Eight-year-old Oriental short-hair Noggin was very closely bonded with his owner, often following them around the house. Oriental breeds are really social animals and sadly this means that any disruption to bonds and routines in their life can cause them to struggle. When Noggin’s owner was no longer able to look after him, they brought him to Battersea to find a new home. Noggin was very anxious and didn’t settle in the cattery very well so Battersea decided to get him into a foster home where he might be more relaxed.
Meeting his foster family
Battersea foster carers, Sharon and Graham had grown up with cats and then moved to a house on a busy road, which led them to decide it was too risky to own a cat with the danger of nearby traffic. They then decided that fostering rather than adopting another cat would be a great opportunity for them.
"Since the cats stay indoors while they are on foster, we get to love and nurture cats safely and it is a delight to help and watch them change from being anxious and withdrawn to blossoming into friendly, happy cats again.”
Nervous Noggin needed some time
Noggin had some trouble adjusting after leaving his last home, and he needed a patient and understanding foster home who would give him the time he needed to come out of his shell. Sharon and Graham were able to give Noggin the time and space he needed to adjust to a new home.
“On his first day with us, Noggin squeezed into a small gap under the sofa bed in his settling room and there he stayed, only coming out of this hiding place at night when the house was really quiet.”
“As Battersea suggested, I went into the room twice a day to try and encourage Noggin to come out. It took nearly a week of this before one evening he poked his head out from the back of the sofa and looked at me briefly before hiding again. Little by little, Noggin began to trust me, even taking a treat from my hand, although he was very nervous and the slightest noise or movement from me would cause him to run back into hiding.”
What I learned from my experience of looking after Noggin is that patience is key and that the cat will be comfortable when they’re ready. We may have knowledge and experience of how cats usually behave and know what their basic needs are, but only they know when they are ready to trust us – so we need to wait, watch and learn from the cat.
Building confidence gradually
While some cats come to Battersea very socially active and used to life in a home, others like Noggin need a little bit of time and patience to help them on their way.
“Noggin eventually built up the courage to venture out of his settling room, but he was still easily scared by any human interaction. We decided the best thing to do would be to give him space while he grew in confidence. Noggin began to sit across the room from us in the evening, and during week seven he was relaxed enough to have a little play with a string toy and accept a very brief cheek rub.”
Finding Noggin's true self
While on foster, Noggin came on leaps and bounds and started to show his loving and affectionate personality. Nervous cats sometimes need a bit more time to show their true colours, and it's thanks to foster carers like Sharon and Graham that Battersea’s more nervous cats build much needed confidence.
“In the end our patience and perseverance paid off. Giving Noggin the time he needed to feel better, resulted in him going from hiding from us to jumping onto the sofa beside me, wanting cheek rubs and head scratches then curling up on my lap to snooze away the evening."
