THIS HEARTBROKEN LADY NEEDS A QUIET HOME! Muffin came to the shelter several months ago, after her human companion became ill and could no longer care for her. She was clearly depressed and distressed to find herself in such a strange and different environment, and refused to leave her cage. We gave her a double decker cage so that she had plenty of space, and just gave her time… and more time… and more time… and in that time, the only bonding she did with any volunteers was to take treats from us, and the occasional petting. But more often, her message was, “I want to be left alone until my person comes to get me.” After the holidays, we decided a little tough love was in order, and we forced her to leave her cage. It was at a time of low-occupancy at the shelter, so we were able to take her out and give her the room to herself. She was upset with us at first, but eventually started to roam the room a little, find a cozy cube under the cages, and then find her way to the cat towers so she could climb up on top of the cages and curl up in a bed. She is very content there, where she enjoys looking out the windows, and occasionally chatting with us if we approach her and talk “cat” to her. And she will now hop up on the ottoman for some attention and petting from with a few of her preferred volunteers. But she is simply not making enough social progress at the shelter, and is still very unhappy there, and must get back into a real home. Muffin’s ideal environment is a very quiet home, one with just a single person or a retired couple, where she has much more consistency in her daily life than we can provide at the shelter. One thing we have learned about her, more than anything, is that she wants quiet and consistency. When we leave her cage open so that she can come and go as she pleases, we often “catch” her out and about, but as soon as she realizes we’re observing, she hops back into her “safe place,” her cage. Though she had a companion cat in her previous home and did not quarrel with him, she also showed no signs of being terribly fond of him, and doesn’t like when the other shelter cats try to make her acquaintance. Muffin is 10 years old, spayed, and current on her rabies vaccination. She went to the vet for a wellness checkup, and other having a little tartar on her teeth and being overweight, she is in good health. She is 16 pounds, and though she is naturally a large cat, she should lose a few pounds, which she no doubt gained during her months at the shelter. Volunteers don’t have any problem handling her, though we have to do so with a little care, due to her size. If you think you can provide the home that this sad cat needs, please contact Scituate Animal Control at 401-647-7200 for more information, and to arrange to meet her. There is no adoption fee for Muffin, but we do need to make sure she is going to the right kind of home. She doesn’t “meet well” with new people, and will need some time in a new home to adjust and understand she is safe, but she has all the makings of being a quiet, gentle companion cat to someone who just likes to have a cat around. And please know that if it doesn’t work out in your home, the shelter will gladly take her back and keep trying to make her happy.