I think I've found her!

I'm new to the site and have learned a lot. Had cats all my life until I married a man who was terribly allergic. But now he's gone, I'm on my own and I've been searching for my next cat for a while now. I've visited our Petsmart and met "Fugue", a 2yr old Manx tabby, big beautiful girl who wanted to jump out of the cage and come home with me! But then I was at the shelter that's home to these cats, and I met "Bobbi", who's a long-time resident, small, frail and usually quite shy. they tell me she's 7-8 yrs old, and usually doesn't let anyone touch her, so they were surprised she warmed to me so quickly. It was her eyes that got me. I can't believe she's not been adopted out in four years!!!
Now, I'm very, very torn over which of these lovely ladies I should bring home!!!! It's taken me two months to convince my landlord to let me have A cat, so having both is NOT an option, even though that's my preference.
Anyone out there with rescue experience who can give me some guidance or reassurance? I'm having a really tough time with this!

Erica Lynn, soon to be owned

I would suggest Bobbi since it is a lot harder to find homes for older cats especially with the kind of personality she has... I KNOW it must be very difficult to decide..

I would vote for adopting the old lady. The younger cat will be quickly adopted by another family, but it seems as if not too many people are interested in the older one.

But, if you adopt the shy older cat, you will probably have to be more patient with her because she will probably spend a good deal of time hiding for the first several weeks that you have her. Although it will be hard on you to see her so frightened, it will be completely worth it once she becomes comfortable in her new home!

Go for it!

Another vote for Bobbie! Once she has gotten over her shyness, you will have a cat with lots of love to share. Poor baby in a shelter for 4 yrs. No wonder she doesn't warm up to people quickly. You're going to need a lot of patience in the beginning.

Thanks SOOO much for the concensus! I was leaning that way, but I guess I just needed another nudge.
Suzanne, the shelter coordinator, has already volunteered to do a blood panel and UA before I bring her home, for which they'll received an extra donation from me! ) I happened to catch Bobbi in the box and noticed she has some diarrhea, so I told Suzanne and hopefully they'll be able to clear that up pretty quickly too.
I know it'll take some extra patience on the short term, but I can tell that once she has some place of her own that she'll start to come out of her shell. I've always had a weakness for runts!! This little gal is no exception.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be back, and with pictures when she comes home!

Erica Lynn - soon to be owned by Bobbi!

I am so sorry I forgot to welcome you to this forum!!
WELCOME!!

CONGRATULATIONS on making the decision to get Bobbi!!

Having an older cat can be very rewarding after she gets used to you. I adopted Sunniday who was already 10-11 yrs old at the time I adopted her. She was UPSET (I don't blame her!!) for the first week but after that, she was very very affectionate so it was a very rewarding experience for me...

Keep us posted and take pics of Bobbi and share with us!!

Looking forward to seeing ya on this forum more often. U'll LOVE this forum. I've become addicted to this!!

Welcome and congratulations!


My experience with shy cats is that they can be incredibly affectionate and loyal once you earn their trust.

Have you ever heard of Feliway? It's a spray or diffuser available at pet stores that has calming pheromones to help cats feel more at ease. It might be a good idea to get some & put it around the house to help her adjust, and also to make sure she has her food, water, and litterbox (not too close to the food & water) near a good hiding place where she can feel safe when she first comes home.

Best wishes, Congratulations, and Thank You for being an angel and adopting an older kitty!

Thanks, Tess! Is Feliway different than catnip? I suppose it would be if it has a calming effect -- I've seen what a catnip overdose can do!

Congratulations on making the decision to adopt Bobbi! I have no doubt that once she settles in, she will show you gratitude and love 1000 times greater than you could imagine. Rescues (and taking her out of a shelter after 4 years is a rescue, IMO) have a real sense of being saved, and they love you all the more for it.

Feliway is a synthetic reproduction of the "happy" scent produced in the cheek glands of cats. It is a calming and soothing scent to them, and is especially helpful in introducing new cats, helping them adjust to new surroundings, and calming aggressive cats. So, yes, it is definitely different than catnip.

Welcome to TCS and my congrats on your new baby .

A lot of cats when they are at the shelter for a long time get very depressed (sp) too . So her shyness and being withdrawn could be a form of depression . I am sure when you bring her at home and after a few week at your place you will meet a differend girl .

Welcome to TCS and a HUGE thank you for adopting Bobbi from the shelter.

Both my two current kitties (Sphinx (now 18 years) and Kuce (10-14 years).) are senior rescues from a local pound we adopted almost 2 years ago. They too were feeling depressed and shy for the first few days until they settled in to our household and are doing well (aside froma few health problems).

Give her some time, space and love and she'll reward you very much.

Please let us know how things go with her as she adjusts.

There is also Rescue Remedy (and other related Remedies) that can be used alongside Feliway for different situations.