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, “I figured he was at least over 10 years old just from his appearance.” 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.
He was scared, he was starving and it took him a week or so to adjust, which is actually quite fast compared to most cats. It’s a good reminder that sometimes cats just need time.”
The couple thought it would take Tuggly a long time to settle in, but after only a few weeks, he was super comfortable in his new home — and now, around six months later, he looks and acts like a completely different cat.
He no longer possesses an aggressive bone in his body, Meara said. “When we compare Tuggly’s current appearance to his SPCA photographs, he appears to be an entirely different cat. He now has fuller cheeks, and he has the sweetest, roundest tomcat jowls.
He is now our huge, floofy boy because his fur has grown so much. Since my partner and I don’t have any kids or any pets, it would be an understatement to say that he is the head of the home. He enjoys being with us always. He has to be engaged in everything we do since he is so interested.
The way Tuggly looked and acted back when he was first rescued from the streets is now a distant memory. He’s turned into a cat who loves to lounge in front of the fireplace in the winter and chase butterflies in the summer. It turns out all Tuggly really needed to thrive was time, patience and love.
“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.
