Status / Details
2018, Adopted
Additional Info
About Nysa
Adopted by Kate
Born 8/4/2012, F, Snowshoe/Siamese Mix
Click Here to Watch Her Now! Wow!
Click to Watch Her As a Kitten!
Special Fee $75
Nysa means “new beginnings”, and that is what this girl is looking for. She was a very sweet, loving kitten when she left us in in early 2013 as her kitten video shows. We are not sure what happened to her or how she ended up on the streets in Lake Tahoe but she was found as a stray December 8, 2017. We were contacted about her via her microchip, which had never been changed to reflect her adoption in January of 2013. She was very thin and had obviously been on her own for a while. We provided the shelter with the contact info for the adopter, who stated she was not interested in taking her back.
We thought about this little girl a lot on the drive to get her on December 11th. She had been such an adorable and loving girl – we will probably never know what truly happened to her or how she ended up out on her own in a very dangerous area for cats. Her guardian angel was watching out for her that’s for sure. She came back to us malnourished, exhausted and stressed out. What had happened to this girl?
Initially she seemed to be pretty much the same kitten. After about 24 hours, and her realizing there were other cats in the house, which she was NOT happy about at all, we found she would nip – when you least expected it. We tried contacting the adopter to attempt to get background information so we could determine if something happened there. No response to our phone call or our email.
We will never know for sure what caused the initial behavior we saw. They might have played with her with their hands, maybe they brought another cat into the home, since she does not like other cats, the living situation might have changed or it could have been a carryover from being outside on her own for who knows how long…or she could just be upset and stressed out with everything she has gone through lately. At this point we think she was so stressed out that she had to re-learn how to trust humans again and so we of course kept her apart from the other cats in the house. I think she may see herself as a dog, since she grew up with a dog as a play partner.
So what did we do? Play, feed and love 4x a day, every day, for 2 weeks. She loves to play, something she adored as a kitten. We use the da Bird and da Mouse, both toys we use with all of our foster kittens and our own adult cats. After a little warm up, she starts chasing them and leaping to get them. Sometimes she climbs on top of the little condo and she grabs at them as it swings by. After 10 -15 minutes, we put her food down. She will eat a little, or sometimes almost all of it. We then call her over to get on our lap or chest. She adores the Sherpa blankets and still loves to knead on them. We use the blanket and 9 out of 10 times she will jump right up and start kneading, purring and rubbing you, and head butting. We also started hand feeding her “treats” at least once a day. In addition, when she hears my voice she comes to the screen door of the bedroom and calls out to me – especially when I get home from work in the evening. She wants attention and company now, but is still less than thrilled about the other cats in the house.
We now have implemented an “unstructured routine” with no issues. I put the food down, giving a couple of pats as she eats and then getting the toys. Sometimes she wants love first then toys, with short stops at the food dish or any combination thereof. She has made great progress and even tolerates the other cats through a screen door, with some hissing. However she is not integrated with them as she still is not comfortable and tends to get agitated when she sees them. She is getting better but it is very very slow going.
I’ve been sleeping with her a couple times a week and she has taken to curling up between my legs during the night. She usually climbs up on my chest and kneads and purrs at least once during the night too.
It really comes down that all Nysa really needs is someone to love her as she is, but isn’t that what we all want? With a lot of love, and a little patience, this lovely girl will make someone a wonderful companion. She tends to want to be active and played with and will lavish you with love, sometimes with a little coaxing, and sometimes just because! The person at the shelter indicated she was fine with dogs. In fact she jumped down from the desk in their office to rub against the dogs at the humane society! So a dog used to cats should not be an issue with Nysa, with a proper introduction. An only cat home is a must as she still gets agitated when she sees our other cats through the screen door. I am not convinced she will ever be comfortable with them.
This is a very special girl who has had a rough time. Can you open your heart and home to her? She has so much love to give and just needs a chance. What a wonderful way to start the New Year for you and this girl aptly renamed as Nysa, formally known as Blitz.
Nysa has had a full vet exam and bloodwork done to ensure she did not develop any health issues from having to survive on her own. She was brought up to date on all of her shots and is litter box perfect.
Nysa is fostered in Sparks, NV.
Please call Kathy or Norton at 775-626-3518 or email tazanovakat@yahoo.com or send an Adoption Application.