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Mystique

Before she was Mystique, this feisty tabby was affectionately dubbed “Hissy.” She hung out by a dumpster beside a vacant lot, and whenever her caretakers arrived to feed her, this clever girl would come running. She’d chirp her greetings, leading them to her feeder, but get too close and you’d get a warning hiss.

Even so, her rescuer eventually was able to feed her by holding her food bowl for her, and that’s how she was able to pet her, starting with one hand and eventually even two. After taking her to the vet and discovering she was feline leukemia positive, her kind rescuer brought her inside, giving her a comfortable indoor life. She settled into their guest bedroom like she’d always belonged. Mystique took to the litter box immediately, explored every cozy cat bed available, and never once gave those tempting curtains a second shredded thought. She was a perfect houseguest, but it became clear that Mystique wanted something else: a friend.

So, in April of 2025, her rescuer reached out to Shadow Cats, knowing there were plenty of FELV-positive friends for Mystique to make while living a safe and comfortable life inside, her dumpster days far behind her. Mystique will take her time in trusting us, and we are ready to give her all the time she needs. But for now, she is enjoying snuggling up with our two other cautious kitties in Cookie’s East: Pickle and Patty! And by night…Mystique is content to curl up next to Vance. Welcome home, Mystique! We love you already.

 

Mystique has 2 Sponsors

Rebecca Raphael

Anne Llana-Koob

Suzy

For over a decade, this rare orange girl lived a peaceful life as a beloved community cat in Copperas Cove. She was taken care of by a member of the South Park Community Cats group. When she first appeared to her caretaker 11 years ago, she had already lost the use of one eye, but that didn’t slow her down. Suzy thrived outdoors with regular care, love, and freedom to roam.

In February of 2025, however, Suzy suffered a suspected snake bite that severely damaged her good eye, leaving her fully blind and unable to safely navigate life outside. Her devoted caretaker knew it was time for a change and reached out to Shadow Cats in April to give Suzy the support she needs.

Suzy is adjusting to her new life at the Sanctuary and learning her way around the Oasis room. Though navigating blindness is still new for her, she’s proving to be as resilient as ever. Lower your hand for a gentle pet, and Suzy will chirp sweetly in response. She’s even gotten brave enough to explore our catio!

It will take time for Suzy to fully settle in and reveal the depths of her personality, but what we already know is this: she’s a gentle little angel with so much love to give. All she needs is patience, understanding, and some TLC. Welcome home, Suzy. We love you already!

Suzy has 2 Sponsors

Wanda Moore

Elizabeth McGinnis

Hamilton

Meet Hamilton, affectionately known around here as Ham or Hammy.

Hamilton’s Shadow Cats journey began in early April 2025, when our Director received an urgent plea for help. A cat in Houston was struggling with multiple medical issues: chronic diarrhea, an ear infection, an upper respiratory infection, wounds of unknown origin, and severe irritation of the inguinal area. To put it plainly, he was in rough shape.

An elderly couple who had been feeding him reached out to The Cat Whisper Rescue for help in managing his condition. Sadly, further testing revealed that Hamilton was positive for both feline leukemia and FIV. With nowhere safe to go, Hamilton was confined to a cage in a shed outside the couple’s home, with a pending euthanasia appointment looming over him. When The Cat Whisper Rescue contacted us, we knew we couldn’t say no. And so, Hamilton made his way to Shadow Cats.

At first, Hamilton was unsure of his new digs. His protective instincts were strong, and he carried a bit of the wild with him. (We know. With his rugged looks, some of you might have wondered if we’d started accepting bobcats into our ranks!) But with time, patience, and love, Hamilton began to blossom.

Today, Hammy is a sweet little guy who enjoys pets (on his own terms, of course), loves to play, and even seems to appreciate cat TV like he was meant for the indoor life all along. He’s also a bit of a parkour enthusiast, always testing the limits of where he can go in Annex!

As for his name? Well, with his adorable corkscrew tail and mischievous personality, the ham puns practically wrote themselves. He’s our little honey-baked ham, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him here.

We can’t wait to see what mischief this sweet boy gets up to in his time at Shadow Cats. Welcome home, Hammy!

