Dennis won’t be going to Petsmart. He actually did go to Petsmart when Maria and Angelo went a few weeks ago, and he reacted so badly to being caged that I had to go get him a few hours later and bring him home. Poor Dennis. So I’m writing this post in hopes that y’all will share his story on Facebook and Twitter and wherever else you want to, and someone will fall in love with his sweet face and just have to have him. It doesn’t hurt to try, right?
If we aren’t able to find a home for him, he’ll eventually need to go back to the shelter. The shelter is great, and he’d be well cared for, but I fear that due to his scaredy-cat tendencies he’d only run and hide when potential adopters approached him, and he’d end up spending his life at the shelter. I would love it if we could find him a great forever home through word of mouth!
Dennis is about six months old. He’s a smallish cat, a brown tabby with beautiful green eyes and a sweet, quiet personality.He has gotten along well with all the other cats he’s come into contact with here. He’s the least “alpha” cat I’ve ever seen, and seems to understand that if another cat hisses or smacks at him, it’s not personal. He is not at all pushy with other cats, and will wait for them to come around and decide he’s not so bad. It doesn’t take other cats long to realize that he’s not a threat to them in any way, and he’s willing to hold back and wait for them to decide he’s A-OK.
When he first came to us, he spent most of his time around the fringes of the activity, watching the other cats play and be cuddled by us. He’d eventually venture close enough to be petted, and then would retreat to a “safe” distance. It took a couple of months of work to get him to the point where he is now. He’ll still skitter off if you walk toward him, but if you sit down (or lay down), he’ll immediately come over to be loved and petted. He’ll roll around in my lap for a long time, purring and kneading, while I pet him. He loves to be snuggled and kissed and is just the sweetest boy. If I lay down on the bed in Fred’s room, he’s there like a shot, rolling around so I can pet him, and purring very loudly.
When I say that it took a couple of months of “work”, what I mean is that he just had to get used to us. It’s not like he ran and hid every time he saw us, but it just took him some time to trust us. Believe me, it was very much worth the wait.
He is still, after three months with us, a bit skittish. As I mentioned, if you walk in his direction, he’ll run away. Loud noises startle him, and he probably wouldn’t do well in a home with small children or babies. He’d be great in a multi-cat home; he seems to have zero interest in being the alpha. He tends to be a hider and will disappear for a few hours, only to reappear all of a sudden. (He thinks it’s funny that you might have been worried about him.) Rather than letting him free to have the reign of an entire house, I would highly recommend that whoever adopts him start him out in a small room and very gradually give him more room to explore.
He’s a super playful boy and will come running for the feather teaser or any toy mouse or ball that jingles or makes noise. He will hunt that laser light down as long as you move it around for him – he knows he’s going to get it one day, and then that laser light is going to be SORRY it teased him for so long. He is fascinated by the FroliCat Pounce, and loves it when you turn it on for him. He likes big, plush, overstuffed beds where he can stretch out, and covered beds where he can curl up. He likes sitting and watching the activity outside just about any window, whether that’s birds or cars or people.
Dennis is located in the Huntsville, Alabama area, and although Challenger’s House will do long-distance adoptions, the adopter is required to come here to get him.
If you have any questions about Dennis, please email me – mizrobyn (at) gmail.com He’s been here with us for three months now, so we know him pretty well. If you are interested in adopting him, you can contact Susan at Challenger’s House by phone – 256-420-5995 – or by email: challengershouse (at) mchsi.com
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Previously
2013: Khaleesi’s birth story.
2012: No entry.
2011: “It was skeery.”
2010: “What? I’m just rolling around, here. I’m not gonna steal your box!”
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: My feng is not shui’d, and it’s annoying me.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.