Mookie

From Maddison, at the City Shelter
Mookie is a big and beautiful cat who came to the RAPS City Shelter in early 2016 with another cat. The two cats had been sadly abandoned in a house together and were considered to be strays. Mookie entered the shelter as an overweight kitty who had a difficult time grooming herself but with some TLC and a proper diet our team of dedicated staff helped her to lose a bit of weight and Mookie was adopted shortly after. Our team was absolutely thrilled that this sweet and quirky girl had found her forever home!

Unfortunately, things did not work out for Mookie in her new home. She was overfed and gained more than six pounds during the six month duration she was in her adoptive home and came back to the Shelter in very poor condition. Besides now being morbidly obese, Mookie was also covered in matted fur, dry skin, and feces. She also seemed to have painful skin and was overall unhappy. Once again, our team put her on a strict weight loss diet and she received a lot of extra TLC. Mookie had a lion-cut shave and quickly began feeling like a new cat!

KN

Mookie was eventually able to move to our big cat room where she became a permanent fixture near the door, greeting anybody and everybody who would come near or into the room. Mookie has a big personality and loved to make her presence known! She was quick to interact with people but would also let you know when she had enough cuddles for now.

Upside down is the way to get attention! - MW

Mookie stayed in our big cat room for over six months and unfortunately, received no interest or adoption applications. All of the visitors loved meeting and interacting with her but nobody ever wanted to take her home. After much deliberation our team decided to move Mookie to the Cat Sanctuary where she could have much more space to move around and a new group of visitors to greet. Our hope was also that she would meet somebody who would want to adopt her and she would finally get her forever home.

Belly-fluff queen! - KN

From Brigid at the Sanctuary
Mookie is unfortunately not a fan of other cats, so her initial days at the Sanctuary were not entirely successful.  Once her cage was opened, she declined to come out, defending her territory against all invaders. Every now and then, with the coast clear, she would emerge and gobble some food, and then scuttle back to her safe place.  Gradually her exploration range widened and her tolerance (if not liking) of the other cats increased; she started being found in other areas. Volunteers working with her could usually get good interactions from her, but she was usually unhappy when grooming tools were produced.

Venturing out of the Double-Wide - DW

As the warm weather increased, so did the number of cats getting more drastic grooming care, and once again Mookie joined the Lion Cut Club.  Like Sophia in the Moore House, her grumpiness immediately eased, and she took over a shelf top near the Med Cage, where she gets lots of attention.  She’s still got a low tolerance for too much petting, and is quick to say when she’s had enough.  The problem at the Sanctuary is that we can’t monitor her food intake, with so many other cats around, so she continues to be supersized. Climbing up and down from her shelf helps with exercise, but what she really needs is a cat-savvy home where she can be put on a restricted diet, and given lots of encouragement to move.

KN

However, till then, she continues to hold court on her special shelf, and accept the worship that she obviously feels is her due!

Blog by Brigid Coult and Maddison Joyce

Pictures by Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

September 2018: we are so happy to report that Mookie has been adopted, and is now the queen in her very own home!