Misty finds her purrfect match

Misty’s original owners adopted her from Woodgreen in 2011, along with her female sibling when they were about one and a half years old, and just hitting social maturity. As both cats got older, Misty became what her owner described as ‘suspicious’ of other cats, and would ‘growl and spit when passed’. During her time living with her owners and sibling, Misty started over-grooming and had a few toileting issues, which her Vet linked to being stressed about living with another cat.

When Misty’s owners had to move into assisted living, they could only take one pet with them. They had to choose between the distant and outdoorsy cat, Misty, or her sister, a friendly lap cat. They decided to rehome Misty through Woodgreen, but clearly did so with love. Cat Rehoming Team member Chris, who did the intake, said they brought in a lot of her belongings and a bag of veterinary prescribed obesity biscuits.

At her Vet check, it was clear Misty was above her ideal weight – 6.67kg, so a plan was put in place to tackle this. She also still showed signs of over-grooming. Luckily, there were no medical signs linked to her past toileting issues. Both of these were linked to stress.

At first, Misty was very picky with her food, rarely moved from her bed, and wasn’t too fussed about getting attention. But once she gained access to the outside corridor overnight and her diet was altered, Misty sprung to life. Eventually, Misty became the cat section’s ‘out and about’ cat, having the freedom to roam the section during the day, and to do as she pleased. This is when her personality really transformed – she went from ignoring most people, to running up to them for a big fuss.

She also really started to get into shape! In total, Misty spent a total of 218 days in the care of Woodgreen (excluding her time from 2011), and gradually lost 2.2kg over that time. She’d started off on a Veterinary prescription diet which allowed us to be very precise about how much she was eating (we weighed it out daily on digital scales). After she lost some weight, she then moved on to a high quality ‘light’ diet for cats – again, measured, but not as strict. Exercise was also key, as the diet wouldn’t have been as effective without it.

Cat volunteer Danielle has always had a soft spot for Misty, but she figured she would be rehomed before her chance arose. Danielle’s partner travels to the Antarctic for several months of the year for his work, and she knew she couldn’t make this choice alone. After some medical discussions with our Veterinary Team, Danielle reserved Misty, knowing her partner, Carson, could meet her alone the following week once returning from the Antarctic. When Carson met Misty, he decided she was perfect and took her home that day to surprise Danielle.

Since heading to her new home, Misty hasn’t been over-grooming, and she is enjoying her new life of luxury. She’s finally the only cat in the house, and is certainly the centre of attention! No longer distant, Misty is an active cat who loves her puzzle feeders, cuddles on the sofa, and often goes off gallivanting to catch bugs.

Danielle tells us: “I’ve been a volunteer at Woodgreen for around two years, and in that time I’ve got to know a lot of special cats. But I’ve always thought Misty was extra special. Misty had been here for a while, so I’d been lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time with her and got to know her friendly and playful personality. Misty very quickly became my favourite cat here – I don’t know too many cats that will run up to you to say hello! But I was aware that her age and medical history seemed to be making it harder for her to find a forever home. When we were finally in a position to have a pet in our lives, it had to be Misty! She has settled in brilliantly and has made herself very comfortable. Misty is already very much part of the family.”

Give cats like Misty a new home by adopting a cat or fostering a cat with Woodgreen today.