Happy Tails: Shy Bentham

Humanely trapped as a stray, Bentham made some progress in foster at MRFRS but spent most of his time in a carrier. He was scared and did not allow human contact. He would take treats but was still too scared to fully come out of his shell. Here’s what his adopter has to say now:

“At the start of this process, I was looking for a new kitten. But while searching through pages and pages of adoptable older cats, I realized I could really be missing out on an opportunity to give one a loving home! And when I saw Benny I fell in love. But a shy cat was even further down on my list of what I was looking for in a new pet. And then came the age old question, could he even love me back?! The first night and following days were a little rough on us both. But with some help from MRFRS adoption counselors and my own research, I made a simple schedule that worked for the two of us. I gave him plenty of space in his own room, and I would watch tv or read a book with him in the evenings. I would bring in a toy, see if he was interested and if he made a small step, I would leave him some treats. And before I knew it he was playing with the toy, rubbing against my legs and moving on into the rest of the house! It’s been about a month, and the progress I have seen is tremendous. And now I write this with him sitting beside me on the couch, purring. If you are thinking about adopting a pet, don’t forget about the shy ones! With some time and patience, they will reward you in ways you didn’t even know! I am so glad that I did.”