Adoption Tails #7: Rockwell
Welcome to the seventh edition of Adoption Tails, our blog series that highlights YOUR pet’s story!
Today we are telling the tale of handsome Rockwell, from his mom Heather’s point of view. Enjoy!
When did you adopt Rockwell?
January 2018.
How old was Rockwell when you adopted him, and how old is he now?
He was about 1 when we adopted him, and is around 2-and-a-half now.
What motivated you to adopt Rockwell?
We’d talked about adopting a pet for a long time, and a cat made the most sense with our work schedules and living space. I thought of myself as more of a dog person, but Rockwell has since changed that!
Did you have pets previously?
We’d both had childhood pets but this was our first pet together. We were finally in a stable enough situation that we were able to commit.
How did you hear about/decide to adopt from Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society?
We were relatively new to the area and Googled cat rescues nearby. KCZD’s positive reviews stood out!
Describe when you first met Rockwell and how you knew he was the right pet for you.
We went to the North Brunswick PetSmart “just to look” one Saturday morning. We got chatting with a volunteer and said we were interested in an adult cat who would do well in a calm environment. Rockwell was at adoption hours that day, and the volunteer thought he might be a good match. He was very shy and nervous, but after spending some time with him, we sensed he was the one for us and were excited to give this shy boy the relaxed home he needed. We left with an adoption application form and a week later we were back to take him home.
Describe bringing Rockwell home – how did the adjustment period go?
As expected, he was very shy and hid under a sofa in his room immediately. We were pleasantly surprised that after only a couple of hours, he came out to say hello and let us pet him. He even played with a wand toy that night! By his second day, he was brave enough to explore the rest of his new home.
Overall, he adapted much more quickly than we imagined he would. As first time pet owners, we were particularly nervous about the transition period, but Rockwell made it so easy for us. We found out after bringing him home that he’d been featured on USA Today’s Instagram that morning, so we were lucky to get him before someone else did!
Rockwell’s famous Instagram post:
How would you describe Rockwell’s personality?
Within his first few days, he came out of his shell as an affectionate and confident cat. He greets us at the door, and is so loving and trusting. He’s very talkative (especially near meal times) and keeps us entertained with his little chirps and squeaks. He’s also playful, and especially loves to chase foam bouncy balls (one day we’ll teach him to fetch) and pounce on mouse toys. He always enjoyed attention, but over the last few months has become a proper lap cat, and loves to cuddle into us at night.
Please describe any silly/quirky traits Rockwell has.
He loves dry food much more than wet food, which is fairly unusual! He will often want to sit beside us and have us hold his back paw – he gets annoyed if we let go of it before he’s ready. He’s also a real stickler for his routine, and will give us a gentle tap on the leg if we aren’t playing with him on time.
Please provide any additional stories or information that you’d like to tell us about Rockwell.
We were nervous before adopting Rockwell, but haven’t regretted it for a second and couldn’t imagine our family without him. We want to thank the volunteers at KCZD for their great work – we couldn’t have asked for a better cat.