Shasta

2 year old Shasta came in at the same time as Marmalade and for much the same reason – she apparently bites.

 

With Shasta, though, caution seems to be required more with the initial approach than the exit from her cage. As the sign on her door says, she’s a little anxious.

In the couple times I went in to visit her earlier this week, on one I got rubs and the other I got a defensive smack. Early days yet though… September arrival Colin, who slapped me for weeks while caged, now follows me around joyfully trying to headbutt my knees.

As always with a new arrival, RAPS staff are working on learning Shasta’s likes and dislikes and trying to help her feel less anxious about her environment. So far, they’ve been able to add chicken to the list of enthusiastic likes.

Updated January 2012: Shasta has sadly, and suddenly, left us to go to the rainbow bridge. She turned out to be one of those cats who had a hidden illness that didn’t show itself until it was much too late to do anything for her.

In the little over a year we got to know her, she did become more confident about her surroundings, though not considerably less cranky when it came to dealin

g with what she felt to be too many other cats. She did come to enjoy the odd pat from her human carers at the sanctuary, but I think what I’ll always remember most about her is the way she would claim an entire large plate of wet food for herself at dinner time and growl with righteous indignation at any cat who dared to try and share.

Will miss ya, feisty girl