Sun and Shine

My story

To adopt this cat from Black Cat Rescue, please fill out a profile https://blackcatrescue.com/adopt-cat-boston Sun (1 year, orange and white) and Shine (5 months, orange, brown tabby and white) are a Mom and Daughter bonded pair, spayed and up to date on vaccines. They must go home together. Here’s what their foster volunteer says about them:   How would you describe the cat's general personality? Sun: Sun is a gentle, quiet, and shy cat. She tends to be cautious in the beginning and loves her safe hiding spots, but with patience and time, has shown me glimpses of her affection over the few weeks I have been fostering her. Shine: Shine is playful, very energetic, bold, daring, unafraid, and affectionate. She loves to play and has endless curiosity about her surroundings. She enjoys pets and attention when she is feeling calm and is a social and loving companion.   Does the cat enjoy being pet? Sun: It took a couple of weeks to earn Sun’s trust, but now she accepts pets most of the time and doesn’t seem to mind them. I’ve even heard her gently purr once or twice while being petted. With patience and time, I believe she can learn to fully enjoy it. Shine: Shine enjoys being petted, but only when she’s in a calm mood. During her zoomies she’ll avoid hands and race around the house, but once she settles down for sitting time or a nap, she’s very happy to receive attention.   If yes, on what parts of its body does the cat like to be pet? Sun: I’ve gotten the most response out of her by petting around her head area (chin, top of head, cheeks) Shine: She likes scritches around the head the most, but also likes her back being pet. She doesn’t mind being touched/pet on most parts of her body.   Are there any parts of its body that the cat does NOT like being touched? Sun: She doesn’t like having her paws handled, but otherwise she has never reacted too negatively to my touch beyond running away. Shine: Shine will get a little bit annoyed if you keep touching her paws (nail trimming for example), but most of the time doesn’t mind being touched everywhere.   Does the cat come on your lap? Sun: No. Shine: Yes. When she wants attention and pets, she might snuggle up in your lap!   Does the cat like to be held? Sun: She is still wary of me, so she feels unsure about being picked up. However, she doesn’t fight too hard against my grip. Recently, I’ve been picking her up and feeding her Churu on my lap. She stays put in my arm/lap until her Churu is done! Shine: Shine does not mind being held for shorter periods of time, but she will start protesting after 30 seconds or so. When she is feeling relaxed, she will enjoy being held for longer periods of time, and she might even sleep in your arms!   Does the cat sleep in your bed? Sun: She hasn’t made a habit of sleeping in the bed yet, but I think she may enjoy it once she fully trusts her owner. I’ve seen her lie down in my bed a few times, and while she seems to like it, she’s still a bit hesitant to stay for long periods. Shine: Shine spends half of night zooming around the house and the other half sleeping in the bed next to me.   Does the cat seek your attention? Sun: No. Shine: Yes, when she wants pets or is interested in the object I am holding or food I am eating.   Does the cat like to play? Sun: I have not seen her comfortably play yet as she is still very timid, but I believe she plays at night when I am asleep as I hear her zooming around. Shine: Shine absolutely LOVES to play and requires a great deal of playtime to match her energy level. I often spend 30+ minutes per session with her, and even after intense play (one time to the point where she panted like a dog), she still wants to keep going.   What are the cat's favorite games and toys? Sun: Unsure. Shine: Fishing rod toys, balls with bells in them, crinkle balls, little mouse toys. She will also very occasionally wrestle small stuffed toys.   How vocal is the cat? Both cats are not very vocal.   What kinds of sounds does the cat make? I’ve heard mostly quiet/small meows, but Sun will also occasionally hiss or growl at Shine if she is bothering her too much or is playing too aggressively.   Does the cat scratch a scratcher? Sun: Sun uses the scratcher built into the cat tower. Shine: Shine unfortunately has not used any scratchers I have provided for her.   If no, please explain. Shine likes to scratch on furniture and bedding. She likes to scratch my sofa (corduroy fabric), chair and bar stools (cloth), bedding (on top of the fitted sheet, and she likes to dig hard into my comforter), and my Blueair air purifier (currently her favorite). I recommend providing a variety of scratchers to see which type she prefers over furniture, or using protective covers to safeguard more important furniture.   Does the cat always use the litter box? Yes, except special cases. If no, please explain. In the first couple days of fostering, both cats have accidentally peed/pooed outside the litter box when they were still getting used to being around the house. Now, they have no problem using the litter box at all.   