KNOWN HISTORY:: Ghost was brought in with limited information on his behavior history in a home environment. He was surrendered with a bite/scratch history. The first incident occurred in April 2025. Ghost became agitated after the owner put on a respirator mask and Ghost bit and scratched the owner. She separated herself in the bathroom for an hour or so. Ghost remained on edge for several days. Please see the Potential challenges comments below for more details on the seconds bite/scratch incident. Provided on 8/27/24 Previously lived with: 3 adults Behavior toward strangers: Around strangers and visitor who are female, Ghost is affectionate, friendly and playful. With males he tends to growl, hiss and swat at them. He will also stalk them. Behavior toward children, cats & dogs: no experience Bite or Scratch history: Ghost has a history of biting and scratching male humans in the home. He will growl, swat and hiss then proceed to scratch. On 8/24/24 around 6:30am, previous owner was woken up by Ghost hissing and growling at him. Ghost ended up scratching his arms and biting his hands. There was nothing to provoke him. Owner had to get out of bed and quickly remove himself from the cat. He did not seek medical attention, took care of it himself. Litter box trained: yes Energy level/descriptors: Medium energy Other notes: Enjoys having their coat brushed, being carried. Doesn't mind being placed in a carrier and doesn't mind having their nails trimmed. Ghost is a sweet cat but selective. He likes to cuddle with you and play fetch. He loves toys that crinkle and he can pounce on. Provided 4/26/24 Previously lived with: 2 adults, 1 kitten Behavior toward strangers: Friendly and playful Behavior toward children & dogs: no experience Behavior toward cats: lived with kitten and became protective of it. Bite or Scratch history: Former owner reported an incident with Ghost on 4/24/24. His behavior has changed since she took in a kitten 2 weeks before surrendering, acting very protective. Litter box trained: Yes Energy level/descriptors: Medium energy, playful and active Other notes: He uses an uncovered litter box and has not scratched furniture.

ENRICHMENT NOTES:: Known History (continued) Provided on 11/4/24 During the first 2 months in a foster home, the foster parent reported their experience of Ghost's behavior (see Enrichment Notes below for more details). When Ghost was initially confined to my bedroom & separated from Buddy, the resident cat, in the first two weeks, it was clear that Ghost got anxious and frustrated being confined to small spaces and not having access to the rest of the apartment to play. He often cries and yowls when left alone in a separate space, especially if you are not there to actively play with him. At night, when confined solely to my bedroom, he would often try to head bunt my hands while I was sleeping and put his head under my palm, even when it was resting on my bed, to initiate play. He is very friendly and often curls up next to you in bed when you’re sleeping, but when he wants to play he will try to wake you up to get you to play with him. He does sometimes playfully try to bite your hand or finger when you rub or hold his belly, but he does it so lightly so that it’s obvious he’s not being aggressive and you can just pull your hand away to teach him not to do that. Ghost is extremely playful and energetic and very curious, so he was very eager to play and get to know my cat, Buddy, from the start. Initially he was cautious toward Buddy but as time went on, Ghost now always tries to initiate play by going up to him and swatting at him (not aggressively) or he tries to lightly bite him to get Buddy to chase him. Though Buddy is a docile and friendly cat, he is overweight and not very playful & energetic, so at times it causes him to get frustrated and hiss at Ghost. Buddy engages him in play a couple of times a day for a couple of minutes happily, but because Ghost nearly ALWAYS wants to play and tries to initiate play with Buddy frequently, if I am not playing with him, Buddy usually tries to walk away and gets frustrated when Ghost continues to chase him. Though another cat may be good for Ghost, if his owner is not home for most of the day to play with him and keep him company, I think it’s important to be with another cat that is still young and playful, rather than a senior cat like Buddy who may get annoyed and defensive if bothered frequently during the day. Ghost has always been extremely friendly and affectionate toward the few friends I’ve had over at my apartment. He has let my male friend pick him up and hold him like a baby without any issues or any attempt to be hostile and aggressive, just as he allows me to handle and hold him. He always wants to play regardless of who he is around, and is just as happy to play with strangers/guests if they engage in play with him. He loves string toys, lasers, and other thing he can chase at full speed. *Past Enrichment Notes and Behavior Assessments continued in GAN*

ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Lively,Energetic

VOCAL:: Quiet

CHARACTER TYPE: : Social,Calm,Sweet,Playful,People oriented,Graceful,Curious

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Overstimulation,Rough play,Very high energy level,Other,New home adjustment period

Potential challenges comments:: Bite/Scratch incident from Known History (continued): Around 2 am on 8/18/25, the adopter woke up to Ghost biting her foot. Ghost was growling and hissing. His eyes were extremely dilated and he was very tense. He began biting and scratching the owner who tried to get out of bed to walk away. The owner managed to lure Ghost into his outdoor catio with a glass door separating them. Ghost remained agitated, attempting to jump and get at the owner through the door. The owner was bitten deeply on her left shoulder and left hand. Her right arm was scratched and had many bite punctures from her wrist to elbow, and there were some smaller bites and scratches on the backs of both calves. The adopter had heavy scarring on her arms, legs, and shoulder. After returning from urgent care, the owner let Ghost back into the apartment to see if he had settled down. He remained tense and explored the space as if he hadn't been there before. Within less than an hour, he began growling again and his eyes were dilated, so the owner lured him back out to the catio and has kept him outside separated since. The owner lives in a studio and doesn't have any other place of separating the cat from herself. Potential challenges comments: Ghost is social and affectionate but appears to have the potential to get overstimulated and plays rough. As a result of the observed body language that can lead to an escalation in overstimulation, we recommend adopters who are familiar with signs of behavioral arousal and agitation in cats, so that interactions can be ended before Ghost becomes overstimulated. We also recommend puzzle feeder toys/games/activities and fishing pole-type toys for play as they allow for interaction and vigorous, stimulating exercise while keeping human hands at a distance. Ghost has a bite/scratch history involving incidents when Ghost attacks the owner's feet while they are sleeping and he continues to escalate when the owners attempt to distance themselves from Ghost (see Known History above for more details). It appears that Ghost displays signs of boredom and frustration in the home environment, actively solicits attention when understimulated without mental or physical playtime, and then resorts to escalation at nighttime to demand attention. In addition, Ghost would thrive in a larger home environment instead of being limited to small spaces (for example, a closet, bathroom, or studio apartment) during and after the new home adjustment period.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : New Hope Only

RECOMMENDATIONS:: No other cats OR multi-cat home with adopters experienced with introducing new cats,Adult only home

Recommendations comments:: Adult-only home due to the bite/scratch history when Ghost attacks the owners while they are sleeping. Due to a previous scratch incident being protective over a new kitten and his rough play with a resident cat in the foster home, we recommend that Ghost go to a household that has no other cats, and only goes to a multi-cat home if adopters have proven experience with introducing new cats and those other cats can match the Ghost's very high energy level.

BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: 08/27/25: Ghost was lying down in loaf position on top of the den with a neutral body and eyes. He leans his head forward to sniff treats offered by hand and is easily coaxed to climb down to the front of the kennel to greet the assessor. He gently head bunts for petting and leans in hard and purrs for cheek rubs. When stroking his body, he raises his hips and tail in the air. During pick up, he tenses up a little bit, rests his front limbs on the assessor's arm, and allows petting all over when held for 5 seconds but the begins to push against the assessor's body. After placing him back down, he continues to appreciate more petting and cheek rubs, but his tail is pilo-erect and slightly swishing sideways so communicate how he is becoming overwhelmed from the attention. Ghost interacts with the observer, appreciates attention, is easy to handle and tolerates all petting; however, due to the reported by the original owner, foster parent, and two separate adopters, and the bite/scratch history, Ghost is displaying behaviors that preclude placement in the adoptions room and/or may require further investigation before placement in a home. He has tried to swat, scratch, and bite. He plays rough, has very high energy, and he would benefit from opportunities to expend energy constructively with interactive play sessions multiple times per day. In addition to playtime, this cat would also benefit from mental exercise from activities such as puzzle toys/games, lick mats, or clicker training. Without providing activity for his mind and body, the cat may react with rough play or demand attention at night, potentially resulting in bite/scratch incidents. The behavior department feels that placement with a New Hope Partner is the best option at this time.