Hamilton has 2 Sponsors

Lucy Hamilton

Pam Lind

Thomas

In December of 2024, we were informed of a very difficult situation – a sweet cat, with basic needs unable to be met. Because of this situation, he was facing euthanasia. We stepped in, unable to let this happen, and he quickly found a home with us at Shadow Cats.

This sleek little panther earned the name Thomas, but we call him Tommy for short. He is still quite shy, but if you’re willing to sit down and spend a minute with him, he’s an angel.

He loves to be petted, and if you’re giving him good chin scritches, he’ll lean into your hand and seek you out if you stop. When he meows, his tongue sticks out. So cute! And already, for a patient person, he adores his time reclining in laps.

He may be an older guy, but he’s just precious. He’s a bit hesitant to interact with potential kitty friends at the moment, but we are so excited to see how this handsome guy’s personality blossoms as he settles into his new home.

Thomas has 2 Sponsors

Neena Reeve

Mary Landreth

Kibble

Here at Shadow Cats, our focus usually falls on cats that are abused, abandoned, have special needs, and are living a dangerous life on the streets. We don’t usually take kitties from other rescue organizations unless they are at risk of euthanasia, but exceptions are made sometimes. Kibble was that exception.

In November of 2023, Kibble arrived at Austin Pets Alive! He had a previous tail amputation that they had to fix, a neck wound, and a huge bladder. They are unsure of his prior history. With a lot of time, effort, medication, and a tremendous amount of love, they nursed this sweet bunny-butt angel back to health. Kibble and his little nub tail moved in, and he was all set up to be adopted, with one catch: he needed to have manual bladder expressions. No big deal, right?

Unfortunately for Kibble, it ended up being a bigger deal than anyone hoped. He waffled between being able to urinate and defecate on his own and needing expressions, and developed lesions in his bladder. So, it was hard to find him the perfect home with such unique medical complications. Kibble went to three different adopters with the bright-eyed hope that he’d find his forever home, but each time, he was returned.

It became glaringly clear that getting this kitty adopted, no matter how sweet, energetic, and incredible he was, was going to be difficult. So, APA reached out to Shadow Cats: where we welcome special cases like Kibble, and embrace them. We had some room and were touched by Kibbles’ story and how much effort APA had put in to find him the best outcome possible. So, we agreed to give Kibble that forever home he’d been hoping for!

In September of 2024, our Sanctuary Director drove to APA to pick him up and brought him home for good. Kibble is a very active boy; his previous tail injury and incontinence don’t stop him. To give him an outlet, we’ve placed a cat wheel in his isolation room. He’s already figured it out and loves to go on runs!

Kibble is a free spirit, a quick learner, and an absolute sweetheart. Our team is plenty used to bladder expression kitties after caring so diligently for Pawl & Crinkle Fry. Kibble will receive exemplary care, sunbathe on the catio, and have playmates ready for his rowdy energy when he moves. Maybe he can bunny-watch with Bruce, Crinkle Fry & Leo!

We feel so thankful to have Kibble among us and feel privileged to give him the soft place to land he’s always wanted, for forever this time.

Kibble has 5 Sponsors

Karen Smith

Jennifer Basham-Klijn

Allie Dono

Pam Lind

Rosalie Nicholls

Goji

In April of 2024, a sweet black cat found a family of cat lovers. He stopped by their home every morning and evening for a wet food treat for three weeks. They were able to get this little sweetheart and bring him to the vet, where he was fixed, vaccinated, and tested for feline leukemia and FIV due to his status as a stray. Unfortunately, he wound up testing positive for feline leukemia, a story we are all too familiar with here at Shadow Cats.

Their hearts broke since they had planned to keep this little panther but they knew that Goji deserved the world and worked tirelessly to find a place for him to go. Thankfully, we had the space to take this sweet boy, and he joined us at Shadow Cats in May of 2024! We kept his name, gifted by the people who rescued him, and we have collectively and quickly fallen in love with this sweet boy.

Goji is the sweetest little lovebug you’ll ever meet. He loves attention, loves a good belly rub, and loves to play! It was hard for us to get pictures of him because he was so playful and affectionate during his photoshoot, but the photos came out great anyway. Just look at those eyes! He’ll melt your heart (we know he melted ours). We’re so excited to see this boy’s personality shine and so excited to have the chance to give him a belly rub, or two…or three!

