KNOWN HISTORY:: Baobab was brought in with limited information on his behavior history in a home environment.

ENRICHMENT NOTES:: 11/17/25 FB73 Baobab is laying in his den, scrambling towards the back wall as the den cover is lifted. He tolerates petting with the scratcher tool but remains very tense, leaning away from it to avoid contact. Treats and a squeeze up are offered but he does not respond to them. 11/19/25 FB73 Baobab is laying in his den, backing himself into the back wall of the den as the handler opens the kennel door and lifts his den cover. Treats are offered, but he ignores them. He is tolerant of petting with the scratcher tool but does lean away to avoid it and remains tense as he is pet. 11/24/25 FB73 Baobab is sitting inside of his den, poking his head out with eyes neutral to observe the handler as they approach. As the kennel door opens, he pulls his head back into the den. The handler offers him a catnip toy, and he leans forward to sniff at it before backing up further in the den. He tolerates petting with the scratcher tool but leans away from it as he is pet. 11/25/25 Resting inside the den, allows petting along the head and body with the scratcher tool. However, he slowly retreats further against the back wall. Ending the interaction to help reduce stress. 11/26/25 FB73 Baobab is laying in his den, poking his head out and observing the handler, ears forward and eyes neutral as they approach and speak to him. As the kennel door is opened, he ducks his head back in. Treats are offered using the scratcher tool, but he does not respond to them. He tolerates all petting with the scratcher tool but still leans away from it, leaning into the back wall of the den to avoid contact. 11/29/25 FB47 Baobob was in the den and appeared subdued, a little fearful, and cautious. He squirmed away from touch, but he did sniff treats and remained watchful. 11/30/25 FB32 Hiding in the den with his head poking out of the den side door. When opening the door, his eyes widen and he hides into the den. He steps back sitting up when removing the den cover. He sniffs treats offered on the scratcher tool and turns his body while tolerating petting on the head, cheeks, and back. 12/1/25 FB73 Baobab is laying in his den, poking his head out of the portal exit as the handler approaches. As the kennel door is opened, he ducks his head back in, sitting up and pressing himself against the back corner of the den. Treats and a squeeze up are offered with the scratcher tool and he leans forward to sniff at them but doesn't take them, scooting his body back into the corner after sniffing the treats. He is tolerant of all petting with the scratcher tool but is tense while pet, turning away to avoid contact. ~GAN!

ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Moderate

VOCAL:: Quiet

CHARACTER TYPE: : Shy ,Timid,Independent

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Fearful,New home adjustment period,Adult cat socialization

Potential challenges comments:: Baobab should be given a slow introduction to the home, one room at a time starting in a small room like a bathroom with food, litter and water because behaviors seen at the Care Center [fearful, timid, handling avoidance] strongly suggest that he will hide if allowed. Interact with him in this room until he seems sufficiently confident that you feel you can introduce him to the next part of the home without running the risk that he will hide. Please speak to an adoption counselor for additional information on methods to help introduce your cat to the home. Baobab is an adult cat that may not have had many interactions with humans from an early age. He is very apprehensive of people and while showing no aggressive behaviors, he does attempt to flee and avoid human contact. It is difficult to predict if he will respond to socialization, but we recommend offering high value treats and food to help build a positive association to humans. Please be mindful that older cats will require more time and skill in order for them to be comfortable around people. Please speak to an adoption counselor to learn more about socialization techniques.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : Level 3

RECOMMENDATIONS:: No young children

Recommendations comments:: Baobab appears under socialized and is shy and avoidant of contact. He may be intimidated by young children. No children under age 13, respectful older children only. Counselor discretion.

BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: Baobab is laying in a loaf position upon approach, pupils dilated and tense. As the kennel door is opened and the den cover is slowly lifted, he sits up, backing up into the back wall and turning around to face away from the assessor. The assessor soft talks to him for a bit and he faces forward again but remains seated at the back of the den. He tolerates all petting with the scratcher tool but leans away from it to avoid contact. Treats and a squeeze up are offered but he does not respond to them. Baobab tolerates attention and petting but appears fearful or stressed in the shelter. He may be a little more independent and may need time to warm up to his new home. We recommend this cat go to a home with experienced cat parents. Due to the behavior shown, he may not be a great fit for young children. Any home with older children prepared to adopt this cat should conduct a thorough interaction and endeavor to monitor this cat around their children to prevent these behaviors from being reinforced.