These cats have been waiting too long for their forever homes. Who are these cats? Well, they may be Spirit Cats, senior cats, barn cats, or medical hospice cats. Adoption fees for these cats have been reduced or waived. Some are available as long-term medical foster cats. Please check out the new Perfectly Imperfect section of the website for available cats and information about Spirit Cats and medical hospice cats.
Spirit Cats
Spirit Cats are like little ninjas in the night. You catch a glimpse of them and then quickly they dart out of view. Why are they like this? We don’t always know what a cat’s life was like before they were brought to the shelter. They may have had difficult or limited experiences with people. Whatever the reason, some cats are fearful and in need of a special family. Spirit Cats are likely to spend their time hiding and might not like a lot of attention. You may only hear the pitter-patter of their feet for days at a time. But one day, when you’ve earned their trust, a spirit cat might rest on the couch next to you. Spirit Cats can also make great friends for other cats in your home. There are no guarantees. But one thing is certain, these special cats need someone like you to love them, even if it’s at a distance.
Most Spirit Cats love the company of other cats. We would say that these cats have community spirit. Other POA Spirit Cats would prefer to be the only cat in the home, so we say that they have an independent spirit. Others will fall somewhere in between because they have a unique spirit. Then again, don’t all cats have a unique and independent spirit?
If you are considering a POA Spirit Cat, please carefully read the following information.
- They won’t magically turn into normal acting cats; what you see is what they will be like for a long time, maybe always. Some will change more than others but be prepared for what you see now.
- Please include your cat into your daily life – greet them when they come into the room, sit in the room with them, try to engage them in play with wand toys.
- Allow them to approach you. Make a fist and extend your hand to them. They may approach you and give you a little head bump. Even if they appear to show no interest, continue to offer them opportunities to interact with you.
- Be patient and always use a soft gentle tone of voice.
- If your cat is a companion for other cats in the home, please continue to interact and play with your resident cat. Spirit cats can learn to trust humans by watching how other cats interact with their people. A spirit cat will be watching you very closely!
- While we hope that your spirit cat will learn to trust you and will seek out some attention eventually, we cannot guarantee that will happen. These cats truly need someone to love them, and you will be rescuing a cat in the true sense of the word “rescue”. To help you and your cat on this journey, we will be sending you home with shy cat paperwork filled with lots of helpful information on helping your cat learn to trust.
Medical Hospice Cats
On occasion, we do have some cats who have a terminal illness but still have a good quality of life. We know that they have a limited life expectancy, and we would love them to spend their final days (weeks, months, sometimes years) in a loving home of their own. Shelter life is especially difficult for hospice cats. Many if these cats are on special diets and must remain in their condo so they do not have access to other food that might be harmful to them. They must be closely supervised when they are on the floor.
POA offers a long-term foster option for our hospice cats. This would mean that POA would continue to be responsible for the medical care of the cat. If the foster family feels that they would like to take on full responsibility for the cat, including vet bills and end of life decisions, we can also complete adoption paperwork. Each hospice cat has a unique condition, and our medical team is always available to answer any questions about what to expect.
If you are interested in one of our wonderful hospice cats, please email us at poaplacemen@gmail.com for more information.