Soot

My story

To adopt this cat from Black Cat Rescue, please fill out a profile https://blackcatrescue.com/adopt-cat-boston Soot is a sweet and playful 1 year old female cat. Here's what her foster volunteer says about her: How would you describe the cat's general personality? Soot is a shy cat with a whole lot of personality! She spends a lot of her time hiding under the bed or couch, but loves playing with toys, hiding under blankets, slowly exploring the apartment, and getting out her zoomies. She is growing ever-more curious about the space around her and while it takes a while for her to trust people, it is so worth it once she does. Does the cat enjoy being pet? No - Soot is getting better about being close to people, but is still scared of pets. She will now sniff my finger if I reach out, but no more yet. If yes, on what parts of its body does the cat like to be pet? She is ok with being in close proximity to my finger when sniffing it or if I am giving her a treat, but besides that she does not like being touched anywhere. Does the cat come on your lap? No Does the cat like to be held? No Does the cat sleep in your bed? She has started to sleep on the bed sometimes as she is getting more adventurous! She tends to leave if I move around, but when I am asleep she will sit nearby. Does the cat seek your attention? Not really – she enjoys attention (in the form of playing and snacks) when she is getting it, but does not seek it out herself. Does the cat like to play? What are the cat's favorite games and toys? Soot LOVES to play! Playing with a string toy has significantly reduced her timidness and made her willing to explore outside of her hiding places. She will play with you and a string toy for hours if you have the time. On her own, she also likes playing with little balls or the fake mice type of toys and batting them around. How vocal is the cat? What kinds of sounds does the cat make? Soot has not meowed yet from what I have heard. Does the cat scratch a scratcher? Since Soot usually stays under the bed or couch, she hasn’t shown many needs to scratch anywhere. So she has not used the scratcher that much, but also is not scratching up furniture or anything like that.   Does the cat always use the litter box? Yes - Soot is very good about using her litter box. She prefers to be alone when using the litter box, but doesn’t mind going at night while I am asleep in the room. What food and frequency is the cat currently eating? Soot free feeds with a bowl of dry kibble (Nutrish Indoor Complete Chicken with Lentils & Salmon). She has most of her bowl each day, so I tend to fill it up daily. I also give her 1⁄4 of a 5.5oz can of wet food each day (Tastefuls Variety Pack). Sometimes she eats all of it, and sometimes she barely touches it. Is the cat picky about food? She definitely prefers the dry food over wet, but likes having a bit of variety. What is the cat's favorite treat? Soot loves Churus and feeding them to her has definitely helped her become more trusting of humans. Does the cat ever swat (claws in) at you? If so, under what circumstances? She gets really excited when playing, so every so often if she accidentally thinks my hand is part of the string toy, she might swat at it. Has the cat ever scratched (claws out) you? No. Does the cat ever nip (teeth without breaking skin) you? No. Has the cat ever bitten you (breaking skin)? No. To the best of your knowledge, how does the cat react to new people? Social? Fearful? She definitely is shy around new people and will probably stay hidden under the bed. However, she does not seem to get overwhelmed by things like loud noises or other people (ex: she doesn’t mind vacuums or lots of talking). So having people around does not upset her, but she’d prefer to physically stay away from them. Does that cat have any cute/quirky traits that aren’t covered by the previous questions? When Soot plays with the string toy she sometimes pants from how much she is playing which is really cute! As she has started wandering around the apartment more, it is also cute to see how she ducks in and out of different rooms and areas as she balances between being adventurous and going back to safety. In your opinion, what is the best thing about the cat? Why should an adopter choose THIS cat to adopt? It is such a rewarding experience to get close to Soot. It takes time, but once she is out of her shell she becomes a really playful and fun kitten. She does not mind being left alone for a while for those that have busy workdays and lifestyles, but at the same time she will happily play with you when you do want to have that time. What are the cat's challenges and how have you found to best manage them? The biggest challenge is her timidness, which truly just takes patience and time to overcome. I have been really careful about not petting her if she doesn’t seem comfortable with it and taking things at her pace. This can be hard, but it has proven worthwhile as she has become more trusting over time. To learn more about adopting this cat in Massachusetts, please visit www.blackcatrescue.com or fill out an Adoption Profile at https://blackcatrescue.com/adopt-cat-boston.  July 16, 2025, 3:44 pm

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Soot, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.