Cat Spends 3000 Days In Shelter Without A Single Adoption Application
In the same way that people have diverse personalities, so do pets. We have pets that are active and chatty, and they spread a lot of good vibes to everyone around them. Besides, we also have animals that like to sit quietly, pay attention to others, and display some social anxiety when meeting new people. Compared to dynamic pets, shy pets frequently receive less attention from humans because they are so quiet that people frequently overlook them. However, with enough time and effort, when the shy animals get used to their owners, they will fully express their personalities and provide their owners with the kind of love that no one could ever experience.
Following this is the story of Gray Belle, an introverted feline who spent more than 3000 days at the shelter before she actually found her destiny adopter.
Gray Belle was a stray cat with little information about her past when Roman and her crew first saw her in 2016. The only thing her caregivers at CFA were certain of was that she would require some time to become familiar with them.
Source: Chesapeake Feline Association
"We don’t really have a history for her, but I can tell you she was scared and not social at all," Roman said. "We joke that if she didn’t like you, you knew that she didn’t like you."
While Gray Belle was just as loving as other cats, she feared loud noises and strange people. She thus always fled and hid first whenever a potential family entered CFA during her seven years living here.
"We were hoping to find an adopter who could see past Gray Belle’s nervousness and fear of the unknown and see what a wonderful but independent cat she is," Kim Roman, CFA’s volunteer coordinator, told The Dodo. "They didn’t understand her personality."
Source: Chesapeake Feline Association
After a few months, Gray Belle’s caregivers started offering the reclusive cat delicious treats in exchange for closeness. Eventually, she began to let some volunteers touch her.
"A few of us even got to pet her when we offered her treats, but these encounters were brief and always on her terms," Roman said. "It took a long time, but after years of consistent love and care, she started to roam around near the volunteers."
Gradually, Gray Belle felt more comfortable with her surroundings, and she started joining her sheltermates on the floor. She loved being out in the lobby with everyone else until the door opened and a stranger would walk in. Because of this habit, Gray Belle went 2,803 days without a single adoption application.
Source: Chesapeake Feline Association
However, time is not an issue at CFA, in contrast to other shelters. Each cat is promised a lifetime stay at the sanctuary as soon as they walk through the door. Although the volunteers at CFA are content to care for each resident for the remainder of their lives, their ultimate objective is to locate each friend a permanent home.
You can watch Gray Belle on TikTok here
2,808 days after Gray Belle first arrived, CFA's dream for the little cat was finally fulfilled. A man from the neighborhood came to the shelter and especially requested to meet Gray Belle.
"He calmly walked in, sat on the floor near her, and spoke to her with a gentle, loving voice," Roman said. "Then he offered her treats but did not rush her and kept her comfortable by respecting her boundaries."
Source: Chesapeake Feline Association
The CFA volunteers saw the man's interactions with Gray Belle and immediately knew that he was the right one for her. To their astonishment, he wasn't tending to bring only Gray Belle to his house.
"He asked one of our volunteers if Gray Belle was bonded with any other cats at the shelter, or if there was another cat that could allow her to have the comfort of a familiar presence," Roman said. "Our volunteer immediately thought of Carrots, who was also one of our long-term residents."
Source: Chesapeake Feline Association
Carrots had been in the shelter for 566 days at that time and had spent most of those days by Gray Belle's side. A little while later, the man left the shelter with Gray Belle and Carrots, and the two shy cats were finally on their way to a loving home.
Today, both cats are thriving in their new environment. The volunteers at CFA get updates about the two all the time, and they’re always so happy to see that they’re doing well.
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