Piper's Story--Update

Piper lived with us at the adoption centre for just over two years before she happily found her forever family. Hard work by staff and volunteers changed her life, but along the way she changed ours.

Piper always wore a facial expression that seemed calm, which is most likely the reason so many of our visitors, volunteers, and staff have one of the notorious ‘Piper scars’. She would always wait peacefully until you were just within reach, before she would lash out with lightening speed and leave a little reminder on your hand that you, just like everyone else before you, are not a cat whisperer!

Due to this unpredictable behaviour, Piper became a long-time resident. What some mistook as aggression, was actually just a mixture of fear and frustration. Piper was a unique case, in that her body language fluctuated quite regularly. She didn’t present the signs and signals that usually indicate a fearful or frustrated cat. She spent half of her time lounging out on perches in her room, insinuating she was content or happy. The other half was spent hiding in boxes or under blankets. Many cats love to spend time hiding and relaxing, but when Piper was in these locations she would be on edge, constantly looking outward, her eyes darting back and forth following any motions and backing up further when humans entered the room.

One of our staff, Seb, and his partner, Jenny, decided to foster Piper to see if living in a home environment might help. At first, it looked grim: she spent most of the first month under their bed. However, they found her guilty pleasure—she liked to binge watch squirrel and bird videos! Nature shows with these animals in particular seemed to grab Piper’s attention.

When they put on these shows Piper would emerge from hiding to come and join them. Once they discovered this little secret, Piper began to show more tolerance in the house and with them. She became affectionate and cuddly.

She would crawl onto laps and let Seb and Jenny lay their heads on her like a pillow. She soon found her spot on the back of a couch at the window where she could safely watch the world and the real squirrels and birds go by.

Nature shows became a past time of hers when she wasn’t looking out the window at the real thing. Rolling onto her back to demand belly rubs, as well as requiring a stroke on the head before she ate became everyday routines. They also discovered her love for the zoom brush – a brush with large rubber bristles that promotes circulation in cats.

Piper was beginning to show what kind of cat she truly is.

However, Seb and Jenny always knew their time with Piper was limited, as Seb had plans to pursue school in New York this fall. They had fostered Piper in an attempt to provide information and in the process proved that Piper could be a wonderful cat to bring home.

When Piper returned to the adoption centre she relapsed into the cat she was before. Fearful and frustrated. But, things were different, her life had changed and we knew her behaviour in the adoption centre would only last until she found her forever home.

Sawyer read about Piper and her personality and decided to give Piper her a chance. His first meeting with her consisted of sitting for an hour and watching her stare at him from her box. One of our regular volunteers finally got her to emerge, and Sawyer got a few pets in with only a minor scratch to show for it. We told Sawyer that he could have an extra trial period to make sure the transition worked. His reply: “I’m not one to return an animal, I’ll try everything in my power to make it work”.

Three weeks later, ‘Big Pipes’ (her new nick name in the house), she has adapted wonderfully and Sawyer describes her as a ‘cuddle monster’! Her new favorite spot is Sawyers bed,

and she has recently begun to explore the house with more confidence!

As for her new cat housemate, well they get close, but not too close, and he is no longer using barrier dividers between them!

Piper is a shining example of what it means to Change Lives. Sawyer changed Pipers life, but she has also changed his, as well as her foster family that made her adoption possible. Seeing an animal go from feeling fearful and frustrated to cuddly, comfortable, and loved is one of the greatest gifts anyone involved in animal rescue can receive. Donors, volunteers, staff and foster families ALL made this story have a happy ending.