'Scruffy And Sad' Shelter Cat Completely Transforms After Finding A Home Of His Own
"He’s now our big, floofly boy."
Katherine Meara and her boyfriend had been looking to adopt a senior cat, and when they saw Tuggly on the New Zealand SPCA’s website, they immediately knew he was the one.
“I assumed he was at least over 10 years old just by his appearance,” Meara told The Dodo. “I turned out to be wrong obviously, but he just looked so scruffy and sad compared to all the other cat photos I knew I had to have him.”
Tuggly is actually around 5 years old, but he had already been through so much by the time he arrived in the care of the SPCA that he looked so much older. He was found living as a stray in Christchurch, New Zealand, and had some pretty bad cuts all around his neck. Due to his past, poor Tuggly was terrified and confused about what was happening to him. It caused him to act out and be aggressive, and the shelter made sure to inform the couple about this behavior — but even after meeting him and seeing it firsthand, they decided they wanted him regardless. Somehow they just knew it was meant to be.
When Tuggly first arrived in his new home, he was eager to explore. He was definitely nervous, but his new parents did everything they could to make him as comfortable as possible. They slowly learned what he needed and adjusted accordingly. They hoped that eventually he would relax and realize he was finally safe and cared for.
“I think he was a little frightened, and after essentially starving for so long, he would just get panicky and aggressive about food,” Meara said. “He was very thin when we got him, to the point where his fur was also quite thin from malnutrition. Once we bought him an automatic feeder, he was fine as he stopped associating us with food … He was scared, he was starving and it took him a week or so to adjust, which is actually quite fast compared to most cats. It's a good reminder that sometimes cats just need time.”
The couple thought it would take Tuggly a long time to settle in, but after only a few weeks, he was super comfortable in his new home — and now, around six months later, he looks and acts like a completely different cat.
“Now he doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body,” Meara said. “When we look at Tuggly's photos from the SPCA now, he looks like a completely different cat. His cheeks have finally filled out and he’s got the cutest, roundest tomcat jowls. His fur has really filled out as well and he’s now our big, floofly boy. My boyfriend and I do not have children or any other pets, so to say that he is the prince of the household would be an understatement. He loves to be with us at all times. He is very curious and has to be involved in everything we do.”
The way Tuggly looked and acted back when he was first rescued from the streets is now a distant memory. He’s turned into a cat who loves to lounge in front of the fireplace in the winter and chase butterflies in the summer. It turns out all Tuggly really needed to thrive was time, patience and love.
“After signing a waiver for his aggression, he has turned into the loveliest, most affectionate little cat, and we love him so unbelievably much,” Meara said.
