Reba Domestic Short Hair The Woodlands, TX

Short Version:

She had a rough start in life + is a naturally shy/low-confidence cat. Will absolutely show affection and engage as long as the human is quiet and sitting / low to the ground. Would do best as an only pet, or with another confident cat/kitten. Is naturally quiet but talks occasionally with cute chirping sounds. Can tolerate a dog if it absolutely ignores her, but it would take her awhile to learn to trust and be in the same room as the dog. Ideally would like a small, quiet family who understand cat behavior. *Great home office cat - see photos*. Loves any toy she can chase / interact with. Loves wet food - great way to sneak her pills if she ever needed to be medicated.

Expanded Version:

Miss Reba has not had the best hand dealt to her in life, but she's doing her best despite that. Much like her country superstar namesake, she's "A Survivor". She was found tangled in a kid's soccer net in the backyard of a north Houston home, around 5 weeks of age. Obviously terrified she was put in a spare room with her sister, and not really messed with (besides feeding and litterbox cleaning) for over a week until she came into the rescue. From there she's dealt with ringworm, an upper respiratory infection (both of which she has fully recovered from). And finally, a vet office error causing her ear to be 'tipped' while she was under anesthesia for her spay surgery. Basically, they got her confused with the TNR (trap neuter and release) cat program, which also had cats being spayed & neutered that day.

She was a shy girl from the very beginning, so while it's unfortunate that she's had to go through all these things, she is still sweet and gentle at her core. In addition to her twin sister (seriously they look identical, only different is the amount of white on their front paws), she's grown up with several other kittens her own age. As a result, she gets along great with other cats and is very nonconfrontational overall, there's currently a 2-pound kitten in the house that will push her away from the wet food, and she just moves away for him.

As her foster siblings have slowly gotten adopted, she has become more social with humans. Most recently she ended up alone in the spare bedroom with her foster mom for a few hours, and it was like a switch flipped. She's purring, asking for pets, licking/nibbling on mom's arm when she's ignored...even as her mom types this, she's sitting on the desk glaring while also purring for attention. I can pet her all over, rough pet/scratch her back (see video) and she's just loving it!

The key seems to be that she needs calmness and quiet. While she will play and interact with the other cats and kittens, if they're around she doesn't want attention from the human. But if she's alone suddenly you're her only friend and she's very happy to be with you, as long as you're not too loud. Loves string toys and anything she can chase, then when that's over she'll come sit next to you or in your lap. She is still skittish if you make quick movements, or tower over her.

She has a very soft, baby chirp/meow when she's hungry or would like to be let out of a room. Never heard her hiss or make any noises besides the chirp and purring of course. She would make a great office cat, as long as she has a box or bed next to / near the computer (see photo).

She is definitely in tune with her inner huntress, any toy she can bat around but ESPECIALLY string/feather toys. The jumps and flips she does to capture / kill that 'bird' are quite impressive. She also enjoys the cat shelves on the living room wall, they allow her to be up high, hide in a cubby, or simply be in the room with the people (but safely away from the dogs) if she chooses.

Overall, she would love to be in a cat-only home or with a confident feline friend to follow / play with. She will tolerate a dog who ignores her / respects her space (no chasing, excessive barking, trying to play, etc.) She needs someone to show her love by respecting her space, having the patience to let her come to you while on the ground, couch, a low bed, etc. Sitting and laying down are the least threatening positions, and therefore, the main way she'll come ask you for attention. Once you get her there, she enjoys pets, scratches, even some belly rubs, and of course sleeping near you once she feels safe.