Minnow is a 5 year old neutered male cat. Here's what his foster volunteers say about him: How would you describe the cat's general personality? Minnow is a sweet, social boy who loves to be around his humans as well as any other pets in the house too. He is …
Minnow is a 5 year old neutered male cat. Here's what his foster volunteers say about him:
How would you describe the cat's general personality? Minnow is a sweet, social boy who loves to be around his humans as well as any other pets in the house too. He is playful and food driven, making him easy to please! He spent his first few years in an abusive home (he was kicked, had his tail pulled, and had things thrown at him, through no fault of his own), making it even more meaningful how much he still trusts and admires humans.
Does the cat enjoy being pet? Yes, Minnow loves to be pet! He closes his eyes and purrs when he's really enjoying it.
If yes, on what parts of its body does the cat like to be pet? His favorite spots seem to be behind his ears, the top of his neck, and his back.
Are there any parts of its body that the cat does NOT like being touched? None that we've noticed, but as a general rule I never pet cats on their bellies, so do so at your own risk!
Does the cat come on your lap? Occasionally, usually if there is a Churu treat involved.
Does the cat like to be held? Yes, Minnow is fine being picked up and held by us.
Does the cat sleep in your bed? Yes he does. He's a great snuggler. He's started to learn our bedtime routine, and sometimes comes onto the bed before us as though he's waiting for us.
Does the cat seek your attention? Yes, when he's feeling adventurous he'll come when call his name. He often likes to be where the action is, but like most cats sometimes he'll go off and do his own thing.
Does the cat like to play? Yes, he is very playful!
What are the cat's favorite games and toys? We find that string toys are his favorite, but he'll also play with small stuffed toys. We have an interactive toy that pops a feather out of random holes in a cube, which keeps him entertained for a long time.
How vocal is the cat? He mostly meows when he knows he's about to be fed. He also purrs enthusiastically when being pet.
What kinds of sounds does the cat make? He's got a really cute, high pitched meow. He also has a deep purr that we often hear when petting him.
Does the cat scratch a scratcher? Yes, he has a few in his room and we see him using them regularly.
If no, please explain.
Does the cat always use the litter box? Yes, Minnow has never had an accident with us.
If no, please explain.
What food and frequency is the cat currently eating? We feed him a little under a quarter of a cup of dry food in the morning, and a can of wet food in the evening. We don't free feed Minnow because there are other hungry pets in the house.
Is the cat picky about food? No, he eats everything!
What is the cat's favorite treat? Churus are his favorite by far. He ate one out of my hand within 10 minutes of arriving at our house.
Does the cat ever swat (claws in) at you? If so, under what circumstances? Once when I was running up the stairs in a hurry, he tried to wrap his front paws around my leg without claws. I think he thought I was trying to be playful.
Has the cat ever scratched (claws out) you?
Once, when he was feeling very overstimulated from too much petting, he did the classic cat "bunny kick," where he gripped my arm with the front paws and scratched with the back. However, this is the only time he's scratched since we've fostered him.
Does the cat ever nip (teeth without breaking skin) you? When he's feeling really playful, he'll sometime do a very light, gentle nip. This usually comes after a minute or two of petting when he decides he wants to play or that he's had enough petting. However, we've been training him not to by redirecting him with a toy or by simply walking away.
Has the cat ever bitten you (breaking skin)? No, Minnow has never tried to bite us. However, when he was surrendered and placed in his first foster home, Minnow did bite a few times when overstimulated. They said it's easy to know when this is about to happen as he opens his mouth up slightly.
To the best of your knowledge, how does the cat react to new people? Social? Fearful? We had a few people over the other night, including two school aged children, and Minnow did great with all of them! He is a social, curious boy who likes to be where the action is.
If you have observed the cat with other animals, please describe how they get on? We have two resident cats and a 3-year-old dog living in our house. After isolating Minnow for a week to let him acclimate, he integrated with our pets very quickly. Even when our own cats hissed at him when first he approached, he didn't react at all. Within a few hours our cats accepted him, and by the following night Minnow actually took a nap snuggled up against our dog on the couch!
Does that cat have any cute/quirky traits that aren't covered by the previous questions? Minnow's meow is super cute and affectionate, and will make anybody want to come over and start petting him. He'll start purring within seconds of petting him behind his ears. When you go to feed him, he'll start meowing to show how excited he is, which is adorable. He's a grey cat, but he's got little white "booties" on all four of his paws. Most importantly, he loves humans and other animals despite his past abuse.
In your opinion, what is the best thing about the cat? Why should an adopter choose THIS cat to adopt? Minnow is a sweet, gentle boy who came from a background of abuse by his first owners (see question 1). Despite this, he loves not only people, but also other cats and dogs. If we didn't already have two cats of our own, we would be applying to keep him ourselves!
What are the cat's challenges and how have you found to best manage them?
The biggest challenge is the gentle nipping when he becomes overstimulated from excessive petting. This is pretty rare (maybe a few times a week), and it's fairly easy to recognize the warning signs (he'll usually raise a paw, and sometimes his bottom lip will curl back so you can see his lower gum). We find that if he starts to gently nip when we're petting him, give him a toy to play with instead. If he nips again the next time we pet him, we usually walk away, and five minutes later he's usually back to loafing somewhere, willing to accept pets again. We also noticed his behavior improved once he was no longer confined to his foster room and had more freedom to interact with us on his own terms. As his foster parents, we have found Minnow's nipping to be very manageable, but any potential adopter should understand that like many cats, he communicates when he's had enough petting and would like a little time to himself.
Minnow currently takes a low dose of Prozac happily in a pill pocket.
