Animal Profile


Tabitha

Hello, my name is Tabitha. My animal id is #228749. I am a desexed female tortoiseshell cat at the Queens Animal Care Center. The shelter thinks I am about 6 months 1 weeks old.

I came into the shelter as a stray on 6/4/2025.

Tabitha is on the at-risk list due to behavior. She is not thriving in the care center and continues to display distance-increasing behavior when approached for interactions. She has not warmed up despite staff using treats to build a positive association. Due to her stress levels, it is in her best interest to move out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as quickly as possible. She would do best in a home with adopters who are willing to give her plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers. Medically Tabitha is apparently healthy.

Let's get to know each other a bit more...

This pet needs emergency placement. Please click here to go to our emergency placement page for more information. Tabitha is on the at-risk list due to behavior. She is not thriving in the care center and continues to display distance-increasing behavior when approached for interactions. She has not warmed up despite staff using treats to build a positive association. Due to her stress levels, it is in her best interest to move out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as quickly as possible. She would do best in a home with adopters who are willing to give her plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers. Medically Tabitha is apparently healthy. My history is a mystery and my friends here do not know much about me yet!

My medical notes are...

Weight: 4.6 lbs

6/6/2025

DVM Intake Exam Estimated age: 5 mos Microchip noted on Intake? scanned negative History: tenant surrendered super's cat, was ear tipped, Subjective: BAR Observed Behavior - immediately fleed when den was opened. allowed zero handling, captured in net, extremely under socialized, Is there evidence of Cruelty? No Is there evidence of Neglect? No Is there evidence of Trauma? No Objective BCS: 5/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal or ocular discharge noted Oral Exam: not done PLN: No enlargements noted H/L: NSR, NMA, CRT < 2, Lungs clear, eupneic ABD: Non painful, no masses palpated U/G: spayed female MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, healthy hair coat CNS: Mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities Assessment: apparently healthy Prognosis: good Plan: intake tasks kitten is extremely unsocialized SURGERY: Permanent waiver due to previously altered

6/27/2025

Starting gabapentin 100mg PO q12h indefinitely due to high FAS

Details on my behavior are...

Behavior Condition: 3. Yellow

During intakes minimum handling was done, the cat was very fearful.

KNOWN HISTORY:: Tabitha was brought in as a stray, there is no known information on her behavior history in a home environment. During intakes minimum handling was done, the cat was very fearful.

ENRICHMENT NOTES:: 6/9/25 FB79 Inside of her den, Tabitha has big wide/dialted eyes with her ears flat to her head and her tail tightly wrapped around her body. She hisses when i lift the den cover for a better view and harshly strikes the tool when i slowly bring it into the den for petting. She doesn't tolerate any petting or attention as she continues to hiss and low growl/grumble. 6/13/25 FB61 In cat den upon approach, completely hidden from view. She does not show immediate interest in the treats or catnip toy offered and I do not push hands on interaction at this time. Hopefully she will explore the enrichment offered after I leave the room. Sensitive girl. 6/16/25 FB79 Inside of her den, Tabitha is curled into the corner with wide dilated eyes forward ears and a tightly wrapped tail; she has no reaction when the pointer was slowly introduced and accepted pets on her head but when pet on her cheek she turned her head quickly and attempted to bite the tool. W/o escalating she then tolerated some pets on her back and around her body with no other reaction. 6/20/25 FB61 Lying on perch, body and face tense with eyes open wide. She remains focused on me as I push some treats towards her through her food portal and she flinches and flattens her ears when offered a catnip toy. Nervous girl, needs more time to adjust. She remains too focused on me to engage with the treats or toy during our interaction. Hopefully she explores them later when she feels more safe. 6/25/25 FB58 In den and hidden from view, she swats at the portal as I close it and lunges at the front of the den as I remove the den cover. She hisses and shows no interest in treats or chicken offered through the holes in the den. She slow blinks a few times as she sits with a tense face and body and ears tilted. She eventually settles slightly with ears forward. When the portal door is opened, she runs out of the den and up onto the shelf. 6/26/25 FB79 On the top part of her kennel, Tabitha has her paws tucked with a neutral face and body and her tail wrapped; as soon as i opened the kennel door without trying to make contact she starts to lip lick and her eyes dilate as she presses herself to the back of the kennel. When i slowly introduced the scratcher tool she doesn't lean in but sniffs it when i hold it close then proceeds to harshly hiss and stand on her back legs as she jumps down to the top of her den with a tense body and arched back. Tabitha then continued to dart back and forth from the top of the den to the shelf while hissing loudly as i attempted contact once more. 7/11/25 FB58 Sitting on her shelf with a tense face and body, eyes wide and dilated and ears tilting back and times, she hisses as the door is opened, and is focused on me. I leave the door open and speak to her softly, occasionally offering soft treats and click each time she slow blinks as I wait for her to soften and look away. Once she does, I close the cage door.

ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Laid back

VOCAL:: Quiet

CHARACTER TYPE: : Bold,Shy ,Timid,Skittish,Independent

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Fearful,New home adjustment period

Potential challenges comments:: Continues to display fearful behavior (see Behavior Summary below for more details). Previously, she would hiss, grumble, swat/strike, lunge, and bite. During recent interactions, she will still hiss, but may choose to retreat away or tolerates petting and attention more than before.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : Level 3

RECOMMENDATIONS:: Adult only home

Recommendations comments:: Adult only home due to the fearful behavior and previously observed to escalate to lunging, swatting, or biting.

BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: 06/07/25: Inside of her den, Tabitha is heard hissing and striking the glass when the kennel door is opened; she has wide/dilated eyes with her body very low and her tail wrapped when the den cover was lifted. Tabitha fixates on the assessor and their hand as the tool is slowly brought into the den and she swats/strikes with forced followed by hissing and lunging at the glass. Tabitha started to lip lick and grumble before tolerating very brief pets on her head and down her back before snapping over and biting onto the tool. After letting go, she backs herself further into the corner closely watching the tool that is now held in place but quickly leans in to bite and holds onto it. Pick up was not attempted. 07/07/25: Tabitha is a shy, timid, and independent cat whose behavior has slightly improved from the previous evaluation; however, she continues to display fear, anxiety, and stress in the shelter. She was lying down in loaf position hiding in the den upon approach, focused on the assessor with a tense body and wide, dilated eyes. When spoken to and opening the door, she immediately rushes and retreats out of the den, halfway climbs on top of the den (hind legs on the floor, front legs on top of the den), softly hisses, flattens her ears, and remains tense. When reaching close to offer treats on the scratcher tool, she softly hisses again and climbs on top of the shelf at the back corner, curled up with her tail wrapped tight around her body. She sniffs the scratcher tool, leans back, softly hisses again, and lip licks when pet on the head, cheeks, and body. Pick up was not attempted in order to reduce stress. Tabitha tolerates attention and petting but may be fearful or stressed in the shelter, and may be intimidated by small children. She may be a little more independent, and will need time to warm up to her new home. Due to the behaviors seen in the care center, we feel that this cat will do best in an experienced, adult only home.