Sparrow (RESERVED)
2 years / Female / Domestic Shorthair
2-year-old Sparrow has bags of purr-sonality and has become something of an internet sensation thanks to her escapades around the cattery-she even has her own hashtag - #sparrowskitchen!
This came about after she was adopted and then returned to the Centre through no fault of her own. Having been given the freedom of a home to explore, and then being brought back and confined to a pen was not suiting her at all, which took us to decide to give her access to our cattery kitchen. She is such a character, and she is always up to something, hence we started documenting her adventures on our social media. Such is her following, that merchandise bearing her photo and hashtag is being sold to raise funds for the Centre, and visitors always want to meet her-although she isn't always the most welcoming host!
Sparrow does love human company and being in the thick of things, but she also has to be the boss. She is regularly described as "sassy" and "a diva" and she isn't averse to the odd temper tantrum if she doesn't get her way! When she first came into the Centre, before getting to know us, she would regularly swipe and sometimes try to bite, though she has never inflicted any injuries. Usually, her swipes are with claws retracted, so she doesn't mean to hurt anyone-she just likes to be in control.
At first, she was what we describe as a "hands off" cat, but as she has got to know us, she is actually very affectionate. She enjoys being stroked but not being picked up (she will protest vocally when we do), and she has even become quite a lap cat with one of our staff members who she has adopted as her favourite. However, it does take time to get to know her properly so when people come to meet her, she often disgraces herself by swiping and not showing them her softer side.
We realise that this is mainly just bravado, but as a consequence we wouldn't risk homing her with young children. A cat-savvy person, who can see past her diva-like tantrums and knows that everything has to be on her terms, would be best for Sparrow!
She is a highly intelligent cat who needs lots of mental and physical stimulation. She loves to hunt, run, jump and play. She is always highly alert and watching everything. She loves to be involved in everything we do, whether washing up (she supervises closely), unpacking boxes (she is chief box-tester) and paperwork (lying sprawled on papers is not quite so helpful...).
Sparrow has always lived indoors, and it is clear that she is desperate to go outside and explore. Therefore, we feel that a home in a rural area (no busy roads) would be ideal for her, and we do believe that once she is allowed the freedom of being able to get outdoors, her temperament will calm down. Right now, she is frustrated by being kept inside, and she has so much energy with no adequate outlet for it.
When she did go off to her new home briefly, Sparrow actually behaved very well-no scratching or biting at all, and she simply came back to us through a change of circumstances.
We had initially thought, due to how she has behaved towards other cats in the cattery, that she would need to be the only pet in her home, however she recently formed a friendship with a large, but very submissive, older male cat. This has brought us to the conclusion that she could go to a home with another cat as long as they are a gentle type who wouldn't mind Sparrow being boss.
She's actually so playful that a feline friend could be of huge benefit to her. We don't think
she'd take too kindly to another female, but homes with a laid-back male cat will definitely now be considered.
She is such a characterful cat, and your life will never be dull if you share your life with Sparrow.
Applications should be made by completing a Perfect Match form, emailing it to animalcentrestaff@rspcaworcester.org.uk
