'Timid' Lulu: Huntington Adoptable Pet Of The Week

HUNTINGTON, NY — Lulu, a 3-and-a-half-year-old brown tiger with yellow eyes as big as saucers, is the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter's Huntington Pet of the Week.

Lulu arrived at the shelter in April 2023 with two of her siblings, said Debbi Larkin, president of the shelter. She has been at the shelter for 1-and-a-half years and is "constantly overlooked" when people enter the room, according to Larkin. Larkin believes that Lulu's age is not what people are looking for when they go to a shelter.

"Everyone wants the kittens," Larkin said.

Lulu was rescued from a situation where the owner was trying to do the right thing by "saving her from whatever bad things had happened to her," Larkin said, though she said she still does not know the whole story.

"But, in trying to help her and many others, Lulu found herself living in a single bedroom with
15+ other cats and kittens," Larkin said. "She and her siblings were immediately checked by our in-house vet because all three of them were extremely thin and frightened. After giving them a good health check, it was determined that there just wasn’t enough food to go around for all
and that is why they were so thin. That quickly changed once they were all placed in the kitten room at the shelter."

Lulu was the most timid of all three, according to Larkin. Lulu was totally confused by what was
happening. She started to hide under the cubbies and the blankets while her siblings were out and about making friends in the kitten room.

"We kept her in that room for about three months, but because she was older than the others, she was frightened of the kittens in that room and all of the chaos they can cause, so we moved her and one of her siblings into a room that was fairly quiet," Larkin said.

Lulu settled in with her sibling, Tommi, but prefers to just watch all of the action perched on top of one of the cat condos, Larkin said. She will interact with certain visitors and socializers for occasional head rubs or scratches, but Larkin and her team think she is just waiting for "her people" to arrive. People can sometimes catch her playing with some of the toy mice or the
springs in the room by herself, but once she realizes someone is trying to take her picture or play with her, she will run and hide.

"Lulu needs a very patient and understanding owner who will not rush her or force her to be a cuddly cat because, unfortunately, that is not what she is about," Larkin said. "And her interaction with you is always on her terms. Whatever trauma she endured before coming to us is still
affecting her. She doesn’t really trust anyone and that is very sad."

Lulu has tested negative for FELV and FIV, negative for parasites, had her ears and heart checked, is litter box trained and spayed.

"She has a very good appetite and is always looking out the door waiting patiently for the food tray," Larkin said. "Sometimes, treats will work to entice her, but you have to place them in front of her as she will not eat out your hand, yet."

If you are interested in meeting Lulu, you may call the shelter at 631-757-4517, email cats@laphuntington.org, visit the Facebook page or visit at the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter.

The rescue is at 3 Verleye Ave., East Northport, and visiting hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

The shelter is also open from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday nights only for those who cannot make it during the daytime hours.

"Please come in and meet this beautiful girl and don’t let her shyness deter you from taking her home and showing her that not all humans are mean," Larkin said. "She needs to have a nice quiet, loving home and we would love to see that happen for the holidays. Everyone loves to be with their families at this time of year and Lulu and the other cats are no different, they are just waiting for the right family to come along."