What happened to Spuds?
If you follow me on social media, particularly Instagram, you may have noticed that foster cat Spuds has been missing in action lately. Well, there is a reason for that. Spuds is no longer with us. A hem…let me clarify! Check out the video clip below.
Meet Stubby!
Now, since Spuds is back at the animal clinic, we were more than happy to accept another foster cat. Say hello to Stubby! He came from the same hoarding situation as Spuds. He was one of three cats rescued from that house. Stubby is a 6-7-year-old short-haired tabby cat with white paws.
The first two days with Stubby were interesting. I can say he is definitely not as chatty as Spuds however definitely shyer. He was so scared of every noise and sound in the building, I think it put him on edge. Despite this, he was quiet as a mouse and wasn’t very energetic, so we tried leaving the crate door to his cage open the second evening. Well, that was a mistake.
Things got off to a rocky start when I discovered Stubby had peed on our bathroom rug the next morning. (FYI, Apple cider vinegar and laundry detergent work wonders to remove pet urine, by the way). Next, I went to the kitchen to make coffee, and our kitchen mat now had scratches and looked like it was shredded with a rake. Sigh! Luckily the rug is thick enough that we can flip it over, and none would be the wiser.
What now?
Well, I made it a point the next night (and going forward) to keep Stubby in his crate at night at bedtime. I also made it clear for him to use his scratching post by placing it inside the crate with him. With these two hiccups under our belt, Stubby was still pretty shy and mild-mannered. Sometimes he is so quiet I forget he’s around.
It has taken a full week for Stubby to feel comfortable enough to venture out of his cage for longer than a few minutes. I’m sure with time and reassurance, he’ll gain confidence slowly but surely. His favorite thing to do at the moment is staying hidden in enclosed spaces.
As far as I can tell so far, Stubby prefers a calm or quiet environment, so a house full of kids is probably not ideal for him. It’s only been one week, however, so far, everything is going well. One thing I noticed about Stubby right away is he reminds me of my first cat Precious. She was a Tabby cat too. And his big eyes remind me of my sweet Dusty.
I don’t know what the future holds, but he’s definitely growing on my heartstrings differently than Spuds. I suppose different fosters will have that effect on you, right? Will this be a foster fail? Time will tell.
All I know is this time around, I can say my second foster buddy Stubby is adorable, a bit stocky but such a handsome boy! I look forward to sharing more updates with you all going forward so stay tuned!
Have you fostered before? Are you a foster fail? Share your experience and thoughts below.
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