Tonto Domestic Short Hair & Tabby Mix Clayville, RI

Tonto came to our shelter in mid-July with his brother Ranger, both kittens terrified of humans and badly in need of socializing. Ranger was more of a pushover — he was adoptable within a couple of weeks and found a home in early August. But Tonto presented a much bigger challenge.

He was not violent, but he hissed and growled low when we reached out to pet him in his cage. And we COULD pet him, which he liked, but soon after we were done giving him love he forgot that he might actually like it. We also noted that he really hated to be caged and to feel cornered.

So he went into foster care in early September in hopes that if we got him out of a cage he would get over his issues, and would not have to be a barn cat. It befuddled us that one littermate could give in so quickly to human love, while the other could be such a hold-out, and we really don’t want Tonto to have to be a barn cat when he shows potential for being a house cat.

In foster care he was much easier to pick up and hold on a lap and pet, mostly because he is an absolute pig for canned food, home-cooked chicken and other tasty treats. He was still tense being held, but was on his way to accepting it. He was wildly happy about playing with toys, especially chasing a long string feather toy around when his foster humans whipped it about the room. Tonto would FLY through the air in pursuit of the toy, like any other happy, active kitten.

Then he met the family’s young male cats and that was it — he was over the moon in love with his foster brother cats. Tonto was CRAZY about them and completely submissive to them. He really enjoyed being a “little brother” to the home’s other cats, but because he was not quite there with humans he still had to be confined to one room. His foster brother cats came in each night for playtime and love time, and it became clear that Tonto wanted desperately to be part of their family. He was heartbroken each night when playtime was over, and cried through the door to his buddies. But the foster family could not keep him any longer and brought him back to the shelter the week after Columbus Day, in hopes that he could find a home with other young cats and that those cats would help him transition from a semi-feral kitten to a true companion cat.

So back to a cage he went, where he regressed, of course, and after two weeks of staying in a cage we started to let him out so he could feel more like he felt in the foster home — uncaged, un-cornered, and free to socialize with the shelter’s other cats. He’s just getting back on track again to feeling more trust in his humans, and is once again starting to respond to them when they pet him, offer him canned food and chicken, and play with him with his favorite feather wand toy.

We really need someone to take over his care and socializing, and it really should be a home with other young, friendly cats. Tonto will be no threat to them — he will be a devoted and submissive companion, and once he has a kitty sibling again we feel like he will finally GET IT, that humans mean him no harm, and that the affection and companionship he seeks from other cats is affection he can also receive from humans. If we don’t get him into a home soon, he will have to go to a barn, and any chance he had to become a companion cat will be lost.

Tonto is 6 months old as of early November, is neutered, box-trained, current on vaccinations, tested negative for FIV and feline leukemia, and received de-wormers and flea treatments. If you think you can provide the kind of home and companion cats that Tonto really needs to avoid becoming a barn cat, please 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.