Tilly – 7yrs – Female

This is Tilly, a lovely girl who has shown us how much the right environment can help a cat flourish. When Tilly first arrived in our care after spending a long time living as a stray, she found human interaction difficult and preferred to keep her distance. However, since being given the freedom to roam as our on-site centre cat, she has undergone an incredible transformation and is now a familiar face around the site, often following people around in search of fuss or a tasty snack. While still independent, Tilly clearly enjoys human company and has become much more confident in seeking out attention from people she knows. Her journey has shown us that she thrives when given space, choice and the freedom to approach interactions on her own terms.

Although Tilly has made fantastic progress, we are still working on building her confidence with handling, grooming and adapting to unfamiliar situations. Like many former strays, she can find new experiences overwhelming and prefers to assess things in her own time. However, she has already shown us how capable she is of overcoming her worries, and we believe her confidence will only continue to grow. We feel Tilly has the potential to adapt well to a home environment, provided she is given the time and space she needs to learn that new surroundings do not always have to be frightening.

For this reason, we feel Tilly would be happiest in a home with plenty of outdoor space to explore, with access to a secure shed, outbuilding or similar area that can act as her safe space, while still giving her the option to wander indoors if she pleases. Her adopters should be prepared to let her settle at her own pace while continuing the work to build her confidence that has helped her come so far already. Tilly could live with gentle secondary school aged children who understand her need for choice and independence, but she is looking for a home without any other animals.