🙀 Would Arlo Always Be Shy?

“It was my first time living alone, and he was my companion during that time. That’s really when I felt the bond form, you know, the one you hear people talk about having with their own pets. I finally had that.

Arlo is my soul cat."

Growing up on a large property with lots of pets, Vanessa was always surrounded by furry, (mostly) lovable creatures.

As part of the local 4-H club, she raised turkeys and rabbits and showed them at the local county fair. Nala was arguably her favorite, and would even walk on a leash! Or at least, she’d tolerate it.

Then, there was Smokey, the adorable feral kitten who was given to her by her parents.

But there was a slight problem. Smokey was a little mean, often hunting and chasing her around the house. Vanessa never really felt that comfortable around him, and she didn’t feel she could connect with him.

It wasn’t until about 5 years ago when she finally felt that bond she had always dreamed about.

During a time in which she was living without any pets, a trip to the shelter “just to get her pet fix” turned into welcoming a new cat into her life.

Arlo was the first pet who she truly felt was hers.

From timid to playful: Arlo’s transformation

Arlo’s one of those shy cats that would rather hide than greet new people.

When Vanessa walked into the cat kennel at the shelter, she was bombarded with cats running up to their doors, begging for attention… But Arlo sat tucked away into the back corner of his little cage.

Something clicked when she saw him. She asked if she could meet Arlo somewhere quieter.

“They brought him out and he just jumped right up on the chair next to me and hid behind me. At that moment, I’m like, ‘Okay, well, now I have to protect you. You’re obviously scared of the world, but you feel safe with me.

Now, you can stay with me forever.’”

After taking him home, it took a while for him to warm up.

But once he felt safe, the first time he came out from under the bed turned into one of Vanessa’s most memorable moments.

“He just came up to me and laid down, exposed his belly, and started purring. It was a very dramatic shift. It went from hiding under the bed to ‘alright, you’re good. You’re feeding me. I feel safe here.’ It’s like something just switched in his brain.”

Now, Arlo’s true personality really comes through. He’s more outgoing than what Vanessa expected. He’s playful, energetic, and has truly come out of his shell.

The center of his mom’s world

When it comes to Arlo’s day-to-day life, he’s well taken care of. He has an apartment to live in that was designed with his needs in mind.

“This place is Arlo’s whole life, more or less. I wanted to make sure it was fun for him, and that he had places to hide or things to climb on.”

It may not fit the “vibe” of everything else, but a big cat tower and cat toys everywhere ensures he’s always got something to do.

At some point in the future, she’d also love to provide him with a catio. “He loves watching birds from the window. I’d love to give him access to that and expand his world.”

Vanessa also made some design decisions for herself. She created a whole gallery wall to highlight the love she has for her cat. “It’s just black and white pictures of Arlo. It’s very moody… very over the top.”

After a little bit of time, someone else came into the picture as well. When she and her fiancé had their first date, he laid down some pretty serious news: he was allergic to cats.

Fast forward… he’s since gotten allergy shots so he could live comfortably around Arlo. He’s also talked about wanting to get a cat tattoo 😻

Arlo did a great job helping him embrace his inner crazy pet parent too, it seems!

A life full of Arlo’s loving gestures

“Every morning, we have our routine. I’ll sit on the couch with my coffee and read a book. He’ll come and jump on my lap and just purr away.”

Routines like this have helped Arlo feel safe over time, showing the more typical signs of love too like running up to Vanessa as she walks in the door, rubbing on her legs, and purring when he’s content.

But with time, he also seems to have found his voice.

When Vanessa walks into the room and sees him laying on the bed, she’ll say, “Oh, hi Arlo!” and he’ll meow in response.

Other times, she sees him walking by and says something like, “Hey, what are you doing?” and he’ll look at her, meow, and just keep walking.

“I feel like he’s really learned how to talk back and express his love in that way too.”

The challenges of pet parenthood

Since Arlo is a shy boy, taking vacations or trips away from home can be tricky for Vanessa. He gets lonely but he’s also scared, so it’s hard to help him feel comfortable while she’s away.

“I try to get the same cat sitter every time. I think if he’s cared for by the same person consistently, he’ll start to come out and won’t be as scared.”

Finding a place to live has also proven to be difficult at times, with many options either prohibiting pets or charging a hefty fee to have them.

It adds another layer of things to consider when moving, but many pet parents wouldn’t change a thing.

“It makes it a little challenging but he’s worth it, for sure!”

Pets changed Vanessa’s life

When you’re around pets for so much of your life, it only seems natural that they end up shaping who you become.

“Pets have led me to be more compassionate. They’re all different species with different needs, and I feel like that carries over into other aspects of life as well.”

Arlo also provided Vanessa with something we usually only feel from our pets, especially when we’re really connected with them.

“He is my companion. It would be very lonely to not have that source of unconditional love.

I feel that pets are really one of the main things you can get that true unconditional love from.”

How can we show up better for our pets?

Nowadays, the options are virtually endless for how we can provide our pets with a better, more fulfilling life.

Some of Vanessa’s priorities really put Arlo’s health and well-being first, both now and in the future.

First of all, she decided to get pet insurance. That wasn’t something she and her family had thought about with her childhood pets, but it was a priority for Arlo. Unexpected health issues can be costly, but pet insurance really helps.

“I want him to be cared for, and I feel like having that extra security is obviously the best way to do that.”

Something else she didn’t always consider as a child but has learned more now as a pet parent is that pets really do need mental stimulation!

“It can be easy to ignore that part of pet care and think, oh, they’re just there, all they need is food, clean water… But if they’re only inside, they don’t have a ton of external stimulation unless you’re providing it to them.”

Securing Arlo’s well-being

She also decided to create a Cotl plan for Arlo so there’s a clear plan in place for who will care for Arlo should something ever happen to her.

“There's no guarantees in life, and you never know what will happen. And because Arlo is such an important part of my life, I want to make sure that in the off chance that something happens to me, he will be cared for.

The best way to do that is to have obviously a very set, clear plan outlined for whoever is going to take over his care.

I want to make sure he’ll still be loved.”

Cotl provides that stability and love for pets when their primary owners are no longer able to provide.

And like Vanessa did for Arlo, you can put a plan in place for your pet too. It’s super easy to set up and it ensures your pet will be safe and cared for, no matter what.