KNOWN HISTORY:: Baby was brought in with limited information on his behavior history in a home environment. The prior owner reported that Baby scratched them on the arm and foot and bit their hand while they were in the kitchen. No information was provided about what happened immediately before the incident, making it difficult to identify a specific trigger. Possible behavior: This may have been a fear, defensive, overstimulation, or redirected aggression response, depending on the circumstances. Because there are no details about Baby’s body language, the owner’s actions, environmental changes, or what occurred immediately beforehand, the motivation cannot be determined with confidence. Further context would be needed to distinguish between defensive aggression and other forms of biting/scratching.

ENRICHMENT NOTES:: Prior assessment 8/2/26: Baby is laying in his den, pupils dilated and front paws tucked under his chest as the assessor approaches. When the kennel door is opened and the den cover is lifted, Baby remains in his den and lip licks a few times. He gets up and comes forward to sniff the assessor's hand at the front of his den before backing up further into the den. When he is spoken to softly and offered a squeeze up on the scratcher tool, Baby hesitates for a moment before beginning to eat it, eating the whole thing. He is tolerant of all petting with the scratcher tool but remains tense and does not engage with the attention. Baby is unable to be coaxed out of the den so pickup is unable to be attempted. 9/1/26 Vol. Baby comes immediately to the front upon approach, meows, eyes alert, whiskers back, ears up, stretching his paws through the bars of the kennel. After a quick reset, he jumped up on top of the den, and as the kennel door opened, he came forward but was uninterested in playing with the pipe cleaner toy, and after a brief hesitation, licked the purée treats. While eating crunchy treats, he allowed petting on his head and down his back, maintaining his stance at the front of the kennel. After finishing the treats, he raised his paw as if to strike, then jumped back on top of the den, looking out, tail twitching slightly, and then lay down. Conflicted. 9/8/26 FB73 Baby is laying in his cubby, coming to the front of the main area of the kennel when the handler opens the door and calls him over. He allows petting on the head and cheeks and begins eating a squeeze up as it is offered. Handler was flagged to remove his collar as it is a bit tight. He is tolerant of the handler holding the collar and allows it to be cut without issue, continuing to eat his squeeze up afterwards. 9/8/26 Vol. Was hiding in his den but came out to greet me at his kennel door. Ate some Squeeze-up from the clicker and then a dish of tuna and went back into his den. Followed the laser with his eyes. Showed no interest in the cat dancer. Never came out of the den again. 9/10/26 At the front, Baby readily accepted treats and appeared relaxed, with a soft body and tail held high. He head bunted the hand, indicating a willingness to interact, but tolerated only limited physical contact. After a few strokes along the body, he air-nipped, suggesting he was becoming overstimulated or uncomfortable with continued handling. Interaction was ended at this point to prevent possible escalation.

ACTIVITY LEVEL:: Mellow,Moderate

VOCAL:: Somewhat chatty

CHARACTER TYPE: : Calm,Sweet,Curious,Independent

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:: Overstimulation,Rough play,New home adjustment period

Potential challenges comments:: See relevant behavior flyers.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: : Level 3

RECOMMENDATIONS:: Adult only home

BEHAVIOR SUMMARY:: Baby was calm, alert, and interested in interaction while resting on top of his den. He readily solicited attention, head-bunted the assessor’s hand, and accepted petting along his head and body. He remained neutral during pickup. After being settled back down, he tolerated a few more strokes but then gently nipped the assessor’s arm and walked away. He continued to watch the assessor from atop the den. Baby appears social and interested in human attention, but may have a relatively low tolerance for prolonged handling or petting. The gentle nip could indicate overstimulation, an assertive request to end interaction, or rough/playful behavior. Given the nip observed during the assessment, his previous bite/scratch history, and the fact that he is not yet altered, his behavior should be approached with appropriate caution. Baby would likely do best with an experienced cat parent who can recognize early signs of overstimulation, respect his boundaries, and provide structured, positive interactions.