KNOWN HISTORY:: Lived Indoors Previously lived with: 1 adult 3 cats Behavior toward strangers: Minimal experience and prefers contact on their terms. Warms up after two weeks. Behavior toward children: No experience. Behavior toward cats: Friendly and outgoing. Behavior toward dogs: Friendly and outgoing. Bite or Scratch history: Yes, in shelter (was not reported to have bitten in his previous home). Please see potential challenges for more details. Litter box training: Yes Energy level/descriptors: Medium Other notes: He is described as a quiet lap cat who spends most of hie time in the living room of his home but also enjoys roaming around. He is not very interested in playing or scratching on anything but is a big fan of naps in comfy areas and when he does want to play he likes running around chasing random items or toys. He eats both wet and dry food, preferably Friskies brand and is accustomed to having access to two uncovered litterboxes with non-clumping litter located in the living room of his home. Upon intake cat was fearful and anxious. He arrived in a trap and was transferred directly into a den. Once in den he was scanned for MC but was not collared due to fearfulness.

ENRICHMENT NOTES:: 3/26/26 FB61 Lying on top of perch, cheeks round, body tense, feet and tail tucked. He slow-blinks hard when spoken to and he tolerates brief petting while tensing further. He does not eat the treats offered during our session but when I check on him later I see the treats have been eaten (and that he is not hiding in his den). 4/4/26 FB79 At the top part of his kennel, Rusty is in a neutral position with his paws tucked his ears forward and his eyes slightly wide. He had no reaction when i greeted him or when i offered treats and when i brought the tool in he squinted his eyes slightly pulled his head back and wrapped his tail. However he remained tolerant as i pet all over his head and cheeks as well as all over his back. Rusty leaned in to sniff my hand when i brought it in slowly but when i attempted to pet with my hand he snapped his head back harshly. 4/06/26 FB61 Hunched in back of perch, body and face tense with his front paws placed neatly in front of him. Rusty makes eye contact with squinted eyes when spoken to and he remains very still and focused on me as I open his food portal to offer him treats. He does not eat them during our session and when I check on him later after exiting the room I see the treats are still untouched. He may be too stressed out in this environment to engage with enrichment at this time. 4/7/26 FB06 Rusty is lying at the back of the ledge with his half closed eyes, forward ears and big cheeks. His tail is tight to his body. Offering him the scratcher as I speak softly to him, he gives a gentle sniff. His eyes open a little wider and I can see they are wide. As I attempt to pet his head, he pulls it back to avoid touch. He sniffs the scratcher again and then tolerates some head pets. As it moves along his back, he begins to squirm. I then left him with a value treat that he showed no interest in. 4/11/26 FB79 At the top part of the kennel, Rusty is perched with with a neutral body, almond eyes and his tail wrapped; when i entered the kennel he had no reaction or when i spoke as well as when i offered treats. However, when i brought the tool close he tensed up, hissed harshly with his ears flattening. As the tool pet his cheek he attempted to lung before i pulled the tool away and ended the interaction.

ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Subdued

VOCAL:: Quiet

CHARACTER TYPE: : Timid,Skittish,Independent

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Fearful,Other

Potential challenges comments:: Please see behavior flyers for more information. On 3/24/2026 at approximately 9:55am, Rusty was receiving a pre-op exam when he escaped the carrier and hid in a cabinet. The handler put on cat gloves in order to get Rusty out of the cabinet. When the handler reached for Rusty, Rusty bit the handler through the cat gloves on the right hand and left two puncture wounds. The punctures were approximately 1mm each.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : Level 4

RECOMMENDATIONS:: Adult only home

Recommendations comments:: Rusty got along with other cats and dogs in his previous home. He did not come in with major behavioral issues or a bite/scratch history from his previous home as per his surrendering owner. Rusty was, however, described to have minimal experience with strangers in his prior environment. This is not uncommon. Furthermore, often times owner-surrenders can escalate to biting or scratching or displaying extreme offensive-defensive behaviors in the shelter environment since they are not used to anything beyond their previous home. This does not mean Rusty can't acclimate to a new home, but this does mean that any potential adopters should practice patience and care as Rusty adjusts to his new home with his new care-takers. The behavior team cannot predict if he will escalate to biting or swatting in his new home and the potential of that happening should be considered seriously. The process of adjusting to a new home environment may take weeks, months or in some cases even years.

BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: Rusty was lying on top of his perch as the assessor approached, body and face tense with his tail wrapped around his body and his eyes squinted. Rusty made eye contact when spoken to and he remained tense on his perch as the kennel door opened. Rusty tolerated petting along his head and body with the assess-a-hand for a few moments while tensing further and turning his head away from the hand. When petting was concentrated around his cheeks he was tense and tolerant for about 3 seconds before hissing and swatting the hand. Pick up was not attempted at this time to reduce stress. Rusty is not open to interaction at this time and is tolerant of petting briefly before escalating to swatting. Because his previous owner reports he is friendly around cats and dogs in a home environment, likes to play with toys and can usually be found sleeping where people are (in the living room) we believe the behavior seen in the care center is shelter-specific and this cat would make a good pet, but is really struggling in the shelter environment. This cat is suitable for adopters with previous cat experience who are willing to work with a cat who needs time and patience to help him adjust to their 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 with adopters who are willing to work with a cat who needs time and patience to help him adjust to their new home.