I’ll be the first to admit it – I’m a bit of a crazy cat lady.
Ever since my dad came home one day with a practically feral farm kitten when I was 12, cats have stolen my heart. Eventually, I had to leave my family cat Tibby behind to move to Aberdeen for uni.
Since then, I’ve had a feline-shaped hole missing from my life in Aberdeen.
After weeks of applying to adopt from shelters and searching on Gumtree, we finally applied for a cat from our local Cat Protection shelter. Turns out, we weren’t a great fit for that kitty (who has also found a home now) but we got a phone call telling us about a couple of cats that had just arrived that we would be great for.
We were already prepared for a cat to arrive. We had all the essentials including wet and dry food, a litter tray and kitty litter, toys and a cat tree.
Adopting our new cat
After work on Monday, we journeyed out to Bridge of Don to meet a British Shorthair we had heard a lot about from shelter staff and were offered the chance to adopt.
With a full name like Professor Snape (Snape for short), I’m sure his last owners are nerds like me and Ryan – and I mean that in the best way.
Snape was content with us as soon as we arrived, gladly receiving pets and treats.
I was almost in tears then and there.
I love Tibby but he was never a lapcat. He would tolerate me but would quickly snap when he’d had enough, leaving me with a scratch or two after each cuddle session.
Adopting a cat as chilled out as Snape (especially considering he was in the rehoming process which can be stressful for pets) is an absolute dream come true.
So we said yes to adopting him without hesitation and had him delivered to us the next day.
How it started…
By the time the shelter staff arrived with Snape, we had decided on a new name – Raava. We named him after the ancient spirit of light and peace from Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.
Despite being unsure of us and his surroundings he was very affectionate from the beginning. He was happy to rub against our legs and lean into our hands.
He spent the day exploring the flat while we were working from home, finding all the nooks and crannies he could hide in. He especially enjoys the space down the side of the washing machine and behind the headboard of the bed.
Throughout the day he gradually started to come out of his shell for us and when the evening came around he was happy to sit on the sofa with us. He even slept on the bed with us for a while that night.
We later figured out that he was probably used to being fed at 5am in his last home because he got the “zoomies” around that time and was frantically meowing at us to wake up.
Thankfully it only took a day or two for him to become accustomed to 8am feeding time.
How it’s going…
Raava’s personality has already begun shining through after a week of being in his new home with us. He’s very gentle – no bites or scratches just yet. He loves people-watching out our bay window in the living room and spends plenty of time cuddling on our laps while we play video games.
He’s a fiend for cheese-flavoured Dreamies, so we’ve been using them to encourage him to use the scratching posts and cat tree.
When he was being rehomed, the owner also passed on a cat bed, blanket and toys of his. These items helped a lot in making Raava feel comfortable since they have his scent on them.
He adores kneading his cat bed, getting all of his paws involved rather than just his front ones. This quirk of his is especially adorable.
I also draped his colourful little blanket over the top of the cat tree to signal to him that he could sit or sleep there.
Raava loves playing with his mouse on a string but his other toys get ignored most of the time. Instead, he likes playing with my stray hair bobbles. Very typical.
We have started leaving him in the flat by himself to get him used to us not always being around. This has been going well so far, he seems to sleep most of the day but that does mean that he has a lot of pent-up energy by the time we get back.
What’s next?
Raava is due for his next vaccination soon, which is very kindly paid for by Cat Protection. He didn’t like the cat carrier when he was brought to the flat so we’ll see how he copes with it again.
We may have to normalise using the cat carrier for him, this can help reduce stress when we take him to a cat sitter or a vet appointment.
We plan to ease him into the idea of having guests around. We’ve had Ryan’s parents round for a coffee and he coped well so a Dungeons & Dragons session is next on the agenda. Our D&D sessions are a little louder so it’ll be a good test for him.
He will eventually adapt to our lifestyle and he’ll get used to us having people visiting the flat regardless, but I want to do it in the best way possible. I really want to avoid causing him unnecessary stress or anxiety.
We’re going to resist spending loads on new stuff for Raava since most cats I know ignore all the fancy, expensive purchases and instead inevitably gravitate towards the cardboard boxes they’re delivered in.
It has been a week since Raava entered our lives and I already can’t imagine coming home to an empty flat.
He has completely stolen our hearts. Even Ryan – who was “totally not bothered” about getting a cat – has said, “Why on earth didn’t we adopt sooner?”.
And I’m glad we didn’t. Because Raava is the perfect fit for us and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to Cat Protection for helping us with adopting a cat. They helped us find the ideal cat for us and now we have Raava they have provided a tremendous amount of support to ensure he settles into his new home.
Thanks for reading x
Photography: Kirstin Brown, Ryan Duff
Thrifty Mango 