Tips for Cat Adoption: Accepting a Loner Cat

Some cats are meant to be the only cats. Be it because of a bad experience with another cat or due to overly independent or domineering personality, they absolutely can't stand their own kind. We had one such cat at our local animal shelter, a beautiful brownish-gray tabby with white chest and white socks. His name was Grady. Grady was not a vicious cat - not at all. On the contrary, he really loved people. When you came up to him, he would act very interested and cheerful, even if you were a new person he never met before. He would let you pet him, and if you offered to play with a toy he'd be all for it. However, if any other cat wanted to join the game, Grady would immediately hiss and strike them.

This "hiss & hit" strategy was his normal way to behave with other cats, without any exceptions. If any cat came within his reach, even with the most peaceful intentions or no intentions at all, he would whack them. Grady was declawed, so the whacks didn't do any physical harm, so he was not isolated from others. He did not even have a cage to go in for the night as most other cats; Grady had his bed on top of a filing cabinet, and that's where he usually was, watching the proceedings and whacking everyone who dared to come close.

Shelter volunteers had tried many ways to socialize Grady and teach him to be more friendly to other cats. All the attempts had failed. "Shame on you, Grady! How can you hit such a small, sweet kitty like Peanut? Look at her: isn't she a lovely girl?" "No, she isn't!!" Grady's green eyes would say in response clearly enough. "And if she comes near me again, she's gonna get it once more!"

I was told that Grady had come to the shelter as a stray, with a large gash on his side that took a very long time to heal. It is possible that the wound was inflicted by another animal, cat or dog, which had made Grady a permanent animal-hater. We had accepted that, and his future owners had to accept it as well.

All potential adopters were warned that Grady needed to be the only pet. One couple didn't listen. They liked Grady so much, and they couldn't believe it that he would be unable to get along with their other cat. They took Grady home, determined to be nice and patient and have the two live peacefully together - only to regretfully return him a few weeks later. Grady stayed true to his character.

I guess some mental scars cannot be cured; this seems to be true for cats as well. Today, Grady is happily adopted. He lives in a home with no other pets - and his owners can't praise him enough. He is wonderful: loving, peaceful, and cuddly.