Welcome home, Goji!

Goji has 2 Sponsors

Christopher Biggins

Patricia Heltke

Delilah

In March of 2024, a sweet little kitten was found hiding in the bushes outside of a home. The residents couldn’t resist her sweet face and took her in, set on getting her veterinary care and a forever home! When taking her to the vet, the usual surprise happened that ends up happening with a lot of Shadow Cats…Delilah tested positive for feline leukemia. Still, they tirelessly searched for a home for this precious girl, but none could accommodate her condition. That’s why they reached out to us!

So to Shadow Cats Delilah came, and what a lover she is. She chirps at you, and isn’t shy about crying out for attention if yours is focused elsewhere! And when you stop to love on her, this sweet girl will make endless biscuits and even roll over on her back for a tummy rub. She is absolutely darling and has the most beautiful green eyes. She hasn’t decided how she feels about other kitties yet, but we will give this sweet angel all the time she needs to acclimate successfully. Welcome home, Delilah!

Delilah has 4 Sponsors

Lana Stone

Terri Torko

Sallie Newell

Jeni Johnson

Dottie

In March of 2024, Shadow Cats was contacted by a volunteer from Rainbow Journey Sanctuary. She informed us of a sad situation that resulted in a very uncertain future for the kitties at their Sanctuary, and we were happy to help! We took on three kitties from Rainbow Journey Sanctuary, and have been working towards getting them as comfy as possible in their new homes. One of those kitties is Dottie!

Dottie has a condition called Eosiniphilic Granuloma Complex where small plaques form in her mouth. We currently do not know what triggers this condition, but research suggests it could be tied to allergies. Thankfully, the condition is easily managed, though it gives her mouth a slightly puffy appearance. We think it just adds to her cuteness! And boy, is she cute! Dottie loves people, loves affection, and on her last day of isolation decided it was time to join Oasis and climbed right over the baby gate and into the living room! She walked around the room like she’s lived here for years, and we already love her like that’s the case!

Dottie has 3 Sponsors

Pam Lind

Shirley Johson

Marian Mitchell

Marshall

Montgomery County Animal Shelter in Texas acquired the sweetest boy in March of 2024. With the most beautiful eyes, a steely grey coat, and the propensity for biscuit making, Marshall stole the hearts of his rescuers. He loved to snuggle so much that they were sure he’d find a home and fast, but unfortunately, sweet Marshall tested positive for both FELV and FIV, leaving his options limited.

Shadow Cats was sent the sweetest images of Marshall being cradled like a baby and loving every moment of it. We had the space, and how could we turn down this precious boy and those big, sweet eyes? Marshall joined us at the end of March, and while he was a bit timid at first, nothing brought him out of his shell quite like a good scritch and a loving pet. He seems to love love and has a lot to give, always happy to find a lap to make biscuits on. Though his future became uncertain for a time, we’re so thrilled to have Marshall with us now, where he can live comfortably and always know a warm lap. We’re excited to get to know this sweet boy more as his personality unfurls when he joins the ranks of Cookie’s Annex.

Marshall has 2 Sponsors

Angie Noelle

David Newell

Crinkle Fry

In March of 2024, a woman who had been feeding a sweet community cat reached out to us. She told us that he had been coming to her backyard for two years, having been abandoned by his previous owner as a kitten. The normal routine of feeding and socialization was broken up though when this sweet kitty was found with a grievous injury and had to be rushed to the emergency vet. He received lifesaving care and was left in APA’s capable hands.

APA works tirelessly to give homeless kitties a place to call their own, and the newly minted Crinkle Fry was in need. Shadow Cats had the space and plenty of experience with incontinent cats that require bladder expressions. We didn’t have the heart to change his precious name, it suits him so much! This sweet, goofy boy loves attention, is extremely chatty, and doesn’t seem to have a care in the world related to his tail-pull injury. He now calls Shadow Cats his home, and we’re ecstatic to watch this sweet boy grow and recover.

Crinkle Fry has 1 Sponsors

Peggy Willenberg