'While I have made a little progress, I am still very timid around people': Person finds out formerly feral cat has been stuck in a shelter for over 2 years because she's scared of people, decides to give her a chance, and finds out she's purrfect

Few people give timid cats a chance, but those who do are always happy that they did.

Cats who have previously been strays are not always the simplest cats. And that is fair. They have a history, they have stories to tell, they have lived a whole life - with difficulties of their own - that you know nothing about. These timid cats who are afraid of humans are generally afraid of them for a reason. Not every human is a cat person, as difficult as they may be for people like us to understand, and while most of those people don't care about cats, some of them are actively terrible to them.

Still, winning a timid cat's love is something so, so worth it. Getting a cat to trust you, to see - in you - that not all humans are terrible, is worth every bit of effort. Maybe their love wouldn't come as quickly as that of another cat. And maybe these cats will show their love in ways that are a little different. In the end, it will all be worth it. All these cats need is a chance, and once you earn their love, they will love you just as hard, if not harder, than any other cat.

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"Saw that she'd been waiting over 2 years and it broke my heart"

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We agree - it breaks our hearts to read about cats like this. Timid cats are not bad cats. Shy cats, scared cats, low-energy cats - they all get looked over in shelters because they don't fit the “template” of what most people look for when they go to adopt. But all these cats need is a chance. Every time - we mean it, every single time - we have heard of someone adopting one of these cats, they have never regretted it. They have always loved these cats and been loved by these cats just as much as by any other.
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Picture of a cute calico cat peeking through a chair.
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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This matters too. This. The understanding that not all cats are the same, not all cats will cuddle with you three times a day. Some cats need their space more than others, and that doesn't mean that they don't love you or don't appreciate you. It just means that they show their love in different ways. And it is up to you to figure out what those ways are instead of forcing something else on them.
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Picture of a cute calico cat showing its tummy.
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Picture of a calico cat outside.
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Picture of a cute calico cat.
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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