From rescued to rehomed: Elliot’s story

Elliot was one of three neonate kittens found with their mother in a garden shed, weak, cold, and clinging to life. When brought into our Hastings Centre, we were quick to get them warm, fed, and checked over by our vet team.

Heartbreakingly, despite our very best efforts, one of the litter didn’t make it. The cold and harsh environment in which she was born had been too much for her little body to overcome.

With the odds stacked against them, the little ginger Elliot and his tabby brother Edgar, continued to grow stronger - much to the relief of our team.

With their amazing mum Esmerelda, they all went into a loving foster home where they continued to grow bigger by the day and learn important socialisation skills.

When the kittens were old enough, they were ready for adoption. Edgar was adopted with ease in Hastings, while Elliot and his mum Esmerelda struggled to find a forever home as quickly.

In order to reach a wider group of potential adopters, and to help free up space at the busy Hastings Centre, Elliot and Esmerelda were transferred down to our Wellington Centre.

This move proved to be the right decision, with Esmerelda being adopted not long after. Our Wellington feline team were smitten with Elliot’s confidence, and were certain it wouldn’t take too long for someone to choose him too.

When June visited the Wellington Centre, she knew that Elliot was the one for her.

“He was one of the very first kittens I met. He was a happy, chill little boy who had this loving, interested look. He was also very present, in the sense that he would look at your face when you talk to him, and almost try to talk back,” June said.

“When I picked him up he was more than comfortable and looked up at me, almost as though he was saying ‘yup, you’re my mum now’. I immediately felt the connection and knew this was my baby boy. I did look at other cats, but none stood out the way he did.”

With their instant bond, Elliot went home with June to start his new life.

It didn’t take long for Elliot’s adventurous spirit to shine through. Some kittens and cats can be very timid and slow to adjust in their new homes, but this wasn’t the case for Elliot.

“When we got home, we sat in the bathroom together to get used to it,” June said. “He did his sniffs, and came to cuddle on my lap for about an hour, but then he really wanted to get out to explore.”

“Eventually I gave in, and we slowly explored the rest of the house. He jumped on everything! With intense sniffs and lots of purring, not once was he afraid.”

When it was time for bed, Elliot was clearly tuckered out.

“He didn’t want to be separated for bed time, so we’ve been sleep cuddling ever since.”

June knew that Elliot’s inquisitive and adventurous nature would be hard to contain. As hikers, they explained that they wanted to explore the idea of Elliot being able to join them in the great outdoors.

“We love to go on trips and hikes, but safety was the priority,” June said.

They started to look into harnesses, made especially for cats. Being able to bring Elliot along on their walks would be a great way to satisfy his natural curiosity and will to explore, while keeping him and wildlife safe at the same time.

“He’s a smart boy that won’t run away, but in the event of him getting a fright, or a dog or other cat attacking him, it meant that I’d be close by to help,” June explained.

When deciding whether a cat would be suitable for controlled walks on harnesses, it’s important to consider their individual temperament, health, age, and suitability of the location for the walks. Cats should never be taken into National Parks, or other sensitive wildlife areas.

As Elliot was young, healthy, microchipped, desexed, vaccinated, and responded well to this new parents, he had a lot of potential to be trained in this regard.

A well-fitting harness is of the utmost importance, and leashes should only be attached to the harness itself, rather than directly to a collar.

“As he was still little, we wanted to start harness training right away so that he would grow comfortable, which he has,” June said. “We introduced the harness indoors, just by rubbing his scent on it, then letting him sniff it out.”

“After that stage, we started loosely putting the harness on, indoors, for a few minutes at a time. We prolonged the time over the next few days as he got used to it. With treats as a reward, and lots of playing, talking, and cuddling with him, he became really comfortable.”

As they discovered, patience was key. When training a kitten with a harness, “Expect slow steps, and lots of falling over!”

Once Elliot was used to wearing his harness indoors, they were ready to progress to moving outside onto the lawn. By attaching the lead to the harness whenever he went outside, this reinforced the link between wearing it and being outdoors.

In time, Elliot learned that he wasn’t allowed to leave the house without wearing his harness – and they were able to bring Elliot along for car rides, and eventually, walks!

“He stands still with a high head ready for me to put it on. We then go for little walks on the leash, or for a car ride. We’ve done some hikes with him, and when he gets over walking, he’ll sit and wait for me to put him on my shoulder.”

We couldn’t be happier for Elliot. After such a difficult start to life, it’s heart-warming to see him living the dream in his loving forever home, and getting to head out safely on adventures with his family.

With kitten season about to ramp up, hundreds of kittens are expected to be coming into our care over the coming months around the country. To find homes for them, we need your help.

Do you think you could open your heart to a deserving kitten like Elliot? View all of the animals waiting to be adopted over on our website.

You can learn more about SPCA’s position on harness training cats here.