Do you have a pet?
I lost my cat four months ago, and I thought I would never get another one. The pain was too intense. But one day, when I was just "visiting" a cat shelter, Tucson found me.
When we got home, I said, "You're home, and you're going to live your best life!" He immediately ran into my closet and stayed there for 24 hours. I tried everything—food, cat treats, Visa, Mastercard—but he wouldn't come out.
For the next few weeks, he ran every time I got near him. Sometimes, even just making eye contact would make him run as far away from me as he could.
I started to wonder if I had made a mistake. Maybe he just didn't like me. Maybe he missed the cats he was with at the shelter?
It's been four weeks now, and slowly, he's started to come around. A little bit more every day. Last night, he slept with me for about half the night.
I've never had a shelter kitten before, and it's a different experience than getting an 8-week-old kitten from a breeder. It requires more patience. But when he curls up next to me on a chair, or when I wake up in the middle of the night and see him sleeping on my bed, it's all worth it.
I've been told that dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin are released when humans interact with cats. I have to agree!
