When Katherine Meara and her partner came across Tuggly on the New Zealand SPCA website, they knew he was the cat they had been hoping to adopt.
Meara told The Dodo, “Just from his appearance, I figured he was at least over 10 years old.” He appeared to be so forlorn and scruffy in comparison to the other cat photographs that, even though I was in error, I knew I wanted to take him.
Tuggly is actually around 5 years old, but he had already been through so much by the time he arrived in the care of the SPCA that he looked so much older. He was found living as a stray in Christchurch, New Zealand, and had some pretty bad cuts all around his neck. Due to his past, poor Tuggly was terrified and confused about what was happening to him.
It caused him to act out and be aggressive, and the shelter made sure to inform the couple about this behavior — but even after meeting him and seeing it firsthand, they decided they wanted him regardless. Somehow they just knew it was meant to be.
Tuggly was anxious to explore when he first got to his new house. He was undoubtedly anxious, but his adoptive parents made every effort to make him feel at ease. They gradually became aware of his needs and made adjustments. They thought that soon he would unwind and understand that he was finally secure.
Meara stated, “I think he was a little scared, and after basically being without eating for so long, he would just get panicked and pushy about food. When we first saw him, he was so underweight that his fur was also fairly thin from hunger. He was alright once we purchased an automated feeder since he stopped associating humans with food. It took him about a week to acclimatize, which is really fairly quick when compared to most cats. He was terrified, famished, and had no food. It serves as a nice reminder that cats sometimes just require time.
“Now he doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body,” Meara said. “When we look at Tuggly’s photos from the SPCA now, he looks like a completely different cat. His cheeks have finally filled out and he’s got the cutest, roundest tomcat jowls.
His fur has really filled out as well and he’s now our big, floofly boy. My boyfriend and I do not have children or any other pets, so to say that he is the prince of the household would be an understatement. He loves to be with us at all times. He is very curious and has to be involved in everything we do.”
Tuggly’s appearance and behavior from the time he was originally rescued from the streets are now only vague memories. He has changed into a cat who enjoys chasing butterflies in the summer and lounging in front of the fireplace in the winter. It turns out that Tuggly just truly required time, patience, and love to thrive.
“After signing a waiver for his aggression, he has turned into the loveliest, most affectionate little cat, and we love him so unbelievably much,” Meara said.
