Peter Pan once said, “All it takes is faith and trust.”
He wasn’t referring to gaining a cat’s trust, but it works, nonetheless. Especially when the world seems full of big changes that are too scary to go through alone.
And Grayson and Josh are a true testament to that.
Grayson, the fluffiest gray cat you might have ever seen, first came into the Pictou SPCA’s care in 2016, as a kitten. Then again in 2022. In between those times, Grayson learned how much he enjoys being an only child.
So, when he was ready to meet his people, he knew what he was looking for. And in true cat attitude, he chose his person. All the way in Cape Breton.
Josh always had animals in his life growing up, and he missed having the love a furry friend has to offer. As he was browsing the Nova Scotia SPCA adoption page, he stopped scrolling when he saw a certain cat.
“When I had seen Grayson on the Pictou branch, he was so handsome but yet there was a tinge of sadness in his photos that drew me to him. The listing had mentioned how he might be a little difficult since he needed an experienced cat owner and a home with no other pets or small children, so I was a pretty good match, I felt,” he remembered.
Their first meeting proved they were made for each other.
“He was only up for fostering at the time, and I still wasn’t certain, but later when I had seen he had been listed for adoption, I took that as a sign and took the plunge and called up the Pictou SPCA,” Josh reminisced. “I believe it was the very next day I had booked off and made my way down to meet him. It was certainly an odd meeting, he would rub up against my leg like he wanted to be pet, but then immediately spin around and hiss like I had done something wrong, just standing there. The fine folks at the SPCA assured me he wasn’t normally like this, and I believed them. I could empathize with how stressful his situation must have been moving through the system. After all this, I really wanted to make it work and gave him a shot. I’m really happy I did.”
After a trip back to Cape Breton, which Grayson wasn’t too fond of, faith and trust entered the chat. With some space and a lot of understanding, Grayson slowly grew comfortable with his new environment showing signs he wanted to be friends with people but being protective of his territory at the same time. A lot of calming pets, barely breathing when he sat on someone’s lap, and all the love in the world showed Grayson he had found his home.
And now Grayson is an active and affectionate cat. He and Josh share some favourite activities, as Josh confirmed. “Coincidentally, also my favourite. Playing video games. When I’m doing that, I’m lying on the couch and not going anywhere, which means he gets all the lap time he could want, usually with a fluffy blanket. Besides that, he’s a very active cat and really loves it when we play with his toys too. I have so many cat toys now. Also, he really likes to lay in the sun in the picture window, watching the comings and goings of the street and the birds in the yard. It’s not uncommon to see him there or in the cat tree right beside it, waiting for me to come back when I leave.”
From the shy cat who needed space, Grayson now even has online fans.
Josh’s roommate, an artist by trade, occasionally streams his art on Twitch, where he chats with followers and shows his work.
“Grayson has his own computer chair with a cat bed on it so he can ‘work with us’ when either of us are working in the office. Because of that, it became a redeem where folks can pay with free internet points, to turn on a live camera so they can see Grayson sitting in his chair. Sometimes, for a few extra points, they can even give him a treat! The internet as a whole loves cats, so he’s really popular when he shows up,” Josh explained.
There is one particular memory that Josh shared which truly brings to life the idea that faith and trust are sometimes what we need most during the big changes. “During Fiona, I had lost most of my shingles on my roof. One day while sitting in my living room I thought I heard water coming in from the attic again. So, I quickly threw the ladder up and crawled into the attic and past all the attic storage to assess the problem. As I was squeezing past all the storage to get back to the attic access, I heard a tiny bell. There was Grayson, trying to trudge through human knee-height fibreglass insulation to get to me. He had somehow managed to get up the ladder and inside the attic following me.
Fiberglass insulation is bad for humans, let alone cats. So, I didn’t want him to be ingesting it while cleaning himself after crawling through it. So, he had to get his first bath. This is a special memory because while I expected a large fight, and with me to come away with many scratches, he was so good. He was obviously grumpy about it, but he didn’t attack or hiss. I like to think that’s because he had learned how to trust some more and knew I wasn’t trying to hurt him. The comparison from then to when I had first met him was night and day.”
A little over two years since these two met and we can safely say their bond blossomed. Now Grayson loves to lead Josh around the house because he knows the right place to be.
And just like their first meeting, Grayson still rubs against his dad’s legs, minus the hissing. The cat-ttude will always be there though.
But there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this a full-circle moment.
There are many pets like Grayson across Nova Scotia SPCA shelters who are waiting for that sprinkle of faith and paws of trust. And you might never know how close or how far they are. Visit our adoptions page to view the adorable adoptables and maybe you might find your new furry best friend.