Tina & The Coopers

This year, we’re focusing on the amazing love stories that start when pets find their forever homes at one of our stores. Tina found her forever home at Pet Valu Oakville and has lived happily ever after with the Coopers. Look for Tina (with her buddies Ben and Blake) as our cover model for the National Adoption Weekend in June 2017. We spoke with Ally, Tina’s Pet Parent about pet adoption and more:

How did you know it was time to get a cat?

I had a cat growing up and the boys were at an age where I thought they could help with an animal and really enjoying having a new family member. A cat seemed like a perfect fit!

What made you decide on adopting a cat?

We knew there were many cats looking for a home and we looked through our local Humane society for ones to adopt

Did you come into Pet Valu looking for a cat, or was it something else?

We first found Tina online and then we went to our local Pet Valu to ‘visit’ her (via Humane society) before we adopted her. She was with her brother, a black cat who looked nothing like Tina (she’s an orange tabby)

How did Tina settle in?

We followed the Humane society guidelines to keep her in a small space at first so she wouldn’t get overwhelmed. We visited her ‘room’ all the time! After about a week she explored the whole house and she was very comfortable.

The boys and Tina are very close – was that immediate?

They really took to her right away. They had no experience with animals at all and they just were naturals. She is a very social patient cat, and they learned how to read the usual ‘cat’ signals, when she wants to be petted, or when she wanted to be left alone…

What advice would you give to a family thinking about adopting a cat?

Definitely rescue a cat or kitten looking for a home. Do your research and invest in good scratching toys, they work really well. Also the local shelter or humane society will give you good advice on how to integrate a cat into your home, so definitely follow it and use them as a resource. Make sure you have a vet nearby that you can easily bring your cat to as well, especially as a kitten for their first shots, etc.

Video: Go behind the scenes on our photo shoot and learn about Tina’s name