Her days were full of long naps, of tucking her little toes to her chest, and occasionally meowing at the towering human that sat above the desk she was living underneath. Gigi didn’t like loud noises, or quick movements, and she didn’t fully trust this new world she had been forced to endure. She missed her mom most of all, but her old life and the home that was so familiar were also gone now, and there was nothing she could do but lay in the dark of her hidey house and shut her eyes tightly enough to imagine with every fur on her body that she was back at home with the person she loved. But that was not a possibility.

For her first ten years of life, Gigi had lived with her senior caretaker, happily coming out on occasion for conversations with her mom, asking for scratches every now and again, and she was perfectly content living a quiet, mostly solitary life. When her owner passed away, Gigi lost all the things she’d grown so comfortable with – including the only person she’d ever loved, and the world became a wide and worrying place.

After she was brought to CHS, she spent time in foster care and had her first experience outside of the familiar – and she didn’t really love it. Who could blame her? Gigi wasn’t happy, and would need time to feel okay again. So, CHS’ behavior team needed to figure out how to help this grieving cat overcome her fear of the unknown. Shelter life wasn’t for her, and foster life wasn’t for her either due to the back-and-forth. In an effort to establish a stable middle ground for Gigi to come out of her shell, she was introduced to office life.

There was still a lot of strangeness around her. But, even strange things can become familiar over time. Her new space was a small, square office, with bright sunlight and wide windows. It had cozy corners, and comfortable chairs, and there were practically no noises at all to disturb her. With her favorite food out on display every night Gigi found herself enjoying her meals once more. The unfamiliar faces that would come to care for her would change her litter box, take out her dirty dishes, and try to brush her down (one of the few things she clearly enjoyed) or gently pat her, and over time their scents and sounds became less frightening. The human she shared her office with spent 8 quiet hours with her every day, allowing Gigi to find peace alongside a person. At night, she had full freedom to explore all corners of her office, and lounge about wherever she wanted. Over time, Gigi’s anxiety lessened, and she was once again engaging with the world around her.

Within a few weeks of her warming up, a kind woman stepped up and offered to adopt Gigi without meeting her due to Gigi’s initial shyness with people. Now, Gigi is adjusting to yet another new environment, but this time, it’s a home she’ll get to call her own, and it’s with her newfound courage to (almost) fearlessly face the big wide world. And by the look of this photo her new mom sent, she’s settling in purrfectly!