What food and frequency is the cat currently eating? Both cats are currently eating wet food twice a day (breakfast and dinner) and have dry food access 24/7. They are eating the WholeHearted Grain Free Kitten Flakes/Pate, Tiki cat babies wet food, and Nulo Cat/Kitten dry food. Is the cat picky about food? Not particularly, but it took a good amount of coaxing and patience for Sun to start eating when she first arrived at my place (she didn’t eat anything for 2 days)   What is the cat's favorite treat? Churu is their absolute favorite. They also like Greenies and Temptations.   Does the cat ever swat (claws in) at you? If so, under what circumstances? Sun: No, she will choose to run away if she is unhappy about something. Shine: A few times, from being too playful.   Has the cat ever scratched (claws out) you? No for both cats   Does the cat ever nip (teeth without breaking skin) you? Sun: No Shine: Yes. She sometimes licks my hand to groom me, and over time will gradually start mouthing my fingers and giving gentle nips. If she accidentally bites too hard, I say ‘ow!’ and she seems to understand that she should not do that.   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? Sun: She was extra fearful when exposed to new people and came out of her hiding spot even less. Shine: A little shy at first but warms up pretty quickly.   If you have observed the cat with other animals, please describe how they get on? I have not observed Sun and Shine with other animals, but I can describe how they interact with each other. Shine is very attached to her mom and constantly wants to play, though Sun is still adjusting to her new environment and shuts down Shine’s playful gestures. I am hopeful that once Sun feels more settled, she will have more bandwidth to engage. Despite this, the two cats are very close. They sleep together about half of the time, and Shine likes to groom her mom (sometimes aggressively, which is very cute!). Shine is also very attentive and nosy about her mom’s activities; if she hears Sun meowing, eating, or even just stepping out of her hiding spot, Shine immediately runs over to check on her.   Does that cat have any cute/quirky traits that aren’t covered by the previous questions? Shine enjoys being held like a baby and will sometimes get so relaxed that she falls asleep in my arms. She also loves a shoulder hold, where she dangles her head over my shoulder and purrs. Shine is very curious about my activities, and she likes to lounge on the piano while I play or watch closely as I cook dinner. However, you have to be careful with food around her, as she may try to sneak a bite of noodles, chicken, or even seaweed! With Sun, I have not yet gotten too close with her to learn her quirky traits. However, I am sure she is a lovely cat who will show all quirky sides once she gets comfortable.   In your opinion, what is the best thing about the cat? Why should an adopter choose THIS cat to adopt? The best thing about adopting Sun is her gentle nature and the joy of seeing her open up little by little. She may be shy at first, but with patience, she will reward you with trust and quiet affection. Adopting Sun means giving a sweet, timid cat the chance to feel safe and loved. She would thrive in a home with adopters who can give her the space and understanding she needs to feel secure. The best thing about Shine is her playful, affectionate spirit. She loves to interact, explore, and be part of your everyday activities, whether it’s playing or keeping you company while you cook or play piano, she will fill your home with lots of energy and love. Also, their heart noses are absolutely ADORABLE.   What are the cat's challenges and how have you found to best manage them? Sun: Earning her trust has been my biggest challenge. However, over the past few weeks, she has made progress in gaining confidence around me. I tried to get close to her by feeding her Churu on my finger and petting her gently, and then gradually also having her on my lap while she gets fed Churu. Now, she feels comfortable roaming around the house if I am sitting at my desk, and doesn’t get afraid of pets! Shine: The biggest challenge has been keeping up with her energy. She has full-on kitten energy and gets restless if she isn’t played with often, which usually leads to her pestering her mom or poking around objects in the house. She can also be quite loud at night, with a big surge of zoomies around 1–2 AM where she dashes aggressively across the room. I’ve been woken up many times and sometimes worry about disturbing the neighbors downstairs. I think this will improve with more daytime play sessions, and as she gets older and calms down. It would also help to live in a house with a separate bedroom and a door that can be closed, since I live in a studio and it’s harder to sleep through her late-night activity.   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.  October 3, 2025, 2:56 pm

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