Tigra Ruby
Tiggy’s gonna do what they gonna do
Why I don’t go on pet pages
I used to go into every pet page on Facebook every night. I know that sounds draining and it was. I have now unfollowed all of them and only check when tagged and if my emotional battery is full. I believe that everything happens for a reason-not that it’s my fate to take every case I’m tagged in, but that if a sudden feeling grabs me-I need to follow it.
It was a late night in November 2018 when the “feeling” hit me. I checked into my account and went to a page I never check because it’s not in Solano County. That’s when I saw the sweetest face looking back at me with terror.
The best intentions
The young lady (we will call her “Emma”) who posted this 4 month old kitten stated that she was completely feral and she needed a barn home (home for working cats) or she would be placed back onto the streets of Oakland where she was found. At the time, funds were LIMITED. When I say this, I mean $30 was all we had to work with. This meant if we took any fosters-they needed a sponsor or had to be fixed, microchipped, vaccinated, and tested with a negative result for FIV/FELV. Tiggy had the whole package courtesy of Fix Our Ferals. Something told me Tiggy needed me.
I began the messaging chain and literally begged the poster to let me take her. The more I learned the more I needed her. Tiggy had been raised by humans from the age of 6 weeks. She and her “incredibly affectionate” siblings had been treated for upper respiratory infections and Tiggy was the one who never “tamed down”. I was no behavior expert (I’m still not) at this point but what I saw was a kitten who was scared and not aggressive with humans. The videos posted showed her reacting to hands by pulling away, but never striking-she had never attacked unless she was forced to be held-which isn’t an attack, that’s trying to get away. I spent 2 hours explaining what I did and why I needed to take her. I promised that if she was that terrified of human interaction that I would find her a safe working home.
Sometimes I make questionable decisions
I coordinated to pick her up and told my very understanding husband that I needed to pick up a cat. I did not tell him I was driving to Oakland-alone-in the middle of the night. I have always been a “I can take care of myself” person. I called him when I hit the road and told him the details-took my lecture-and proclaimed that I had my trusty knife and cell phone. I’m not going to tell you that Oakland is an unsafe place, but no one should go anywhere alone-especially at night to a place they don’t know.
I only got lost twice! That’s a good record for me-since I have the worst sense of direction. I reached the main intersection and noted that my pick up was down an alley. I turned down the street and saw-what you would expect to see in a low income area-lots of abandoned or rundown buildings, broken bottles, and a group of gentleman-we will say they were having a meeting. I got the strangest looks and smiled at everyone I saw. I was very nervous and my self preservation kicked in when “Emma” asked me to go down another alley to her apartment. The lack of lights and clear exit made me pause and suggest meeting at the corner under the brightest light. I let her know I had a carrier she could come get, place her in, and come back to me with. I stayed in the car with the windows up, doors locked, and my phone and knife at the ready. By this time I was getting a little more attention than I wanted, but kept a sunny disposition and called a friend to keep myself calm.
“Emma” returned with Tiggy and thanked me for coming to get her. I let her know I would give her updates and waited until I saw her make it back to her street and left.
Pitstop
I was tired and anxious so I stopped to get coffee and some cat supplies specifically for Tiggy at TJ Maxx (pro tip! Stores like this have amazing deals on pet supplies!). I got her a bed, small scratching post, and a stuffed cat toy. Before I went into the store, I opened the carrier and tested her reaction to approach. She was nervous, but let me scratch her chin and half heartedly licked chicken baby food off of her nose. I told her what I tell every foster
You will never be cold or hungry again. You will only know love and safety. You are a hero and I love you.
Tiggy’s first day at Hero Academy
Tiggy started in a small cage with the basics. She was first cat I used this technique with. I was not Fear Free Certified yet and was doing a lot of techniques based on feel alone. I knew she needed time and space, but I was doing too much touching and interaction with her initially. My staff advisor, friend, and mentor-Becca Hintz-began teaching me the basics of training and positive reinforcement. Tiggy was the first foster I had that I worked slowly and patiently with. That meant:
No forced holding/purrito
Lots of treats at a distance and not off of my hands
Using Feliway to get it her at ease
A clear routine for interactions
Let me be clear that I have NEVER used “positive punishment” with a foster-but I have overwhelmed them with too much at once. I am a very impatient person by nature (the gift of ADHD) but working with fosters like Tiggy has made me more self aware, patient, and methodical.
We began a very good routine and she was the first foster that I used clicker training with! Clicker training has been a key part of our program since she arrived. Tiggy knows 3 commands very well: touch, come, and sit. She is VERY food motivated-as her belly will show-and she began to trust me quickly.
Yes I still cry
The day Tiggy leaned into my hands for pets and gave me a purr-I burst into tears. I don’t consider this the end of training, but the beginning. Everything up until this point is us feeling each other out. My foster families, husband, and friends will tell you-I still cry with every first purr. It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world to see fear melt away and see trust replace it.
Tiggy began to make incredible strides after this event. Her reaction to me entering the room changed from sitting patiently in her bed to loudly demanding treats and play time. Her meow is hilarious and I’m including a link to a video with some of her best moments.
Getting ready for forever
Adoptions were hard when I started out. We weren’t on the websites-there was a lot of drama surrounding my rescue-let’s say I rubbed people the wrong way-and I simply didn’t have a lot of know how. One of the reasons these stories are posted is to give encouragement to blossoming rescue directors, fosters, and to illustrate how hard it can be.
Tiggy was posted with no fee for 4 months when a friend asked me to help with an adoption gone horribly awry. The cat I took in for her ended up being a good companion for Tiggy and we attempted to find them a home together. Only one person had shown interest in the additional two months I had them posted together and I had a few red flags about the adoption. It was nothing life threatening, but things were just off.
Tiggy and Charlie (Golden Eagle) stayed with this adopter for two weeks before “things weren’t working out”. I took them back with no hesitation and was relieved to see they were only overwhelmed with the kids in the home.
These two are one of the reasons we do temperament testing and do not adopt our on looks alone. Other rescues think this is a policy that reduces my ability to find homes-but I remind them-I’m not looking for a home, I’m looking for forever.
Next steps
We determined that Tiggy and Charlie weren’t “bonded” and felt comfortable adopting him out alone. Tiggy never had any interest. My friend Faithe suggested doing live videos, which helped get us more followers, but not the home Tiggy needed.
By this point, Tiggy had entered what we call “general population” and was getting along well with our other cats, dogs, and stealing our hearts. We never had an official “let’s adopt Tiggy” conversation-but my husband fell in love with some of her sillier quirks and she just stayed with us.
Forever is not failure
Tiggy is a forever foster, foster win, or Hero Ambassador-not a failure. She didn’t stay because she was unadoptable, but because we love her. I sincerely believe she was meant to be with us. She and our male cat Farrokh, don’t always get along well, but with some excellent coaching and techniques-we have made their relationship more positive. I use them as a model for how to introduce cats and how to work through household territory battles.
Tigra Ruby lives happily in the Gardner household and demands bathroom sink water, treats, and cuddles her humans every night. Since August 2019 she has been considered a member of the household and helps to teach fearful fosters that we are safe.