Becky the affectionate

Homseeker Becky has a somewhat similar temperament with Freda, who was so stressed with being among other cats that she literally withdrew into herself and prefered living in a cage.

Becky also prefers living in a cage, free from the other cats sharing the shelter. However, until they were cage cats, where Freda simply prefers to be away from cats but retained her affectionate nature with people, Becky turned defensive even with people.

As soon as her struggle to cope with being among many cats was detected by the shelter helpers, she was put in a cage where she is now calmer and happier.

However, she is still on edge and though she no longer is quite as defensive with people, and has even rediscovered the pleasure of headscritches. But she will still jump as soon as she sights another cat.

As with Freda, we believe as soon as Becky gets a chance to be in a home environment her affectionate nature will smoothen the touchy edges she’s wearing like a shield.

However long it takes, we will be helping her to find a home to call her own.

Becky had visitors

Becky had her first potential adopter visit yesterday, a family of 4, with 1 girl and 1 boy. We were actually cautiously hopeful that it might work at first. We had arrived a bit earlier to prep her. When I approached her perch where she was lounging, she stood up to greet me and vocalised. Her vocalisation wasn’t the surprise since she was quite the chatty girl before she was ensconced in the cattery. The surprise was that she had bothered to get up and even greet me, the first time that she acknowledged us since she entered the cattery.

But she didn’t quite endear herself to her visitors, as she took to presenting her back to all and sundry. But this was not before she took a quick swipe at the boy when he simply put his finger in ftont of her. Looksl like she’s still not quite ready to come out of her shell, Still a few grumps to work out there.

Homeseeker: Becky

Update:

20091010: More Becky phots and vid

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(Must read: Cat care refs.)

Becky is a quiet and reserved young adult female looking for a home.

Becky is a female tortie with a chest crest and mittens. She also wears a mid-length tail. Due to her unique and lovely coat, she looks like different cats from different angles.

She has learnt to live in the shelter where she will be safe while waiting for her new home. But she still does not understand why she was abandoned and kept trying to find her owner. She loved young girls about 8 to 10 years in age and always attempted to follow any who passed by. She was probably an only cat who was used to being the focus of attention. She is extremely unhappy to be among other cats and would do well as an only cat or in a home where there are only 1 or 2 other cats who are not aggressive.

Becky is estimated to be about 1.5 to 2 yrs old. She is sterilised, vaccinated and litter-box trained.

To visit Becky
Email us at sephycat at gmail dot com, with your name, contact, and a brief intro of yourself/your family.

Genuine, serious adopters only please.

(Must read: Cat care refs.)

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Click here to see other home-seeking kitties.

Becky is being prepped for adoption

Remember Becky? She was sterilised on 31 Mar 08. Quite unfortunately for us, she happened to be on heat when we catnapped her home on the previous night, so all of us had a sleepless night, including the slackers. It also meant another $50 to the sterilisation bill. She was friendly and purry throughout her stay with us.

Because of her demonstrated friendliness, plus the location where she loiters and her tendency to follow young girls begging for attention, we decided that if a vacancy opens up at the cattery, we’ll put her up for adoption.

She’s been in the cattery for a while now, and unfortunately is still a bit shy and withdrawn, quite unlike her personality which we though we knew. We guess that she is missing her old family very much – torties do seem to be fiercely loyal, from Foster Mum’s experience.

As usual, we will wait on her and put her up for adoption officially only when she is ready. Meantime, we do hope she will accept that her old family is no longer there for her.

Becky in a bit of danger

So it seems that once sighted, she would appear multiple times. I sighted her again earlier this evening on the way home.

However, I’m a bit concerned as she was sitting within the vicinity of the eatery in Area 2. We would love to rehome her, as she is just super affectionate. But our hands are tied as Foster Mum is not able to take in any more cats right now.

She was blithely staring into space as a boy sitted at the table nearest her treid to scare her away… and of courese, his guardians did absolutely nothing to stop his loutish speciesism. I did not try to lure her away as she is absolutely not in touch with the signature caregiver clicking call to dinner and friendship. It would just draw even more attention to her presence so I continued on my way, hoping that she leave the eatery perimeter soon.

We can only hope that she will be safe until we can make arrangements for her at a later date.

As I walked away, I noted the unfriendly kitten running guerilla warfare alongside my route, which was the pavement hugging a road. She was carefully scurrying from car to car, not 30cm away from me. So near, yet so far.

Becky is looking good

We finally sighted her this morning, the first time since she was released from her de-mojo. It was in quite a different spot than we expected to see her, which was why we ran into Idris a few more times in the intervening period but caught no sight of her.

We’re without a cam… but I just had to document her clannie mark, so I tried using my camera-phone. She’s so affectionate that I got mostly blurry pictures, but at least here are 2 in which her tipped ear is clearly visible. We’re relieved to see her so well.

