Brave Billy

Billy came into our care from a national RSPCA inspector and was a very very scared boy. He didn't like us looking at him, being around him and especially not touching him. His defence reaction was to spit and hiss, but he never tried to bite or scratch us, he was just warning us that he needed space.

Many animals that come into our care go through an adjustment period, they have been uprooted from their home and are surrounded by new people, new sounds and smells and it can be a lot. Thankfully most of them settle down after a short time, but with Billy we knew we needed longer.

Our team spent many an hour sitting quietly with Billy, talking softly to him, offering him nice treats and slowly but surely he started to warm up to us. He really loves his treats, so when he started coming out of his hiding places for a little snack, we would give him a gentle stroke to show him that we weren't so scary after all.

After many weeks of gentle encouragement, we are so happy to report that Billy is now happy to see us. When we walk past his pod, he walks over and gives us a lovely slow blink and a meow hello. He may never become a lap cat (although we have a sneaking suspicion that he will), he is a very brave boy and has come so far in just a few short months.