The cage was small, but the people were nice and Tiger felt safe. He was fed, petted and regularly groomed. Still, it wasn’t home. Tiger had been ‘home’, and still had vague memories of the woman who had cared for him and the other calico cat for sale who lived with her.
Then two humans came in. He was put in a cage with them. He jumped up in the woman’s lap. He was put in a dark place that bumped and jostled him. He heard strange, scary noises. He howled, and a male voice answered with noises he couldn’t understand.
Tiger fled. He fled down a long corridor and bolted through the first open door he found. He hid in the darkest place he could find…among soft and hard things he didn’t recognized. He heard voices. He heard the dog bark, and he shuddered. He heard the child’s high pitched voice, and a woman’s voice…which were easier to bear.
People who have never owned cats before don’t really realize what a cat is: A highly intelligent, independent animal which needs love and affection daily – but is not a dog.
Cats will bond with people, just as dogs do, but they don’t always bond with the person who has adopted them. They will choose whom they like, much to the consternation of the person who “picked them up” hoping to have acquired a new friend.
This is one very good reason why the first 24 hours is so important. It is in during that period that your cat will decide whom she wants to bond with.
A cat needs time spent with her. One of the big mistakes busy people make is to fail to realize that they have busy schedules that don’t allow them to spend enough time with their newly adopted cat.
This could ultimately result in your cat running off. If you have no time to spend with your cat, she will not choose your house as “her den”. She will go out searching for another one, and you could be soon reporting a “lost cat”.
Or, to your consternation, you will find that the cat you thought would be a loving companion has bonded with another member of your household…somebody who did have the time to spend.
