Animal shelters can be stressful for displaced dogs and cats. When they arrive at these unfamiliar and chaotic environments after being abandoned or rescued from an abusive situation, these fur babies need a lot of patience, understanding, and time to decompress. Some may lash out at the very people who are trying to help them because they are scared and traumatized. With a lot of love and gentleness, these canines and felines can learn to trust once again.
A shelter cat known as the ‘spiciest’ of the bunch recently had a promising moment where she let her guard down. Hopefully that’s just the beginning.
In the TikTok from @rosieandtheshelterpups, the pretty kitty was in her kennel and looked very defensive. A shelter team member named Kayla gently approached her but was met with a hiss.
“Day 5 working with the spiciest cat in the shelter,” the onscreen text read.
“Bought some bite-proof gloves today,” Kayla explained. “Sprayed Felliway on them. Hopefully the Felliway calms our spicy girl a little bit.”
The feline sniffed at the calming spray on the gloves, but soon began to growl at the friendly shelter worker.
“When she growls, I feel the entire box vibrate,” Kayla commented.
The shelter cat continued hissing and gave Kayla an icy stare. When she went to get a treat, Kayla heard a higher-pitched noise coming from the kitty but was unsure of what she was trying to express.
Special Treat Helped Pave the Way
The frightened feline still hissed and growled when presented with a Go-Gurt treat, but she calmed down enough to lick the tasty snack and Kayla’s gloves. Kayla was able to pet the cat a few times before prompting a full-on lunge from the kitty. Still, there was progress.
“SUCH A BREAKTHROUGH,” the caption shared. “Tomorrow we foster! I’m still in disbelief I was able to pet her! And even though she lunged at me, she never tried to bite — just wanted to scare me. So proud of our spicy girl and can’t wait to bring her home tomorrow.”
A follow-up post showed the cat in her foster environment, slowly getting familiar with her surroundings. The kitty seemed a little calmer outside of the shelter, and Kayla was actually able to fully pet her for a bit.
“I think she was so scared at the shelter,” Kayla remarked.
When the cat saw her crate, her “spice” came back and she hissed, almost like it triggered memories of the shelter. Kayla gave her space to decompress, then brought her food at night. The fur baby seemed to have calmed down, where she even ate from Kayla’s hand.
Kayla is currently contemplating names for her foster kitty and promised to post updates. Thankfully, this cat is in loving hands and can start to heal.
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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Feb 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.