Taz's Story


When she was new to Katie's Place Taz huddled in the middle of a nest. But she's relaxed and contented these days.

Taz's guardians took her to the SPCA due to allergies in the family and she rested trustingly in her guardian's arms as they waited to sign her over. She settled into a cage quietly though she seemed confused. But as time wore on she became difficult to handle. No one wanted to adopt her so a volunteer offered to foster her. Getting her into the carrier was hard. The staff had to use a catch pole -- a noose on the end of a pole. Taz's screams could be heard through closed doors into the grounds of the shelter. From then on she was more than hard to handle, she was impossible to handle. She lashed out at anyone who approached her. She went through two or three foster homes but never found anyone willing to keep her. She became one of the first Katie's Place residents as 2001 began. She shared her new accommodations grudgingly with a dozen other cats and she would swipe at any volunteer who got too close to her. Eventually she settled down. The traumatic changes in her life were over and she grew more contented. These days she still swipes at unwary volunteers though now she does it because she thinks it's funny, not because she's hurt and angry. She's happy now. She enjoys a stroking when she's feeling mellow, and food and nesting spots are plentiful. Taz will probably live at Katie's Place for the rest of her life. We will make sure that it's as loving a home as possible for a little cat who nearly broke under the pain of loss.

Updates on Taz:

Nov 25/03
Taz remains quite the little character. We think she may finally be settling back into being a somewhat normal little cat. As far as we can tell, she hasn't drawn blood from the volunteers in several months now. It may be she is mellowing with age, or it may be that she no longer needs to amuse herself at our expense. In any case, Taz might actually be adoptable in a year or so, if we can convince her that she would now like once again to snuggle on a lap or two. In the meantime, she remains addicted to Temptations treats and will obligingly accept a quick stroke and a soft chin rub if she knows you are hiding them behind your back.

Feb 25/04
Taz is ever the same. She has no relationships with the other cats. She leaves them alone and they leave her in peace. Her human contact is limited to begging for treats and the occasional blood letting when she is feeling frisky and adventurous. She is a girl who knows her own mind and she makes sure everyone else knows it too. She likes to sit pensively on her porch and contemplate her next choice of premium napping spots. Her idea of fun is to trick unsuspecting visitors into getting close enough for a quick swipe and watching them back peddle in surprise. She is an odd little cat whom we all adore. We do wonder if she will ever love anyone back. Taz may surprise us yet.

Mar 26/04
Taz is in a mood. It must be that Spring is in the air. She pretty much hibernated through the winter, popping out of her bed for food and treats only. Last night she was zooming in and out the cat door and scattering the cats out of her way. She is back to greeting us on the porch when we drive up and is rubbing against the wire to say hello. Once we are inside however and stop for an anticipated warm-and-fuzzy, she generally gives a whack to hurry us on our way to the dinner trays. Taz is coming up to 11 years old and has reclaimed her status as the matriarch of her area. Her sleepy benevolence is over until next winter.

July 5/04
Taz can sleep in the weirdest positions. She sticks her legs out in every direction just as if she owns the world. We think there is a method behind her madness. Those legs are like trip wires to alert her of any interlopers into her domain. The cats are pretty smart though; they have a good long look at who owns those legs before they try to sneak on by.

Sept/04
Taz seems to be losing her edge. Perhaps it's only that she's usually napping when we come over to see her and she just can't be bothered to react. But lately we've been able to stroke her soft little head and scratch her chin without being scratched ourselves in return. In the past, it used to be a test of courage to approach La Taz with hands un-gloved, attempt to give a stroke or a pat, and withdraw before a lightening fast paw swiped out. Now she'll sleepily incline her head a little to improve the angle for her cheek scratch. There's just no sport in it anymore.
 

 
Jan/05
Taz is getting on in years and is not very active. Her greatest activity involves switching favourite nests. For a long time she favoured a particular basket in the south west corner of the main pen. Then she switched to the back of a higher shelf in the north west corner. Wherever she chooses to sleep, no cat challenges her. Taz is still swift to speak her mind and make her feelings known. She enjoys a gentle stroking now and then when she's feeling mellow but will let you know when she's had enough with a sudden flash of impatience. Taz is Taz, and her original family probably gave her that name with good reason. One daily event that stimulates Taz into activity is mealtime. Taz does enjoy her dinner. She'll rouse herself from a sleep that seemed as deep as hibernation and wait brightly and eagerly for a plate to be put down. Then La Taz will dine from the plate before any other cat partakes.

May /05
Taz spent the winter mostly snoozing. Her preferred nest was a spot on a shelf just past the window. Nobody contested her right to this spot. Nobody ever contests Taz's choice of nesting spots. We wondered recently if Taz is mellowing and we gave her a cheek scratch to see. She'll lean into it lazily and turn her head for maximum effect. But after a few moments, her face takes on an "I'm done" look and if you persist, your efforts will be countered with a swift left hook. Maybe in a home of her own with a person of her own, she'd be different. But no adopters ever care to bet on that. Now that the weather is warming up again, Taz is venturing out to the porch more often. She will probably find a preferred nesting spot out there for the summer, and no other cat will contest her right to it. After all, Taz has more seniority at the shelter than any other cat. She's tiny but she's tough.

