As a no-kill shelter, from the moment an animal joins the MHS family we strive to meet their individual needs. Every animal is offered a safe place, the time, care and patience they need to thrive. Our goal is to find a safe, supportive home for each animal in a timely fashion. In some cases, an animal may need socialization, medical care, emotional care for past trauma, which may make finding the right home take some time. Akelia, a feral cat and one of our longest residents, was one of those cases. Throughout her stay, we remained committed to caring for her unique needs at her pace and now, she's found a happy ending.
Akelia came from a feral colony and did not believe people were trustworthy. In fact, she was quite stubborn and it took a lot of time an effort to regain her trust. Often feral cats are part of a TNR (Trap Neuter Release Program) where they are trapped, neutered/spayed and returned to the life on streets to which they are accustomed. However, in cases where it is not always possible to return feral cats to where they came from or place them at home in a barn/warehouse, we work to find that cat a human forever home. For Akelia, her feral colony was not safe to return to, so we offered her a safe place at MHS for as long as she needed.
It is always our hope that with time a feral cat will learn to trust humans and be ready for family life. Volunteers spent significant time and offered patience to help regain Akelia's trust - sitting quietly in her room, reading aloud to her, trying to physically inch just a little closer, and a bit of shameless bribery with food. After much perseverance, Akelia slowly started coming around to the idea that people might not be so bad after all. Pretty soon she allowed us to pet and brush her and shortly after she was declared ready for a family!
Akelia was so lucky to find a family that was not only willing to adopt a senior cat, but they were also willing to adopt a friend for Akelia since she was accustomed to living with other cats at MHS. Today, Akelia's family reports she is doing very well. She is out and about in her home, testing all of the best lounge and curl-up spots and the best window viewing areas. Her family is willing to do whatever needed to make sure she feels comfortable in her new home. (And we LOVE that they regularly sends us updates!) No matter how little or how long it takes, it is always our goal to find loving families for each of our fur babies.
Akelia, adopted October 2019.
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