Amber has made great progress in her foster home, it's time for her to find her forever home
Seven year old Amber arrived at Catcuddles in December 2021 after her owner moved in with family and sadly could not take Amber with her. A somewhat chatty girl, if you gave her time and sat with her she was perfectly content, but if she felt threatened she might swipe to indicate her uncertainty. Amber is just the sort of cat that our veteran fosterers are always happy to foster, so when one of them had space after a Christmas stay went back home, we were delighted when they offered to foster Amber.
Amber’s fosterers have written an update on their experiences so far, in the hope this helps Amber find her adopter(s). If you are interested in adopting Amber or one of the other lovely adult cats currently in our care please get in touch via https://www.catcuddles.org.uk/adopting-a-cat
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It’s been around 3.5 weeks since we started fostering Amber and it has been a pleasure watching her blossom. We are often asked if it’s hard to when a foster cat leaves. Whilst you do obviously form a bond with them it really isn’t difficult as you’re helping them find where they’re meant to be. Catcuddles’ adopters keep in touch regularly for the first six months after adoption and it’s great to see how an adopted cat is getting on. It’s always a bonus is when contact continues beyond this; often through the charity’s Facebook group, The Catcuddles Community, and we can hear how things are going but for each fostering experience we’ve had this has helped the next cat that has come along. Amber is ready to find her new home and we’re ready to say goodbye.
We’re approaching a hundred in terms of cats we’ve fostered or looked after in our home whilst their families have been away, and definitely draw upon our previous experiences when we’re fostering. The key thing to be able to genuinely do is to give a cat time; you really can’t have any expectations of them or force interaction. Catcuddles say this time and time again, but I think until you have this experience it perhaps does not truly resonante. It can be hard to believe when you’re with a cute cat that they don’t want you fussing and petting them, but cats are wary by nature and not all will be as friendly as your childhood cat or your neighbour’s cat or whatever and actually I think this should be the approach you take with any cat. Personally I want every cat to be my best friend from the outset but I know I have to take things slowly. My partner is far better at doing this and the experiences that follow are also his. Take my word for it, cats respond far better to this approach!
As fosterers we are given the time and support to allow a cat to settle; we never want a cat to unnecessarily be with us for longer than they need to, but equally we want to ensure we get to know them and find them the home that suits their needs. Cats are always the number one priority.
Having a dedicated room for Amber with everything she needed has definitely helped her, and this will be the same initial set up the lucky person who adopts her will need; her ‘bonding room’. The first few days Amber spent the majority of her time in an igloo bed. She would come out at night to eat and use the litter tray. So I sat in her room, on the floor and kept her company and continued to do this. After a few days I would be greeted by Amber with a little meow-squeak. At this point she had started to spend her evenings sitting on the windowsill; she was very noctural. Amber continued to greet me with her cute little meow, letting me know when she wanted attention. She went from sitting on the windowsill observing me to exploring the room, sitting on the chairs and just generally being cute. These days she doesn’t spend much time in her igloo bed, she doesn’t need that comfort she is used to her surroundings and will happily sleep in her cat tree. When I come into the room she ambles over and squeaks at me.
I haven’t changed what I do; our routine over the past three weeks has stayed the same, but over time we’ve also introduced play, which she absolutely loves. To begin with a mouse and a catnip banana and more recently wand toys; she really does have fun punching the octopus! Over the past few days when I settle down on the floor Amber has a little explore of the room, a few chirrups and then climbs onto my lap. She might ‘make biscuits’ if the mood takes her and will then have a nap for at least half an hour so I’ll catch up on some reading.
Amber still likes to come to you rather than you go to her and that will probably always been the case to some extent. We can walk up to her, play with her or just be standing close and talking to her, but we do not approach her for fuss. Sudden movements and taking her by surprise can unsettle Amber, it’s far better to give her the option to engage with you. It’s usually when Amber is relaxed, rolling around or stretching that she’s more receptive to being stroked. Amber has not lived with other pets so we’re not sure how she’d feel about living with one. She certainly will have come across cats in her garden and one of our cats does like to sometimes talk to her through the door, which she is mostly indifferent to, ideally she’ll be a solo kitty so she has the monopoly on her humans.
It is clear that Amber will flourish in an adult-only home and her assessment for this to always be the case is important. Amber’s early years were not happy ones and led to her finding a new home. Although she was clearly very loved in her previous (second) home, that was sadly not her forever home so the next one definitely needs to be. When Amber is adopted we want this to be her final, forever home and know that the right adopter is out there. Amber will flourish in a home with the patience to let her settle. She truly is a lovely girl who deserves a forever home of her own.