Since April this year, many of the staff here at Ten Lives have gotten to know a sleek young cat by the name of Sam.

He came to the Centre as a stray from the Huon Valley and was very frightened when the vets completed their initial examination.

Sam found himself in and out of foster care as he wasn’t coping when he was brought into the adoption rooms. With the support of various foster carers he slowly became more trusting and his loving side shone through. Instead of spending all his time hiding under a chair he would sleep on the bed, or even a lap.

But there was a problem with Sam.

It seems that he doesn’t know when to retract his claws, and at times accidentally scratches his humans during play. Not because he is aggressive or lashing out, but because he just doesn’t know he should retract them.

Sam returned to the Centre once more but instead of being placed in the adoption rooms he became the new office cat. The place of ‘Office Cat’ is reserved for cats that struggle with the adoption room environment and generally don’t get along with other cats, but are still available for adoption. We call them our bad cats – but deep down we know they just need some love and patience.

So, Sam made himself at home in Manager Noel’s office and began the wait for his furever humans.

That was nearly 6 weeks ago and he hasn’t been adopted yet.

Sam is a difficult case in that he is not suitable for homes with other cats, small children, or anyone who doesn’t have the patience to guide him through his claw issue. This is compounded by the fact that he is not getting the exposure other cats receive over in the adoption rooms.

Sam is an adorable cat with a lot of love to give, he just needs someone who can provide that positive reinforcement during playtimes so he can overcome this problem.

Are you Sam’s human? Please come in and ask for him at reception.

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Ten Lives cares for thousands of cats every year. We rely on support from people just like you continue to provide care to cats in need.

What you can do to help…

Open your heart and home to become a foster carer.
Bring your skills to Ten Lives and become a volunteer.
Check out our current cats and kittens awaiting adoption.
Support us by making a donation to the centre.