Cat of the Week: Josie

Josie is a very special little girl.  We like to say she is quirky, but Josie is so loved by the people who take care of the cats.  Josie needs someone who can be very patient with her because she can’t be forced to do anything.  She came from a horrible hoarding situation which was bad enough then early 2019 her best buddy in the world passed away.  Things are really hard for Josie.  It is hard for her to make connections, but she does try.

Mid-November 2019 she moved into a foster home.  She spent the first 3 months hiding in a variety of places.  She found a space above the refrigerator to hide in first.  Then she found a hiding place in a bedroom.  After she was finally convinced that it would be ok to come out from there, she spent 3 weeks hiding in a corner of the utility room.  After that she spent about 2 months hiding in boxes with lids.  Then one day she suddenly decided to come out in the living room.  As her foster mama I share all of this with you to help you understand that with Josie it is going to take time, patience and verbal encouragement.

I was successful in the early days of breaking a couple of bad habits of swatting and hissing when being stroked. It was like she wanted to be stroked, but didn’t know how she should respond to it. It took only one week to break her of her bad habit which shows how intelligent Josie is.  Josie would be happier in a home with no other animals and definitely no kids, but if there is another cat in the home, she just wants them to leave her alone.  Josie is now spending time in a cat tree in the living area happily sleeping the day away.  She will come to me now and if she wants to be stroked, she will head butt my arm or hands.  She definitely dislikes being picked up and held.  Currently, she is not one to sit on a lap, but this week for the first time (March 26) she actually walked across my lap so maybe that is something she will work her way to in the future.  Maybe one day if there are no other animals in the home she may decide that a lap might not be such a bad thing.  One never knows because Josie continues to surprises her foster mom. When living at the rescue she was a much happier girl when she was finally given a tower of her own to live in.  Even the volunteers at the center loved her for her quirkiness.

Josie’s adoption fee is $85 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If you have some patience to give a wonderful cat time to become her best self, please complete an adoption application HERE.