This shy, spicy kitten has worked hard to be ready for his own Forever Home! Gabriel is four months old and a little on the nervous side, but he has spent the last couple of months in foster care learning to trust and love people. He was brought to our shelter in late October by a good Samaritan who found him all alone and brought him to us to make sure he was safe and cared for.
We had an influx of older kittens like Gabriel come through our shelter doors this year. We believe this is on account of the pandemic –while we were all quarantined and spending a lot more time indoors this summer, many stray kittens were not discovered until much later in the year than normal, so when they were brought to our shelter, they were older than they would typically be and had spent that much more time not interacting with people.
To help this crew of under-socialized kittens learn to trust and bond with people, our Foster team developed a brand new program we call Hisses to Kisses. Hisses to Kisses is a special type of foster program that utilizes special techniques to work with these spicy furballs, and pairs foster volunteers with a single, under-socialized kitten to work with. Our Foster team provides support, supplies and specialized training to ensure our Foster volunteers have everything they need to help these kittens in need.
While our Hisses to Kisses graduates have made huge improvements since they first came to us, they are often still nervous and in need of a patient adopter who can give them the time and patience they need to warm up to them. “Under-socialized kittens have a harder time getting adopted because they often appear aggressive on account of their behavior towards people. What people don’t realize is that this behavior is fear-based and once given the chance to warm up to new people these cats become wonderful, loving pets.” –Lexy Rotter Foster Coordinator, Nevada Humane Society.
We had intended to make little Gabriel our Make It Matter Monday featured pet, however we are happy to share that while we were working on telling his story, he got adopted!
If you are interested in adopting a Hisses to Kisses graduate, our team can work with you to provide some tips and tricks to help your new, under-socialized kitten warm up to you (hint: treats help)