The status of BETTY was
last posted on 11/09/25 by
Nine lives is not enough.
Female Cat, Domestic Medium Hair
Domestic Medium Hair (Medium Coat)
Description:
To adopt this cat from Black Cat Rescue, please fill out a profile https://blackcatrescue.com/adopt-cat-boston Betty is a floofy medium haired 6 year old female cat, who needs another cat friendly cat in the home. Here’s what her foster humans say about her: How would you describe the cat's general personality? Betty is a happy, confident, and playful cat who happens to not want anything to do with humans other than accept food from them. She plays, she naps in a variety of locations, she feasts on all types of food, but if approached she will likely run away and may swat if cornered. Does the cat enjoy being pet? Betty does not like to be touched yet and will generally run away from hands unless sufficient bribes are presented (wet food, greenies). Even with bribes, Betty is not interested in being touched and will leave as soon as possible or swat if touches are overwhelming. If yes, on what parts of its body does the cat like to be pet? Betty sometimes tolerates head or back pets with sufficient bribes. Are there any parts of its body that the cat does NOT like being touched? None observed so far. Does the cat come on your lap? Betty does not want to be touched and will at best sit nearby. She seems to almost always be near other cats, and will tolerate your presence if they're also by you, generally by being a few feet away and often keeping the other cat(s) between you and her. She likes windowsills, especially if there's a crack to let fresh air in, and will sometimes sit on one even if someone is in a chair nearby. Does the cat like to be held? We haven't attempted this yet, but presumably not at all. Does the cat sleep in your bed? No. Betty may join the couch briefly if she can be far away but does not want to be near humans. Does the cat seek your attention? No. Betty will follow anything interesting happening in the house and may greet you in the morning, but does not want (human) attention. Does the cat like to play? Betty loves playing. She will play with an electronic spinny toy for a long time, chase anything that can be chased, and just recently she's started jumping up after a feather toy being flung about by a human. What are the cat's favorite games and toys? Betty loves the electronic spinny toy and will spend a long time crashing into it, leaping at it, or yanking it around the house. With the birdie toy, she will not only leap, but flip to grab them in the air. She still does not want to be petted, but in the excitement of play will often get within touching distance, especially near legs and feet. How vocal is the cat? She is a very quiet cat except right before getting fed, when she will yowl at you to put the food down, dang it. She will also protest getting locked alone in a room with some meowing. What kinds of sounds does the cat make? Just those. Does the cat scratch a scratcher? Unsure! Does the cat always use the litter box? Yes, she always uses the litter box. What food and frequency is the cat currently eating? Betty has some dry food snacks for breakfast at 5am and 9am and again at 4pm. She then gets half a can of wet food split into two "feedings" around 5pm and a bit after. This schedule is mostly because of the other cats in the household; Betty enjoys mealtimes a lot, and will excitedly follow you around if she thinks it is time for food, but she isn't overly demanding. Is the cat picky about food? No. Betty loves all the food she's been introduced to, and mealtimes are the only times she's willing to accept pets right now. What is the cat's favorite treat? Betty absolutely loses her mind for greenies. She is so shy most of the time, but will fully crawl into a lap to get greenies that are otherwise out of reach. Does the cat ever swat (claws in) at you? If so, under what circumstances? Yes. We've been consistently pushing her boundaries to socialize her, and she has a very consistent tell of raising her right paw when our hands are too close. And then if you push more (without a bribe)... smack! Has the cat ever scratched (claws out) you? Yes. Sometimes she uses claws, sometimes she doesn't. You'd think she'd start with no claws and then escalate, but sometimes it's the other way around. Does the cat ever nip (teeth without breaking skin) you? No. Betty only defensively smacks and runs; we haven't attempted to force closer interactions or hold her, however. (She is not always gentle when eating a treat from fingers, but that seems entirely clumsy and not aggressive .) Has the cat ever bitten you (breaking skin)? No. To the best of your knowledge, how does the cat react to new people? Social? Fearful? Betty is fearful but curious and may observe new humans from a distance like she does with well known humans. If you have observed the cat with other animals, please describe how they get on. Betty loves other cats and seeks out their attention. She will share food and toys, greet them with nose kisses and body rubs, snuggle, and even wrestle a bit, although she’s quite puny. She does not appreciate very aggressive play and will cry-meow if she feels oppressed… and then run away if you get near to intervene. Does the cat have any cute/quirky traits that aren’t covered by the previous questions? She watches people when they get close to her, which makes her fun to take photos of! In your opinion, what is the best thing about the cat? Why should an adopter choose THIS cat to adopt? Betty is both adorable and beautiful, and she seems curious and intelligent enough that she'll eventually decide humans are worth the trouble of interacting with and fully accept her people's attention. It is extremely heartwarming when a worried, human-averse cat adopts you. What are the cat's challenges and how have you found to best manage them? Someone should choose Betty only if they relish the challenge of socializing a shy cat and don't need instant cat affection. They should be familiar with the slow process of getting shy cats to open up and be willing to wait months to see results. To learn more about adopting this cat in Massachusetts, please visit www.blackcatrescue.com or fill out an Adoption Profile at https://blackcatrescue.com/adopt-cat-boston.
