KNOWN HISTORY:: Indoor Cat Previously lived with: Adults Behavior toward strangers: Hides initially, Hisses, Growls, Swats Behavior toward children, cats, dogs: No experience Bite or Scratch history: **THERE IS A HISTORY. PLEASE SEE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES SECTION.** Litter box training: Louie was noted to have litter box accidents however we received no further information. Energy level/descriptors: High (often playful/busy) Other notes: He is known to be affectionate, loving, independent, and very active/playful. He spends most of his time indoors and prefers to be near people. He enjoys chasing and pouncing on toys, playing hide-and-seek, chasing bugs and moths, fetching items such as bottle caps and toys, playing with water, and playing with crinkly objects. He can play rough at times and may bite skin during play. He prefers scratching on carpet and fabric and he eats both wet and dry food, including Purina dry food and Friskies and Fancy Feast wet food. His favorite treats are Temptations and Delectables. He can scratch furniture, and nips or swats when petted for too long. His previous owner especially appreciated his affectionate and loving nature. He has had significant personality changes over the last few months that may be stress-related. More information in POTENTIAL CHALLENGES section. Upon intake Louie was shut down and fearful. He was handled minimally but had no reaction to being scanned for a microchip and being transferred into his kennel.

ENRICHMENT NOTES:: 11/1/26 FB25 Louie is inside of his den upon approach. When the door is slowly opened, he comes out quickly, lunging, swatting and hissing. He has downturned ears and dilated pupils. He continues to lunge at the door. I wait for him to settle, which he does, perching next to his den, and after slow blinking at him for a bit, I end the interaction here. 11/2/26 FB25 Louie is at the front of the kennel when I lift the cage cover, instantly lunging and striking the glass of the kennel door. He is growling and hissing. I slide in a dish of treats and catnip toys on the litter box side. He does try to quickly move to that side to strike as well, he is very fearful and defensive. However, he seems extremely interested in the toys. He sniffs at the catnip and picks up one in his mouth, carrying it back to his den with him. He continues to hiss at me but when he calms, I end the interaction here. 11/3/26 FB25 Louie is inside of his den. As I speak softly and slowly open the door, he comes out and lunges at the glass. He still needs time. I slide in treats and he sniffs them as if interested, but continues to growl and lunge at me through the glass. Later, I can see that he has eaten all of the treats. We will continue to try and build those positive associations with us for him. 11/7/26 FB79 Louie could be heard growling as i entered the kennel; i spoke softly while lifting the den cover and he was crouched with an arched back, wide eyes and his ear tilted. I didnt push or do too much only speaking softly and slow blinking as he growled constantly for a few but settled down. Louie's eyes became slightly soft and although still wide he slow blinked twice and started to look around a little instead of being fixated on me.

ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Subdued

VOCAL:: Quiet

CHARACTER TYPE: : Shy ,Timid,Skittish

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Pet-induced aggression,Rough play,Fearful,Other,New home adjustment period

Potential challenges comments:: Louie was surrendered due to newly developed behavior issues in the home. He was reported to lunge and bite/scratch individuals in the home with no specific visible trigger, however they also explained that a puppy who was constantly barking had just recently been adopted next door, and it appeared to be stressing Louie out. The last incident occurred 2 weeks prior to his surrender, the owner had come home from work and as she was walking from one room to another, Louie lunged and scratched/bit her leg causing small puncture wounds that broke skin. The client described multiple incidents like this with similar details and on different people, all started unprovoked and random with no clear warning signs before. Louie is also reported to react by hissing and swatting when attempting to pet, the client stated he generally does not like to be touched. Louie is a socialized young cat who has been known as loving, affectionate and playful with people before his challenges developed. Due to the drastic change, it seems likely that Louie became highly stressed by something in the home that caused his behavior to deteriorate. It is difficult to know how this will translate to a new home and he is currently very fearful in shelter. The Feline Behavior Team feels he has the potential to improve and thrive in the correct environment. It is crucial his adopters are cat-experienced individuals who understand managing potential petting-induced aggression, high arousal/overstimulation and fearful cat behavior. He will likely need an extensive adjustment period in a quiet, calm household.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : New Hope Only

RECOMMENDATIONS:: Single-pet home,Adult only home

Recommendations comments:: Due to Louie's history, stress levels and lack of experience with children, dogs, or other cats, we recommend an adult-only home where he can be the only pet.

BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: Upon approach, Louie is inside of his den with his head at the portal. He hisses with a wide, open mouth at the assessor as they enter. He stares at them with wide eyes and dilated pupils, his body tense and frozen as he low growls. As the assessor slowly bring a scratcher tool near him, he hisses, swats and strikes the tool harshly twice. He lunges from his den toward the assessor, stress vocalizing. Due to his high FAS, no pick up is attempted. Louie is displaying behaviors that preclude placement in the adoptions room and may require further investigation before placement in a home. He has tried to swat/scratch and is extremely fearful in the shelter environment and does not currently tolerate petting or handling. The behavior department feels that placement with a New Hope Partner is the best option at this time. He has a known history of behavioral issues that need to be addressed. Please note these issues are reported to be a recent change in his personality, potentially due to stress/changes in his environment.