Tamerlan showed up in my yard as a starving, scared, semi-feral tomcat—he was literally skin and bones. Vets estimated he was 3-5 years old, and despite all of the unaccustomed veterinary attention, he was easy to handle. He is now neutered and has all his vaccinations.

A suburban, outdoor-only cat until now, it was not expected that Tamerlan would consider living indoors, but he was willing to learn. He has become a huge fan of sunny spots, birdwatching from the cat tree, cushy sleeping surfaces, fireplaces, and high-quality, human-grade cat food. Due to having been starved, he will need to remain on a high-quality diet for life.

Tamerlan is intelligent, affectionate, and very playful. On rainy days, when he does not want to go out, I put a ping pong ball in the bathtub, and he goes crazy swatting it around; it is hilarious. He seems to want to turn everything into a game. He dashes through the cat tunnel, which he will playfully ambush me from, and enjoys having me chase him. Rather than chasing the jingle ball around the Cat Track, he prefers to pull it out and chase it around the house—there is seldom a dull moment with him around. Outside, at night, the wildlife cam has caught him trying to entice more than one opossum into playing with him. Currently, I have him on a schedule that keeps him inside overnight after a certain time (he has a curfew). He is doing fine with that.

He has even gotten comfortable with being picked up—a major accomplishment. He will sometimes sit in your lap or snuggle up on your chest to watch TV. At night, he often snuggles up to me—he likes being in contact. I woke up one night to discover that he had his head on the pillow and was sleeping cheek-to-cheek with me!

Tamerlan has a slight hearing deficit, possibly due to very gunky ears when he showed up, which he was treated for. He does need to have his ears cleaned from time to time, which he is good about allowing me to do for food rewards, see video.

Tamerlan enjoys interacting with people and would do well with a single person who was home a lot or a family. He should do fine with an older child or two who understands cats. He has been quiet and gentle with the children who have stopped by to say hello outside.

He would do best in a home with no other cats to compete with for attention. He also would not do well with small animals, birds, reptiles, or other critters since he still possesses hunting skills.

Regarding outdoor dogs, Tamerlan prepares for battle by puffing up if the dog indicates wanting to harm, but he does not go into attack mode unless the dog brings the fight to him. I don’t think he wants to live with a dog, but he is curious about them, so perhaps it could work.

Tamerlan needs an urban neighborhood, which is what he is used to. He is not suited to rural life due to his slight hearing deficit and lack of familiarity with coyotes. He does not want to be a barn cat, he wants an indoor life with access to the outside.

To date, Tamerlan insists on using the outdoor bathroom rather than an indoor litter box. No amount of rain or cold weather has managed to change his mind. Perhaps if he were an only cat he might give it a try. For now, he needs a home with cat door access to the outside (he is trained to use an electronic cat door keyed to his microchip so that wildlife or other cats don’t follow him inside). It would be best to keep him in at night for his safety and that of wildlife.

Tamerlan will be a wonderful addition to the right household.
He is currently available for adoption through Red Rose Animal Rescue.

Tamerlan’s arrival, recovery, and playfulness are documented in many YouTube videos.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author. Her classes, sessions and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.