Nala

Nala - Edmonds, WA Age: 3 years old *** SHY but has HUGE potential!!! *** - No Children - No Dogs - A cat-friendly Male cat could be OK (with slow introductions) - Bengal Cat Experience Required Nala is a beautiful 3-year-old purebred Bengal cat, born in September of 2022. Unfortunately, she was listed on Craig's List classifieds and her owners felt sorry for her predicament, and brought her home. They did not have experience with under-socialized cats or Bengals, so eventually Nala made her way into our program. Because the prior owners didn't have the experience necessary to help Nala learn to trust humans - they decided she should be an outdoor cat. So they let her roam, un-altered, for nearly two years!! (Miraculously, she didn't become pregnant!). Once Nala joined our program, we made sure she was completely vetted, and she is now spayed / microchipped and healthy. Nala is a very healthy girl with great litter box skills. She is TINY!!! Only 6 lbs! But she has a big personality to make up for it. When Nala initially arrived at our foster’s home (who is extremely experienced with Bengals), she was scared to death of everyone and everything! It's a busy household so this is not surprising - some cats need a really quiet / calm environment to decompress and learn to trust. Nala has been with her foster family now for close to two months - and her confidence level has improved 1,000% since her first night with the foster. Nala is not a cuddly cat (most rescue Bengals are not). Nala will accept people on her terms - only. She may accept petting if she lies beside you. Nala can easily become over-stimulated, so shorter interactions is best to give her time to trust people. Nala may take over a year to trust her humans we need an adopter who is in this for the long haul!  Nala comes to the foster mom when called for feeding, will watch the mom fold laundry and reacts when talked to - but is still rather skittish. She HATES being picked up, collars, and car rides. She can be picked up to put into a crate but does not like to be held for very long. Nala has a moderate energy level. She loves to chase balls, and is obsessed with the "da bird" wand toys, so she likes to play at a distance (still learning to trust in humans). She loves playing with the resident male Bengal cat, but he won’t reciprocate the affection. She does not get along with the resident female cat AT ALL. With the proper introduction she may be able to do well with a laid-back male cat. She is not fond of dogs or children. So for this reason, we will not place her in a home with dogs or kids. We know she will be VERY HAPPY in a quiet home where the owner may work from home - or is not gone long so she can begin to bond with her humans. She definitely cannot be in a busy home. Nala LOVES gentle pets from her humans, but she takes a minute to warm up. Once she knows you, she will relax, and will roll around, joyously loving human attention. Like most Bengals, Nala can be chatty especially when she is hungry or bored. She has excellent litter box habits as long as the litter box is cleaned daily and multiple times a day. She has been known to poop outside the box once because her litter box was dirty. She has an excellent appetite and eats Wellness canned and dehydrated raw food. This little lady is beautiful and deserves a home that can show her that she is worth the time and effort to know that humans = LOVE. We've helped so many cats like Nala in the past, who were taught to distrust humans. We can see how resilient this little lady is - and we KNOW that the perfect family is out there, waiting for her! If you are interested in adopting Nala, please email us at [email protected].