Smokey Girl

News from Germany is that Smokey Girl is causing a few problems.

“Hello Sandra,do you have an idea what to do? Smokey Girl is biting her foster mums badly, often without warníng and she occupies the sofa. Nobody else is allowed to sit there anymore.
I gave the women many tips, but they now do not know what to do. The women are very nice and will do everything which could help, but we also wanted to hear your opinion, because you know the cat longer than we all do. Cony x”

The answer that I have sent back is that Smokey Girl is a nervous cat and also a street cat, the latter of which I think is very important. These are my replies and I guess my views on this cat’s problems:

“When Smokey Girl was in the street in Almerimar she was very friendly to us all, but when she first went to the Casa (cat rescue) she became VERY stressed and would try and bite me when I tried to stoke her, and her fur was falling out. Then she made friends with Gila and was fine and put on weight. Maybe now she is just stressed again by all that has happened in the last few months. We know that 50+ cats in the cat rescue was too many, and for some cats this was harder.”

“When I first met Smokey Girl she was only maybe 4 months. I was going to give her a home but then I saw her playing with another kitten in a garden in our street, and thought she HAD a home. Only this summer did we learn that she was a stray. So yes she was friendly but she was born on the street. She had kittens and had to look after herself and them. My second cat Saidi is a little similar. When we gave her a home she was very territorial with our cat Mori. She, I think had a home once but she had been on the street for 1 year + and had 2 litters of kittens that we knew of. Now she is lovely but still more of a fighter and very nervous of new people.

I think Smokey Girl needs time to become friendly and for her the sooner she gets a permanent home the better as each change may be difficult for her. I know that Saidi would find it really hard. When I gave her a home she had known me in the street for 6 months so I was ok and she was very affectionate with me.. But she did not like my husband for some weeks. Now they are good friends.
I really think that Smokey Girl just needs more love and time. All people are not kind to the street cats, so they need longer to trust a person, and Smokey IS a nervous cat.”

I know that Smokey Girl CAN be a lovely cat, so I hope things sort themselves out soon for her, and once again I am SO impressed by the German organisation and how much they all care about the cats. Cony has replied with a “1000 thanks” and will pass on my “useful” information. Isn’t that great?