When Jessy arrived at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in the spring of 2021, he was terrified and only wanted to hide. We weren’t sure if he was feral or just fearful. We placed Jessy in our Clowder House for cats, a quiet area of the shelter with roomy kennels, which allowed our behavior staff and volunteers to work with him in an environment as stress-free as possible.
At first, he buried himself in his blankets—he was so scared of everything. But as time went by, with daily behavior work from our team, we saw slow improvements. Jessy started accepting pets from those he knew and becoming interested in toys. His progress was gradual, but we could see his potential. As the months went by, he continued to open up. Once Jessy was ready, we placed him in a foster home. There, he grew even more, and we realized the type of home he would be most comfortable in.
As he gained confidence and built trust, Jessy's goofy personality began to shine through his shyness. He needed a unique home, but we knew the right family was out there.
Once he was back at the shelter, several potential adopters met with Jessy, but they were not the right fit. Then, we met Les and Dana. They had recently said goodbye to one of their cats—a “once-in-a-lifetime cat” who looked like Jessy. They were ready to open their hearts to a new kitty who needed a special home.
When Les and Dana knelt by his kennel, Jessy approached, sniffed them and rubbed against his kennel—something he had never done for strangers! After a little over a year in our care, Jessy found his forever home.
Thanks to your support, the ARL was able to give Jessy all the time and help he needed to find his perfect home. Now he is living his best life with a family who loves him.
To learn more about the many ways you can help our community’s pets in need, like Jessy, please contact Lora Rogers at (515) 473-9119 or legacy@arl-iowa.org.