This week at the SPCA, the other volunteers and I noted a dramatic decrease in the number of cats. There were a total of 5 cats we were allowed to interact with (many of the cats that are particularly shy or still adjusting to the shelter are staff-only). The remaining, unadopted cats were all fairly shy, independent cats.
Spending two hours on only 5 cats means that there is a lot of time to earn their trust and make them comfortable. Interestingly, with the right toy or the right amount of time, most of the cats would come out from their hiding spots to interact. This just made the process more rewarding, as it felt like a moment of progress with the cat’s socialization and trust of humans.
I also find it intriguing that at the same time, I myself was socializing with the other volunteers. While we were attempting to get the cats to a friendly state, we were all subconsciously doing the same amongst ourselves! Humans are social beings, so we have a tendency to immediately chat and get to know one another. Cats need a bit longer, but they will still get there. Sharing our success in getting the cats to a state of comfort only furthered our own, human sense of comfort with one another.
A Video of Fiona the Cat: