On my previous visit to the animal shelter, I interacted with a very shy, orange-colored cat. When I first entered the room, the cat was in the corner of a shelf, facing toward the wall. I let the cat sniff me. She did not seem very interested, but I stayed in the room for a while so that she could get used to me. After a while, she started to open up more and let me pet her which I continued to do for quite some time. Eventually, she moved a tiny bit closer to me and laid on her side as opposed to balling up in the corner which seemed to be a sign that she had started to warm up to me and enjoyed the petting. The overall experience was very soothing for me and in return, I hope the cat felt more comfortable as well!
Rose Scholars Spring 2020
Endless possibilities
That’s really cute! Reminds me of when I went over to a friends house and she had two really shy cats. They usually would stay away from strangers and visitors, but after sitting on the couch for a while they would feel a bit safer and come to us for pets and belly rubs.
This reminds me of when I was able to help my mom at a cat animal rescue center when I was little. I appreciated the ability to be around all the cute animals, but some of them had obvious signs of abuse. It warms my heart to see that Cornell has some therapeutic experiences, not only for us but for the animals too! Glad that you had such a touching story to share!
Aww, this reminds me of when I first got both of my cats.They were both nervous to be in a new environment but they eventually warmed up to us and now have a calming presence in our home
Interacting with the cats at the shelter is very rewarding. Sometimes the cat opens up to you, but other times they literally swat you away.