Sheldon: From Hissing to Kissing
-Christine Fournier, volunteer
On a quiet Sunday in May, Kingdom Animal Shelter got a call about a cat living in a barn on a farm in Ryegate, Vermont. This cat was not getting along with the other resident cats. The owner trapped the cat and brought it to Ryegate Small Animal Hospital who called Kingdom Animal Shelter. We agreed to take in this one year old, long haired tabby boy with beautiful markings. He was given the name Sheldon.
-Christine Fournier, volunteer
On a quiet Sunday in May, Kingdom Animal Shelter got a call about a cat living in a barn on a farm in Ryegate, Vermont. This cat was not getting along with the other resident cats. The owner trapped the cat and brought it to Ryegate Small Animal Hospital who called Kingdom Animal Shelter. We agreed to take in this one year old, long haired tabby boy with beautiful markings. He was given the name Sheldon.
When Sheldon first entered the shelter setting he was very unsure of himself and his surroundings and was quite scared. It seemed he did not have a lot of experience with people and social interactions. He spent most of his time hiding in his carrier only coming out at night when no one could see him.
When people would come into his room to visit him, they were frequently greeted with a warning hiss to stay away. Poor Sheldon did not know what to do or how to behave in his new setting. The volunteers were unsure if this cat would come around to interact positively with people. He could be very scary to approach, defending his little carrier box. It didn’t seem like he wanted to be friendly, but we wanted to give him time to see if he would come around and give him every chance at a new life.
When people would come into his room to visit him, they were frequently greeted with a warning hiss to stay away. Poor Sheldon did not know what to do or how to behave in his new setting. The volunteers were unsure if this cat would come around to interact positively with people. He could be very scary to approach, defending his little carrier box. It didn’t seem like he wanted to be friendly, but we wanted to give him time to see if he would come around and give him every chance at a new life.
In June, I got the opportunity to meet Sheldon and offer him a lot of visiting time. I began offering distant Reiki and aromatherapy to help him relax and unwind. Socialization training began with soft talking, sitting near him using cat communication signals, engaging him with toys. Slowly but surely over the course of 4-6 weeks, Sheldon began to open up to social interactions and trust. His first step was to reach out his paw and touch my finger. To everyone’s surprise, Sheldon has turned into a love bug!
Today Sheldon is a whole new cat. He is eager to be petted by all the volunteers, he likes to explore the shelter and follow people as they work. He continues to gain confidence and grow as he experiences new things each day.
We are pleased to share that Sheldon went to his wonderful forever home with a family on September 11 where he will be totally loved and spoiled and have the opportunity to continue to blossom into the cat he was meant to be. We are so happy for you Sheldon, our pretty boy!
