Brunet & Blonde

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Two cats came in to us about six months ago, and were initially placed in adjacent cages to acclimatize. They arrived within a few weeks of each other, and for similar reasons – both are beautiful cats, but not easily adoptable.

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The more senior, in terms of Sanctuary time, is black Lindor. He was surrendered as a result of a family move, and was not happy about being caged. He was one of the cats that needed a drape over the front of his cage to fend off passing prowlers who thought it funny to pee in his direction. His beautiful appearance and glossy fur prompted many volunteers to offer petting, which was mostly turned down after a touch or two. We could see that in a Shelter situation, he would not present himself well to potential adopters.

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The cage next to him was taken by blonde Parker, who had been surrendered when her behaviour changed with the arrival of a new baby in the family. Like her neighbour, she was not all that keen on attention – she would allow a visitor to sit and talk to her, and offer the occasional stroke, but she was antsy about it. I gather she had been surrendered for aggressive behaviour; like so many of our “aggressive” cats, most of the behaviour problem lay in the human’s non-understanding of her body language, and we were ready to give her as much time as she needed to settle.

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Lindor was the first of the pair to be released; he didn’t wander far, preferring initially to stay on the table near the cage (basking in the un), and then to claim the top of the cupboard where the food cans are kept.  He kept an eye on Parker’s cage, and as soon as it was open, he went visiting.

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Parker preferred to remain in “her” cage for quite some time; she investigated the surroundings a little, but was not entirely happy to leave her space in order to get some dinner, and come back to find Lindor in possession. Being to some extent a lady, she didn’t make a great fuss, but preferred to ignore the interloper.

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We wondered if we might have a pairing here, but brunet and blonde were not to be...
Lindor began exploring a little further afield, and can quite often be found visiting in the back courtyard, especially when volunteers are sitting over coffee. He’s mostly a loner, not interacting much with the other cats, but he is much happier to accept human attention than he used to be – especially where treats are concerned; Leslie says he could be used in a Temptations commercial

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Parker’s explorations began with the laundry room, and the wonderful assortment of shelves with comfy beds – as well as the less comfy perches that offer a great viewing point.

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With the warmer weather, she can also be found investigating outside in the back courtyard; she likes to sit on the high shelf near the New Aids entrance, but she’s recently been seen going all the way to the back, and into pen 5, as well as exploring in the flowerbeds.

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She’s very affectionate with her chosen humans, and will sit on laps when she feels safe.

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Neither cat is showing anywhere near the edginess they had when they first came in; both seem to be enjoying the freedom to explore, and though they’ve not made feline friends yet, they can take their own time over that – the agenda is all theirs!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Jackie Chappell, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Tanisha Vincent