Willow Domestic Short Hair Mix Clayville, RI

Willow came to the shelter in early March, very shy and unsure, but never aggressive. She’s a young little kitty who probably spent her first winter in fear for her survival, and is just taking a little longer to let go of any residual fears she brought in with her. She really does love to be petted and kissed and have her belly rubbed and scratched, but still gets anxious when we hold her. We’re still working on that, but we think it would do her a great deal of good to get out of a cage and into a regular home. She’s actually pretty comfortable when we use a little tough love with her and make her leave her cage, visits with the other cats, chirps at us questioningly, and then finds a cozy to curl up in. She’s extremely fond of older male cats, and always seems to be looking for her “alpha.” She’s grown attached to a few since arriving at the shelter, only to have her heart broken as each new boyfriend finds his forever home. We think a home with an older male cat is just what Willow wants and needs — she needs to feel protected. She is still learning to trust, and she would probably do well in a home with older children, but very small children might expect too much of her as she learns to adapt to a new home. Willow’s adopter should be prepared to keep her in an isolation room like a bathroom for a week or two to focus on bonding with her, as she adjusts to her new humans and all the sounds and smells of a new home. Though we know she adores other cats, she would probably thrive more and adapt much faster in a home without dogs.

Willow is only about 1 year old, is box-trained, spayed, current on vaccinations, and tested negative for FIV and feline leukemia. Adoption fee for adult cats is $50 (cash or check only, please). For more information or an adoption application, email ClayvilleCritters@cox.net, call the shelter at (401) 647-7200, or visit the shelter during regular hours: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri 7 to 11 a.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You can also find a downloadable application by scrolling down the Town of Scituate’s Animal Control page — please copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://www.scituateri.org/departments/animal_control/