoy shorter sessions with her favorite wands! We learned Tabby loves interactive feather toys. We found she did not do well with catnip but did like to chew on cat grass. We also found she prefers to drink from a cat water fountain than a plain old, boring water dish! Getting to know Tabby was not only a joy for many of our staff and volunteers, but also so rewarding to be able to show Tabby a new environment and watch her nervousness slowly subside.
It was gratifying to see our work in action as Tabby became very social with her human visitors. She would often opt-in to be brushed and loved lounging on a nice warm lap! She would also become vocal and call to her people when she wanted playtimes. A staff member recalled how extremely snuggly she could be, and her striking eyes –always so BIG and ready to look around!
After being with us for a year, her health was great with a high fiber diet and was not in need of any medications. Her demeanor was notably more friendly, positive, and happy! “She does still want to be respected and have you ask her if she’s in the mood for petting, but her demeanor is so happy these days! She meows for volunteers to come in and pet her and enjoys being brushed.”
Tabby even let us give her nail trims without incident! A true milestone for clicker training and cat behavior! We knew she would be a great companion with someone who can understand her needs.
One volunteer remembers, “she could hardly wait for me to sit on the couch, to climb on my lap and be brushed on her favorite places – on the head, cheeks and under her chin.”
Staff and volunteers not only rallied around healing Tabby, but those who knew and loved her also came together to help her find a forever home.
Finding the right adopter for Tabby was no small feat; it required someone willing to meet her where she was in life and provide the nurturing environment she craved. Her nervous behaviors had been cemented during her formidable years and would never completely disappear, but learning to understand not only cat language, but also Tabby’s cues to help set her up for success in the right home environment. Obviously, Tabby needed a home with no other animals and we wanted to ensure her behaviors would be addressed responsibly and with compassion.
Despite the remarkable progress she made during her years with OC, capturing a true “before and after” transformation is often difficult to portray. Given Tabby’s behavioral challenges and older age, adoption inquiries were slow. Staff and volunteers continued to work diligently on promoting how far she has come and what a wonderful companion she truly could be.
Years came and went, and in 2019 Tabby turned 13 years old, still available for adoption at our Sanctuary. She was nearing her fifth year as a Sanctuary guest and had been there longer than any other adoptable cat.
Adding to our adoption efforts, a volunteer wrote a letter to Tabby highlighting her time with OC:
We met sometime after your arrival five years ago. It took a while, but I was glad to be one of the few at the start. You were so apprehensive of spending time with any of us. After many months you began to accept my consistent visits to your room. I just loved you from the start. You had so many things to overcome…loud noise seemed to bother you, other cats in your space and human acceptance being pretty close at the top of the list. I watched you find your courage from within to gradually accept my presence, as well as others, to be your friend… You are a special girl, Tabby. I talk to you often assuring you that a special person or family is out there and meant to be yours. I would miss you dearly, but it would be one of my happiest moments knowing you found your loving home.
And as luck would have it, soon after her promotional push Tabby received a promising application for a true forever home!
A previous adopter contacted OC after reading Tabby’s story, expressing keen interest in adopting her and collaborating closely with OC throughout the adoption process. The applicant had a calming presence and a quiet home environment where Tabby could be the queen of her castle as an only pet. Our multi-step adoption process allowed us to have many open, transparent conversations about everything surrounding Tabby, her behavior, and health before any face-to-face meeting was scheduled. This helped to ensure there was no hasty decisions made about adopting a new pet while making sure Tabby went home with an adopter who was committed to providing a forever home to her.
Abby still had triggers with loud noises and navigating aspects of her behavior after her decompression stage was imperative to a successful adoption. We talk through issues, like swatting and nipping behaviors in our “Meet and Greets”, but it is different to experience managing behavior in real time.
After conversations and meetings with Tabby and the adopter, we felt confident that we found a dedicated match for her and her adoption was finalized in March of 2019.
Tabby’s new pet guardian named her Abby and even started a blog about her life in her Forever Home! We always keep in contact with adopters throughout the first year of adoption and kept in close contact with Abby and her new mom as she transitioned to home life again.
Abby seemed to settle into her new home quite quickly. Her first week in the home transitioned quite easily, she began to slowly explore her new environment and started to bond with her new person. Her adopter said she was doing AWESOME and she was transitioning faster than her previous cats.
“She takes her meds no problem and she has good litter box habits. I read her medical file so I know what to watch for. She is happy and so am I. It is a good fit. Thank you so much. We both feel very lucky!”
Abby started to explore her new home, finding all the best window perching spots, like on the back of the couch! Apparently it was the best spot to view the park next store!
“Abby and I are a great match. Two old girls that like a routine but still have lots of spunk from time to time.” After about a week, she even had a few visitors to the home and seemed to enjoy having guests and extra attention.
Abby’s fearful behaviors were not seen until about 2 weeks post adoption, and we were there to help the adoptive pet guardian work through the issue, understanding the cause, and provide insight and support. A picture had fallen off the wall in the home, which startled Abby. Abby retreated to the bedroom to decompress. However, when the adopter went to check on her, Abby was still in a state of fear at swatted at her legs, “She seems fine now but I saw the behavior you were talking about.”
By fostering open communication and discussing Abby’s fear response to unexpected loud noises, we were able to offer professional guidance to her new home. Understanding that such situations are unpredictable and inevitable in life, we provided advice on how to support Abby through her fears and reactions, ultimately strengthening the bond and understanding between Abby and her pet guardian.
We encouraged a routine with Abby as well, which really helped her to settle in to her new home. “She has a routine where when I come home she runs into the bedroom, jumps up on the bed and waits for me to sit and pet her. I spend about 10 minutes each time and she loves it. It is so funny how she does it EVERY TIME! She is really doing awesome.”
Abby continued to enjoy home-life, and the two began to understand each other even more! Abby continued to progress and settle in without behavioral incidents. Her world increased in a great way! She was friendly with anyone who came to visit, and the people she met also respected her space and boundaries allowing the home to flow harmoniously for both pets and people!
We were spoiled in the fact that Abby and her new mom gave us updates even after her first year of adoption. Her fear and anxiety continued to be managed and her sweet, snuggly side shown bright with her new human friends and her adopter.
At the start of 2023, at 17 years old, Abby started to show some signs of arthritic pain, so her pet guardian installed a ramp for easy access to the bed for sleep and snuggles. It took a while for Abby to get used to using the ramps to access the bed and couch, but eventually she got the hang of it! She started medication for pain management. She was diagnosed with diabetes later in life, which was also managed well with new pill treatment for diabetic cats.
By August of 2023, Abby’s new medication regime was managed and she again seemed to be doing well, “Was just at the vet Saturday and the vet called today with all her test results. She is doing amazing! She is using the ramp all the time to get on and off bed. She will be 18 in October and is loving life. The vet is pretty impressed at how well she is doing. Please let everyone know. Abby is doing wonderful!”
In 2024, Abby continues to flourish in her forever home, alongside her forever person! Her journey has been remarkable – transitioning from a mismatched home environment to years of waiting for adoption, and finally finding a soft place to land where she can truly thrive with safety, security, respect, and love. It’s heartwarming to see Abby’s transformation and the happiness she now experiences in her forever home.
“She is very friendly to all the company I have and likes to be quite social. I marvel almost every day how it was 5 years before she was adopted, however maybe it was just so she could brighten my life. I truly love her and am blessed to have her! She loves her daily brushes and purrs all the time. She is happiest when I too am lounging with her. I read and she sleeps. I hope 2024 is good for you and those you love. Please tell everyone Abby says “hi”!
