Skye

When Skye and Rochelle were trapped together about 10 years ago, they were thought to be feral. Both later showed us this wasn't so, and Rochelle is now living happily with one of our volunteers.

I first met Skye in June of 2011, when she was caged after having the last of her teeth out. She was quietly friendly, but once she'd been released from the cage I didn't see her around for a while. Sometimes it's tough to be properly diligent about seeking out the quieter cats at the sanctuary when there are more than a few feline extroverts there who are determined to grab as much human attention as they can, sometimes literally.

Leslie says that while Skye tends not to approach people for attention, she does enjoy being approached and getting stroked. It seems that she was only discovered to be tame several years ago when one of the evening volunteers decided to be brave and try to pet this girl who always hid behind drapes and was assumed to be feral.

"We've learned never to make that assumption," says Leslie. "And now we always look for signs that a stray cat might have once been a tame cat."

When I re-introduced myself to Skye this week, she was in a cage again. She was just visiting this time, and needed little encouragement beyond a smile to get her tail in the air, ears and whiskers forward, happily assuming the cuddle position.