NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat at No Paws Left Behind that is waiting for her forever home.

 

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

 

Sabrina is a 4-year-old domestic shorthair mix, with a tortoise-shell coat. She has been at No Paws Left Behind for about a month.

 

Volunteer Debbie Melle introduced us to Sabrina.

 

"She's very pretty. Her coloring is gorgeous. When she does let you pet her, she's soft. She's beautiful," she said.

 

Melle also said she might not have been chosen yet because she can be shy around new people, and does not get along well at visit.

 

"I think mainly because she doesn't show well, like people want them to jump out. They want to pet them when they're sitting in the chair here to visit. She doesn't really come out. So it's kind of hard just to meet a kitty through a cage or just maybe up on the shelf there," she said.

 

Sabrina was surrendered to the shelter because she didn't like the other cats she lived with. 

 

"She was surrendered because she wasn't getting along with the other kitties in the house," said Melle. "So I think she needs to be the queen of the castle at her new home."

 

Sabrina can go home to a house without any other cats. Melle said a dog that is cat friendly might be OK. She also said Sabrina would be better with older children instead of younger, as it takes her awhile to warm up to people.

 

"I think once she gets settled in a house with no young children, probably no other kitties, I think she'll come out of her shell," she said.

 

But Sabrina has made a lot of progress since being at the shelter, Melle says. 

 

"When we first got here, you really couldn't even open the kennel because she really wasn't having you. Each week that I've come here, she's down here (on the bottom shelf), she's comfortable, she comes up to the cage and lets you pet her," she said. "Each week, she's come out of her shell for the better, for sure."

 

Sabrina loves to play with soft toys like fake mice. 

 

"She mainly likes just coming out for the mice and, like right now, I would say the soft toys, maybe a little catnip to entice her would be wonderful," Melle said.

 

The shelter believes that once Sabrina is comfortable in a new home and is given the space she deserves, she will be less reserved and more sociable.

 

"I think in the home setting, I think she's gonna flourish," Melle said. "She's beautiful, and she knows what she wants."

 

If you think Sabrina might be the cat for you, you can contact the shelter or learn more about her on the website.