Arong, the Beautiful Mama Cat

Update (4/18): After a few unsuccessful attempts, Arong has finally been adopted. She now has a new name, Haru, and lives happily with her owner in Seoul. :)

UPDATE: I'm talking to a potential adopter. Wish her luck...

STORY:

Please consider this beautiful cat for adoption. Arong was living at an animal hospital where her previous owner had abandoned her after declawing all her four paws. She had been living there for quite some time, as I'd seen her on my previous visits and admired her pretty face. In January, on one of my visits there, I learned that she was pregnant - she became pregnant by a Siamese stud who was there to sire another cat. So now there were two very pregnant cats living in cramped space. Then I saw Arong trying to eat, and noticed the bowl was empty. Two pregnant cats, and they had nothing to eat. Right then, the vet asked me if I'd like to take the cat (her kittens are "accidents," and will not sell, was what he was saying). I already have two cats at home, but I just couldn't bear the thought of two cats having their litters at once, in show-window type cubicle with no privacy (only a glass wall separating them from the passerby outside), not having enough to eat, etc. I took her home, telling the vet I'll foster her until she has her kittens and have them weaned, then return her. At least she'll have enough to eat, I thought. I also wanted her kittens to have a better chance in life - pets "bought" from pet shops and pet hospitals in Korea have infamously high rate of being abandoned, like Arong, so I wanted to place them in a home myself.

And now the thing I dreaded most happened. I'm trying to find homes for the mama cat and her three kittens, and of course there are lots of people who want to take the kittens. There are even people who want two kittens, and I'll be screening them carefully. But the mama cat - nobody wants the mama cat. She's a really beautiful cat, but next to the adorable kittens she doesn't stand a chance. I don't blame them, but it is truly sad. Arong deserves a chance at life too... I even tried to persuade potential adopters to take one kitten and the mama cat, saying it'll be easier to raise the kitten, they'll bond for life, etc. Nothing works. If they want two cats, they want two kittens.

But I really, really hate to return Arong to the hospital. They will keep displaying her until a taker appears, but in the meantime she'll just languish in the glass cage. They will most certainly give her to the first person who wants to take her, no screening whatsoever. This happened once to another cat I know, twice, and in the second instance she came back to the hospital in a box, left at the door before opening time (she's living with my mother-in-law now). I really want to find a forever home for her, free from the worries of becoming a breeding cat. In my opinion that hospital has questionable ethics (declawing, letting unplanned pregnancies happen, breeding and selling pets). If she ends up in the hands of a commercial breeder somehow, she may live the rest of her life as a breeding cat.

ABOUT THE CAT

Arong is a shy cat. This is one of the main reasons I'm worried she'll never find an adopter. I think she is naturally shy, but I think something in her past that I don't know about may have worsened it. It may have been the declawing - I've heard of cases where declawing led to personality change in cats. She may have had little human contact before she was abandoned, or worse, abused. She is afraid of sudden movements, and freezes momentarily when someone comes near. But once you pet her, she may cower a bit but doesn't run away. It's like she enjoys petting, but can't give herself up completely. I've kept her separated from my other cats as much as possible, but she doesn't like other cats much (I don't blame her, as she's defenseless without her claws). After having her babies, she was actively protective of them, sometimes batting at my cat. This has lessened as the kittens got older. It doesn't help that one of my cats is extremely jealous and hates all "new" cats (she loves all humans and hates all cats).

I really think she may blossom and show her real personality when she has a loving home and human to care for her. She's already made progress in the short time I had her. At first she would run when I moved in her direction, but now she doesn't mind that at all. She even begs me for food! She loves to be hand-fed chicken breasts and fish snacks (she loves all kinds of treats). Actually... she loves eating in general. She has a cute sitting position - she doesn't fold her legs beneath her like most cats, but she crosses them in front of her like a posh little lady. I've given her two baths to clean up all the matts and dirty hair she got from a long stay at the hospital, and now her fur is very soft. It's hard to find a home for an adult cat; harder if the cat is not a jump-in-your-lap kind of cat. I think a single cat household will be most suitable, since she's shy and has no claws, but she may do just fine with other gentle cats. I just need to be sure that she will not be bred again, and will be loved for life.

So please, consider this kitty. She's still young, and she deserves a second chance. She has the biggest, expressive amber-green eyes I've seen on a cat. One friend of mine nicknamed her the "Shrek kitty." I'm also considering finding another foster home for her, since my cat hates her so much. If you're interested please send me the application. I'll keep my fingers crossed.