Foster Chronicles - Baby Girl the Tuxedo Cat

When we took Baby Girl in, it was with the intention of keeping her. I had these romanticized thoughts of her bonding instantly with Bella and living happily ever after. Unfortunately, it was quickly apparent that this was never going to happen.

Baby Girl had a rough past. She was on her own for many years though she ate quite well thanks to a friendly and kind Deli owner on Long Island. We think she lived with an elderly woman who passed away and was sent out on her own to fend for herself. Thank goodness for the kindness of the local business owner. For 4 years she was fed turkey and american cheese (her favorite!) and spent lots of time on the back patio with the owner.

Unfortunately, when the deli was sold to a new owner, Baby Girl was left wanting as the new owner was not as generous or kind to this stray Tuxedo cat.

The kind deli owner felt sorry for Baby Girl and brought her home to live. It was only then that the two resident dogs revealed their hatred of cats and the deli owner's allergies revealed themselves.

Baby Girl needed to be rehomed immediately and let's face it - an animal in need has a home with me indeed!

Baby Girl lived with us in our basement, venturing up only when Bella was safely in her crate or our bed for the night. Her favorite thing to do was sit at a window watching the birds and nature.
 

I'm happy to say Baby Girl now lives in her forever home with a wonderful and kind and cat loving family! She has a human sister and a feline sister...though she gets along best with her human sister.

She can be found in windowsills all around the house, looking out at the birds and deer and rabbits. The perfect forever home for her!

This was our first experience fostering and while it was challenging, I am so glad we were able to transition Baby Girl to a home she can feel safe in.

Here are some photos of Baby Girl in her new home, courtesy of Heather Lynn - 

Agency - NONE
Temperament - scared, loving, playful, choosey
Favorite toy - catnip and feather at the end of a stick (a tie)
Rewards - when she was in the mood to play it was so fun to watch her and interact with her and the feather stick. She was a hunter - a stealth cat. And when she was in the mood to show her affection, she would rub against your leg and nuzzle her face into your foot. She wasn't overly generous with her playfulness or affection so when she showed it you knew it was genuine and from a really sacred place.
Challenges - her fear of men and dogs made it difficult for her to live in our house. She stayed in the basement and would only let her guard down around me. Bella was curious about her and when other dogs would visit we had to ensure a gate was up so they didn't go check out that funny cat smell in the basement. We needed a solitary and secluded place for her to be which made it difficult for me to spend time with her because I had do do so on her terms, in her space.