Poppy is a lovely black and white tabby (short-haired tuxedo) who came to us as a ‘returning’ rescue cat. Originally adopted a couple of years ago, Poppy’s owner was no longer able to look after her and she had to be taken back to CCAR.
Now approximately 5 years old, she is looking for a permanent home where she can spend lots of time with her owner(s) in a stable, friendly environment.
When Poppy first came to stay with us she topped the scales at 21+ lbs. Her previous owner did not control her eating habits, and unfortunately Poppy has a tendency to eat everything that is put in her dish, immediately.
She is now down to 15-16 lbs. after we introduced a fixed feeding schedule. That might sound like a lot, and she could probably stand to lose a couple more pounds, but it is important to realize that Poppy is a long (nose to bum) naturally “big girl” – the equivalent size of large male cats – so this is likely to be her permanent weight range.
She is now looking much better, and has gradually become more active, not to mention much healthier. For instance, her grooming habits have improved dramatically because she literally could not reach half her body to wash herself until she shed some weight. She now has very meticulous cleaning habits.
Poppy is fully litter trained, and is a true indoor cat. She makes no attempt to ‘escape’ even if an outside door is accidentally left open. She happily uses her scratching post (and does not do bad things to the furniture or carpets) and she seems very happy to remain in a closed environment, though she loves to look out the windows and see what’s going on in the world outside from a distance. There are therefore no restrictions on where she can live (condo, apartment, etc.).
Poppy usually wants to hang out where the action is, and will often jump up and sit in your lap or lay next to you if you are parking somewhere for a while (e.g., watching TV). Like many cats, she does not appreciate being picked up, but she definitely enjoys human company and being petted and brushed. In the afternoons, she will sometimes disappear to catnap for a couple of hours, but mostly she prefers being in close proximity to us.
Poppy enjoys playing with her toys and particularly likes to play with objects on strings and items containing catnip. This is the best way to get her some exercise, but as the weight has come off she is also showing more signs of general playfulness (rolling on the ground, etc.). She does not bite or scratch.
Poppy gets very disappointed when she is left alone for any length of time, both because she likes to have someone around and also knowing that her ‘food source’ is nearby. Although eating is her favourite hobby, she does not touch human food even when left out in the open.
Poppy only meows when she wants food… which used to be all the time! We are gradually training her to respect her feeding schedule, but she is a very smart cat and when it comes to food she can be very persuasive using the ‘I’m starving’ routine.
On the downside, Poppy has been introduced to some other pets (cats and dogs) but unfortunately she is not interested in making any new friends. She has also been shown to some potential owners who decided that she was not “animated” enough for their liking. She can also be skittish, but as long as she is in a tranquil environment or around people she knows, she is perfectly calm and friendly. We attribute all of these traits to possible trauma early in her life, though the circumstances that led to her being rescued originally are unknown.
We therefore believe that Poppy would be best suited to owners who are either retired or work at home, or in a family where someone would be around most of the time (i.e., not left alone all day by owners who have to work).
We know there is a loving home for Poppy somewhere, hopefully it is yours!