Sept /05
This little tyrant has been keeping to herself. She's been around long enough that another new cat or another visitor is just more of the same old, same old. She serenely pursues her own little daily rituals, oblivious of changes in the human or feline population around her. One thing that always makes her ears turn like sonarscopes and her head pop up from even a deep sleep is a treat. It doesn't matter who's carrying the foil pouch, she knows the sound of the pouch and she comes over to demand her share (or more than her share if she can get it). We tried making Taz's Petfinder write up interesting to the point of being outrageous, just to see if we could scare up any inquiries about her. Nope. No interest. Katie's Place may be Taz's last home. She naps and she makes occasional forays around the shelter, looking over everything appraisingly before returning to her chosen nest to meditate or snooze again. It's a simple life. But Taz isn't looking for any excitement.

May/06
Taz is, against all odds, completely at ease with shelter life among a changing population of many other cats. Over the years, she's become accustomed to it and she relaxes as only a cat can relax to while away the lazy days. Winter was spent watching the cold, outside world from a warm bed between snoozes. A volunteer approached her recently and offered a game (cautiously using a pen instead of her fingers). Taz, who had been napping, awoke and accepted the invitation to play with good humour and even enthusiasm (as long as she wasn't expected to actually get out of bed). Shelter life may not seem like much compared to a real home, but Taz seems happy.
 

July 9/06
Taz was in a very good mood the other sunny morning and was observed wriggling in her nest in a fit of playfulness. So we invited her to have a little game with us. She was on her feet immediately and ready to play. The warm summer weather when all the doors and windows are open seems to put everyone into high spirits.



 

Jan/07
We looked for Taz the other day and finally we found her. She had nudged her way underneath a small quilt and had been snoozing there as warm as toast. She sat up and looked at us as if to say, "Well I'm here, so what do you want?" Finding that we wanted no more than her photo (which she considered a frivolous reason to wake a cat), she curled up under her quilt again and ignored us.
 
 


 

May/07
As improbable as it might seem, Taz is perfectly happy at the shelter. One day we watched as she grabbed her back paws with her forepaws and licked her back toes in a light hearted, playful way. Then on another day we saw her sitting serenely in a nest, looking picturesque. We climbed closer to get her photo. Taz watched as we got within a foot of her. Her eyes were soft but alight with curiosity. When the camera was finally lowered, she reached out one paw and lightly touched the lens in a delicate gesture of friendliness or playfulness. This feisty little diva showed a tender, vulnerable side of herself that day.
 


 

Jan/08
Taz is not interested in people (unless they have treats with them). She stays in her nest while visitors meet the other cats. She snoozes or gazes out the window and meditates but she's not even interested enough in visitors to look over at them. She's not completely antisocial though. The first volunteer of the day arrives in the wee hours each morning to spend a couple of hours at the shelter before going to her day job. Taz greets Louise like a friend. She's very talkative with Louise. So Taz can be friendly. She just chooses when and with whom. And it helps if the person talks to Taz about Taz. She loves hearing her name.
 

Sept/08
Never has a cat found shelter life more agreeable than Taz does. The usual bugs and viruses flash through the shelter regularly. In every shelter, the stress of finding themselves homeless affects cats' immune systems, and illnesses go around like the common cold in a crowded classroom. Yet Taz remains unaffected. She is always perky, clear-eyed and glossy-coated. According to our calculations she must be getting on for 15 years old now. Yet she looks like a cat half that age.


Jan/09
Taz had lived at the barn for eight years by the time we moved to the new shelter. Moving was a major change for her. To her credit, she took it very calmly. She showed no sign of distress really except for one morning soon after the move when she was stalking around the porch in agitation and frowning out at the scenery as if she just couldn't figure it out. After that, she settled down and she's the same old Taz. She is starting to show her age though. She's thinner and her fur has the cottony look of an old cat rather than the sleek look of youth. We took her adoption page off the web. Taz wouldn't adjust to a new home now, nor should she have to. She's content with her life.

May 11/09
One or two volunteers noted in the log book that Taz seemed under the weather. She drank a lot and her coat looks rough. The volunteers who look after the animals' health check the log book every day for notes from other volunteers. If anyone notices that an animal seems to have any problems, they investigate and book vet visits as necessary. However, in this case, there was nothing specific or critical enough to warrant rounding up a reluctant Taz and subjecting her to a trip to the vet. She's an old cat now. Old cats often suffer from kidney problems, a symptom is which is excessive drinking. We'll watch the old girl.

Sept/09
The eternally youthful Taz is definitely showing her age these days. She'd be about 16 years old now. She's angular where she was once nicely rounded. Other than that, she shows no sign of being elderly. She pattered around the communal room and porch last summer with her distinctive gait, rapid and light-footed. She dispensed swats as needed to people who tried to pet her without invitation, and she stared down other cats, triumphing in a stare-down over cats as strong-willed as herself. Taz still reigns as queen. She spent a pleasant summer. Cats came and went, and the shelter hummed with activity, but Taz remained serenely detached from it all. At the rate she's going, she could enjoy many more years.

Taz actually seemed quite mellow and -- dare we say it -- loving the other day. She was letting us give her pets and beaming sweetly. We were quite startled. Is she sick? What's wrong! Well she is older. We'll keep an eye on her just in case.
 
 

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