Audrey Hepburn

Photo provided by RAPS

“Pretty little Audrey (named after Audrey Hepburn because of her beautiful eyes) was trapped and brought to the sanctuary many years ago. She lived in the McCracken House building, and spent 3 years atop the big wooden cages, watching the volunteers and hissing at anyone who dared get too close. One day, she decided to come down to the floor and approached me as I was petting several other cats. She rubbed against some of the other cats and then allowed me to reach out and stroke her. It was a very rewarding moment for me to have gained her trust. Audrey has since befriended many of the RAPS volunteers and staff, and will occasionally climb on people’s laps. She’s a great example of how feral cats can eventually warm up to people, when they are given the right opportunity.”

Limited space, limited resources: a common – universal? – problem for animal shelters. I’ve said it before, but I still feel lucky that there are long term facilities out there like RAPS where cats like Audrey or Daisy can take all the time they need to learn or relearn to trust.