Becky’s back today

Becky’s gone through her de-mojoing yesterday quite well. btmao was home to receive her from the pet transport lady in the afternoon and said she looked bright and alert.

The transport lady also told btmao that the clinic folks all loved Becky as she was so affectionate.

Here’s the thing – Becky’s a superb candidate for rehoming, based on personality alone. It would be best ideal to rehome her as she is not in a very good situation – always crossing roads and sleeping within the compound of the school that makes up the buffer zone between Areas 1 and 2. However, we know Foster Mum’s full up and has announced that she will not take in any new kitties until further notice. We respect that there are times when Foster Mum can’t take in any more, that in these situations, we can’t do as we please for the kitties, that the best course of action is simply to sterilise the kitty and monitor the situation.

For the next few days, we will look for Becky and check her surgical wound, if possible.

Becky is joining the club

On the way home last night, who should I see but the escaped one. She was just sitting in the middle of the path, oblivious to the occasional human traffic.

Quickly, I called btmao, fruitlessly, several times. I was torn between running home to get the carrier and shadowing Becky. I decided to waste minutes of my life was the lesser evil then risking the chance that she would escape again.

So I stood nearby attempting call after call to btmao, while watching Becky alternate between calling and grooming herself.

Suddenly, Becky upped and crossed the road. She didn’t respond to my calls, and was quite the veteran, knowing to stop and wait for oncoming traffic to pass before trotting across.

(One thing we noted about her is that she’s not very responsive to the tongue-clicking that community cats so easily associate with food and affection. But she is affectionate and trusting once you manage to get her attention, usually by petting her.)

Once on the other side, I managed to stop her from going under the fence into the school that defined the buffer zone between Areas 1 and 2. Her attention diverted, she brushed against my legs, purring and calling. Then she proceeded to groom again.

It was a long long wait for btmao to appear. She came up behind a family of 5 – father, mother, 8-10 year, and 2 toddlers. All the kids are girls.

Becky remained oblivious to them as with the human traffic that has crossed her path before. But suddenly, just as the oldest girl passed her, she stopped and seemed to be thinking. Then she sprang up and trotted after the girl.

Quickly, btmao and I intercepted and she went into the carrier without resistance. Quickly we headed home while Becky protested politely.

Once back in the slackerbase, we put her into the room. She cried, and only quietened down when she heard Philly talking outside the door. Whenever we went in the room, she would start calling, but stop when we left. I guess she wanted attention. I couldn’t get pictures or vids as the loan camera batteries ran out

The night passed peacefully, although the slackers camped outside the door, as they always do when we have a guest in the room.

Early this morning, we sent Becky off to her clannie initiation, but not before I took a vid and some pictures with the recharged camera. She should be back tomorrow evening.

Vid: Quiet and trusting, despite being in the carrier all night in what must be a strange and intimidating place

Becky stood us up

After serving the carpark denizens, we made a beeline for Becky’s haunt as planned yesterday. But as Murphy would have it, she was not found today. We decided to search for her, as we dearly wanted her to be introduced to the wonders of being mojo-less.

But no, a sweep of the area turned up nothing. On the second pass, we sighted a very slim young torbie/calico with mittens (5-7 mths) eating scraps just outside the eatery in the aread.

We thought btmao could work her piped piper magic and send this new one in place of Becky, but she was too skittish, and disappeared into the adjoining carpark before btmao could even say Hi.

We can’t help but wonder if this kitten is either a relative of Becky’s or a member of that brood we’re brooding over. Speaking of which, the vicinity of that brood is quiet too. Did the kitties all have prior engagements tonight?

Becky: latest kitty slated to join the demojo scheme

After heading off the almost confrontation between Ivan and Stanley, we went on a little walkabout and sighted Becky at the buffer zone between Areas 1 and 2 again.

She was as friendly as ever. We will make arrangements for a monday mojo-consult, and get her tomorrow evening.

She’s so friendly and trusting that we feel she’s a free-ranging pet cat. We’re not going to remove her and send her to the cattery, but if anyone’s interested in adopting her, please do let us know. I’m sure we can work out an arrangement.

Becky sighted today

Today I finally met the newbie one btmao spotted, and whom we’ve decided to name Becky.

Coincidentally, I had the camera with me.

A very young friendly cat this female is. About 3 months ago, I had seen Sally chasing a younger tortie in the same area – she was of course expelling an intruder on her tuft. I believe that younger kitten and this cat we see here are the same, based on size and the fact that it was the same vicinity. Hopefully we can get her sterilised – she’s come of age for sure.

I like how she’s dressed – tastefully tortie, accentuated with white socks and finger gloves

New cat spotted in Area2, 8 Jan 08

btmao sms’d me while on the way home to say she spotted a new calico/tortie, presumably a female, in the middle of Area 2.

I made a round there when I returned but the cat was nowhere to be seen.