RIO Domestic Short Hair Grand Rapids, MI

I’m not gonna lie: Rio is one tough nut to crack, but we KNOW on the inside of her hard exterior there is a sweet center waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. We have seen glimmers of her gentle self when she has been alone in a room with ’just us humans’ but the problem is that we don’t have the accommodations that she soooo desires.– no demands! See the problem lies with the fact that Rio (formerly Marina from the summer of 2006) was in a home of her own—her VERY own—for 9 long and luxurious years before she had to be abruptly returned in the summer of 2015. Seems that when her mom moved into a new house without a foyer or vestibule, Rio took to running outdoors; even though she is a senior (born in late 2005) and a chunky 12#, this girl is FAST—and her owner couldn’t keep up. After months of putting up with her antics and fearing for her safety, it was decided that she should come back to live with us, lest she end up splattered on the pavement.

Now Rio doesn’t understand one bit WHY ON EARTH she has ended up in a place overrun with cats of all shapes and sizes—and she isn’t afraid to express her dismay and disdain quite loudly! I was hoping that she would simmer down and settle in over time, especially after I had to extract quite a few of her teeth due to profound dental disease, but that didn’t happen. I had even waited almost two full months before penning her story in the hopes that she was see the brighter side of the situation but she simply isn’t having it. And since it is impossible for us to provide solo housing in a facility that holds on average 90-100 kitties at a time, we have had to make due and shuffle her from room to room, allowing a cat or two in at a time in the hopes that she would take a shining to them. The sad fact of the matter at hand (er, paw) is that Rio is miserable in our place—even as awesome as it is—so we are desperately trying to find her a place to reside where she can be the Queen of the Castle, a Rapunzel of sorts since she CANNOT be allowed outdoors due to her front declawed and semi-toothless status. Until then, we will do out best to sooth our angry beastie and shower her with understanding and anti-anxiety medication to ease her less than desirable cat-itude.

Don’t get me wrong—Rio really IS a sweetheart—just not in her current surroundings, and she isn’t going to blossom until she is truly comfortable and content. So if you feel you can help us all out by opening your heart and home to a grumpy old girl who really needs peace and solitude in order to regain the happiness she so suddenly lost, please let us know!