Toronto, ON - Domestic Shorthair. Meet Benedict a Pet for Adoption

My basic info

Breed

Domestic Shorthair

Color

Brown Tabby

Age

Young

Sex

Male

Pet ID

–

Hair Length

short

My details

Shots current

Spayed / Neutered

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

Microchipped, DOB December 20, 2023

Benedict, or Benny, is a sweet, curious, active and energetic former stray who is loving his new indoor life! He absolutely loves playtime and is an incredible acrobat, doing backflips trying to catch flying toys on occasion. He is still adjusting to being near humans, but has very quickly come out of his shell and loves to sit right beside his foster mom sometimes. He also enjoys pats (only exactly the right amount, of course), chatting, tasty food, and being told he's a good boy.

He is very active and very playful - he will do best in a house where he gets lots of interactive playtime, and will reward anyone who plays with him by showing off his acrobatics!

Benny was a stray who was picked up by the City of Toronto. He was very scared, so the shelter asked Toronto Cat Rescue to foster him, and since arriving in his foster home, Benny has come right out of his shell! But he does still have lots of caution with new things, as he adjusts to being cared for and being in a safe space.

He is still on his stray cat schedule, which means that he is committed to hunting before dawn and loudly demands a playtime pal with his meows. His foster mom is training him to get used to a human schedule by not complying with his demand for early morning playtime, but this is likely to be a process, since his habits are deeply ingrained and were key to his survival once. Lots of playtime before bed helps with this, but it's going to be an ongoing adjustment for Benny to get onto human hours.

He is still getting used to being indoors and safe, so he does get startled fairly easily and needs some time hiding on his own before he can feel safe again. He is happy and comfortable with people he's familiar with, but is still very cautious with strangers. He is also generally still cautious with new things and can get quite fearful with unexpected noises. Since he gets fearful of new things, he might not do well in a family with young children who might startle him.

Benny does nip on occasion if he is over stimulated, but has never bitten so far (he saves that for his toys). He is also not very cuddly at this point in time, but he is happy to be close to humans he is comfortable with, and his foster parent thinks there is a good chance that he will get more cuddly as he gets older.

Benny is an absolutely wonderful cat. He's sweet and funny and curious and will be a wonderful companion to his forever family! He might do best in a forever home where someone is often at home, so that he can have some playtime throughout the day. If that someone makes playtime a bit creative, that would be even better! Benny is smart and active and was no doubt a fearsome hunter -- he will do well having someone who loves to share his energy.