Madeleine is an abandoned pet. She had been foraging for food and shelter outside, and her lovely fur had gotten horrible matted and dirty. We had seen her around for a few months, and although she always started to approach us, she got scared at the last minute and ran off. One day, we finally managed to convince her that we were not going to mean to her, and she happily ran up to us and let us comb and cut the mats out of her fur. I gave her a small bowl of food, and she wolfed it down while purring and kneading the ground with her feet.

She was overjoyed to be invited inside. For the first few weeks, she constantly purred at the excitement and wonder of being under a roof with a bowl of food. She's gotten adjusted her new life, but she still loves to purr loudly! She doesn't seem to miss the outside at all; although she does like to look out the window and sniff the air, she shows no interest in going out. The few times I've taken her for a walk, her primary concern is to get back to the wonderful indoors where it's warm and dry.

Madeleine loves people. When we come home from work, she runs out to greet us and scratches her cardboard scratching pad with joy. She likes to be in the same room as us, and will sit next to us as we read or watch TV. We let her sleep on the bed with us at night, and she's learned to let us bump into her personal space as we sleep.

She likes to play; her favorite toys are currently a pole with furry ribbon and felt fish, and the various little knitted fishes and mice that I've made. I've been teaching her that you may never use your claws on people; even when she's excited with playing, she'll keep her claws in if she bats at your hand.

Now that she's indoors, she has plenty of time to keep her fur fluffy and clean. Don't let all that fluff fool you: she's actually a tiny girl under that long fur.

She's a (spayed) female calico, and thinks that she is queen of the world. She's not overly fond of other cats, so we've been recommending that she be adopted as an only cat. I will note that she has learned to get along with our current cat, a (neutered) male who is bottom cat. When they get wet food, she has learned to sit outside the kitchen and let him get fed first, and waits patiently for me to bring out her own dish of wet food. They will play with each other, batting at each others paws under the door. She does sometimes make unhappy noises when he gets too close, but she doesn't attack him.

She doesn't do well at the adoption fair; she gets very upset being in a box surrounded by the smells of strange cats and the stream of unusual people. Please contact us if you would like to visit her in her native housecat environment.

Madeleine would like a home where she can get all the attention she deserves.