Faces of No-Kill: Senior cat lives life on her terms

If Calliope the cat were a fictional character, she’d be Miranda Priestly, the iconic and demanding fashion editor from The Devil Wears Prada. Not only is Calliope impeccably dressed in white, black, and orange, but she is a no-nonsense gal with life experience who knows what she wants.

That was particularly true when it came to receiving affection. Yes, Calliope enjoyed being petted (especially behind her ears and under her chin). But once she had had enough, she was done with a capital D. Otherwise, you could be met with a nip or a swat. However, she wasn’t mean; she was setting a boundary — like Miranda Priestly does with her trademark line, “That’s all.”

Calliope just needed people who understood her, space to decompress, and love.

The day Calliope arrived at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Salt Lake City, she made her presence known. The team immediately started learning her quirks, so they could best meet her needs.

They recognized that Calliope truly did want affection — she would give nudges and headbutts to get it. But when she reached her limit, it was like someone had suggested florals for spring. (Calliope could hack up a hairball just thinking about it.) Cue the nip and swat.

[Faces of No-Kill: Sassy cat trades swats for snuggles]

Staff noticed that when she was starting to feel like she’d had enough affection, she would flick her tail. When they saw the behavior, they would redirect her with a toy before things escalated. They also learned that Calliope preferred the luxury of a private office instead of being among her colleagues (aka the other adoptable cats). So staff would place her in a larger enclosure or room, so she could have a big, quiet space all to herself.

Calliope also took trips to several foster homes, where she revealed more of her personality. For instance, who would have thought that this 10-year-old, 18-pound princess loved zooming around the house at top speed?

As suspected, she was very independent but ultimately craved human companionship — you just needed to wait for her to come to you.

Back at the pet adoption center, Calliope took a meeting that would change her life. She was introduced to two people looking to adopt a cat. They instantly fell in love with her and all her intricacies. Calliope agreed to the merger and was adopted that day.

Calliope’s adopters were prepared to give her space. What they didn’t expect was how soon she’d be crawling up into their laps for cuddles. Two weeks after going home, her adopters contacted Best Friends to say that Calliope was thriving. She would still give the occasional swat but never used her claws. Plus, she was loving playtime, especially chasing the feather wand. (In her opinion, faux feathers are the hottest accessory.)

[‘Hands-off’ cat learns to show his sweet side]

Calliope’s progress has only continued since then. She even accepts kisses on top of her head. So it seems her terms have evolved. She still needs her personal space but not nearly as much as she once did. It goes to show that everyone — even those with a tough exterior — just needs a little love.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.