Anita Domestic Short Hair Wallingford, CT

A UC Davis study found that the long-fabled aggression specific to calico and tortoiseshell cats may be a legit phenomenon genetically linked to coat color. Of course that doesn’t mean ALL calicos and torties are feisty; we have met PLENTY of extremely sweet ones!

…..Unfortunately, Anita ain’t one of ‘em. This absolutely adorable little gal is a capital S-A-S-S SASS! (And some may even choose to use a different term.)

Honestly, we can’t say we blame her. She has been through A LOT. She lived with an older woman, presumably all her life. Sadly her mom became unable to care for even herself and had to move to a facility where Anita was not welcome. We attempted to find family members who may be willing to give this senior girl a good home, but there was nobody, so the shelter is where she landed. The shelter environment can be extremely overwhelming and upsetting for some animals. Upset + overwhelmed + confined = defensive, especially for a cat who already has a bit of a ‘tude!

Then, as some of you may remember, Anita was adopted somewhat recently. Well, it’s very common that a cat’s behavior will regress when they’re plucked out of their familiar environment and put in a new, strange one. Each animal is an individual and will gain confidence and trust in their own time. Anita happens to be sensitive to change and upheaval, and it does take her a considerable amount of time to decompress in a new place. Unfortunately, the family who adopted her didn’t feel that they had the best environment for her to do so.

The good news is that she has settled down a metric crap ton since her arrival at (and return to) the shelter, so she DOES eventually settle in. If she can settle into the shelter environment, she can most certainly settle into the much more peaceful and less stimulating environment of the right type of home.

And it’s not all sass. Anita does frequently allow us to bear witness to her softer side! She loves toys and she absolutely *M E L T S* into a rolling, drooly puddle of mush for catnip. She rubs her face on her cage door when she wants attention or treats, but while the latter are ALWAYS welcome, the former has most definitely got to be on her terms! At one point we were able to provide Anita with an entire room to herself where she could free roam 24/7. Her behavior changed monumentally practically overnight from a scared, defensive cat, to a cat who explored, played, and constantly sought us out for affection! Unfortunately, since the time Anita was returned, our cat housing situation does not allow us to offer her that space where she’s able to flourish and show her true colors.

Listen. She will probably always have a bit of that sassy calico attitude. It’s just who she is! However, based on our experience, being in a chill home environment, unconfined by stainless steel, is going to do WONDERS as far as an attitude adjustment. We’ve seen it a million times! Someone who’s familiar with sassy cats just has to give this spicy little cutie pie a chance, plenty of personal space and patience, and lots of catnip and treatos!

THE BASICS:

Breed/mix: domestic short hair

Age guesstimate: in the vicinity of 8-10 years old.

Weight/size: pretty average if not a bit on the petite side, but looking a bit “fluffy” lately.

Energy level: pretty chill but does like to wrestle around with toys sometimes, especially when she’s all ‘nipped up!

Cattitude: if we haven’t made it clear, she can be a bit of a spicy pepper sometimes! As such, we do feel that an adult-only home would be best for Anita. As far as other pets, based on some of her reactions to other cats within paws reach, we think only pet/QUEEN BEE status would probably be most ideal.

Poor Anita really needs a hero to bust her out of here so she can finally blossom and thrive! Could that hero be YOU? Please complete our adoption app to get started!

Anita’s adoption fee is $150.

This animal is or will be made current on core vaccines, will be spayed or neutered, and will be microchipped by the time of adoption. Additionally, cats will be tested for FIV and feline leukemia virus, and dogs will be tested for heartworm disease and tick borne illness. Courtesy of our nonprofit partner group, Friends of the Wallingford Animal Shelter, all senior cats and dogs will have a full senior work up.


**ADOPTION PROCESS - PLEASE READ**

The very first step of our current adoption process is to fill out our online adoption application. However, you don’t necessarily have to be interested in a specific animal in order to apply! Feel free to submit an app that includes whatever desired criteria (size, breed, age, energy level, coat type, etc.) and we can keep it on file to contact you in the event an animal comes in who fits the bill!

Our pet adoption application can be found here, or you can request one via Petfinder: https://www.wallingfordanimalcontrol.com/pdfs/WAS-Adoption-Application.pdf

You can submit your app using whatever method works best for you, whether that be faxing it to 203-294-2181, mailing it to Wallingford Animal Control at 5 Pent Rd, Wallingford 06492, dropping it off in our mailbox at 5 Pent Rd, or attaching it to an email and sending it to animalcontrol@wallingfordct.gov. All necessary information for any of these methods is also located right at the top of the application. Easy peasy lemon squeazy!

Please keep in mind that animal control duties and animal care are our primary responsibility and, depending on our general workload at any given time and how many other applications we have to process, it could possibly take up to a couple of weeks for us to get to it. We do try to process apps in a timely manner so that we can get our animals the heck out of dodge and into loving homes! We know that adopting a new pet is super exciting and that you’re probably very eager to get the ball rolling, but please try to be patient with us!

Please also note that we operate on a *best fit for the animal basis*, not a *first come first served basis*. As such, you may apply for one animal, and we may instead suggest an animal we feel would better suit your lifestyle, household, etc. Our goal isn’t so much to get every animal out the door as quickly as possible as it is to ensure a permanent and successful placement that is in the best interest of both the adopter and the adoptee!

Once your application is approved, WE WILL CONTACT YOU to schedule an appointment to come and meet the animal(s) of interest! There may be more than one animal we feel could mesh quite well with your household, so you could end up meeting multiple potentials during your appointment. We do require that all members of the household come in to ensure compatibility. If this takes multiple appointments to accommodate all of your family members’/roommates’ schedules, that’s okay with us! If you are adopting a dog with an existing dog or dogs already in the household, they will of course have to come meet your potential new pup too! It’s often best for just the humans to come first, and to then schedule a second appointment for dog introductions, assuming you choose to move forward with the adoption. Sometimes, multiple dog interactions will be necessary prior to us sending your new dog home.

Please also note that we do not have the time or resources to contact every single applicant if the application was not approved or the animal you applied for was adopted by another applicant. Feel free to call and check in if you do not hear from us in a couple of weeks.

So it’s great match, everyone is in love… now what?!

Before we send your new best friend home, they will need to be spayed or neutered! This could take an additional couple of days up to a week or so, all depending on our vet’s availability. If the animal has already been fully vetted, it may be possible to take them home the same day as your meet and greet! Though this is decided on a case by case basis, we’ll certainly make sure you’re prepared for this prior to coming in for your appointment that day. The adoption fee for cats and dogs is $150.00. Prior to adoption, all animals will be made current on core vaccinations, will be microchipped, cats will be screened for FIV and feline leukemia, and dogs will be screened for heartworm disease and tick borne illness. Senior animals will also receive a full senior work up, much thanks to our wonderful nonprofit partner group, the Friends of the Wallingford Animal Shelter, for making that possible!

Though our entire process could *potentially* take up to a few weeks total and sometimes longer (granted it doesn’t always!) we have found over the years that this truly does ensure the absolute best match and the most successful and permanent adoption possible, which is of course what we want for all of our animals, and for your family too!