I totally agree with what a lot of people have said, i have a 3yr old balck and white female who is so shy but incredibly loving (to me). It took me a whole year to actually be able to stroke her. She still runs and hides when she hears any noises! Love and patience is the key.

She is my most loving cat and im so glad i have her

She is so pretty. She looks like she has so much love to give but unsure of who to give it to. If you do decide she is the one for you we shall expect lots of updates!

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Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving

Hey Hun,

Can see your dilemma... but if Maya is the one that is constantly in your thoughts then I think your heart has made your decision for you. It won't be an easy road to go down but I'm sure that with a lot of hard work Maya could become a loving and affectionate cat with you... she may alwasy be a little wary of strangers and visitors but given her own space to hide away in she would feel secure.
If she was taken away from Mum too young she may not have had chance to interact and develop her "kitten" skills to become an outgoing and lovable and playful girl..... she may be trying to do this on her own and need a little loving help.
If you are going to take her on make sure you have the time to give to her help and please keep posting on this forum as there's no end of us on here that can offer advice or even just support if you've had a rough day. Sounds like the other cats would find a home no problem but poor maya is going to struggle! Go with your instinct and if she's the one run down there and get her! I think put in your place I'd be toying over the same decision... I'd just want to bring them all home!

Good luck

Ems x

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Totally agree, Id say Maya is the one, when we narrowed our one down to two cats, we went to see the second cat and as we were walking, all we could hear was howling yep, jet was shouting come back to us

I love black and white cats, our lilly is as well, and its right about the white whiskers thet are soooo cute

Maya looks an absolutely gorgeous cat, who will pay you back tenfold

Clare x

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One day i'll learn where the spellcheck is on my phone, so sorry for any mistakes

If it were me I would be asking myself what kind of relationship I wanted with my new cat and how much time I wanted to put in, before making my decision.

Do you want an easy cat that will settle into your life straight away?
Do you want a cat that has the same easy outlook of life like Cartman did?
Do you have time for a cat that will require a little more work to feel safe in its new home?

Remember Maya may not have come to you simply because she is a bit depressed at being in the shelter for so long. Once she is out of there she may be completely different. But you should be prepared for the fact she may always be cautious and a bit distant. How would you feel if this were the case. Would you love her any less? Would it be enough for you if you knew she was secure, well fed and healthy, even when you got no reward back for it? (worst case scenario)

Sometimes folks say cats choose people (mine did!), but I can imagine after being in a shelter all the time it doesn't always work that way. How many potential owners looked at Maya and then walked away. She must be thinking why should she make an effort as it is going unrewarded.

Only you can make the decision as you know your lifestyle and what you can offer, and what you desire. Guilt from other people/rescue/yourself is not the right reason for the choice as it will make neither you nor Maya happy.

Good luck in whatever you choose, as I think you will make the perfect decision. The fact you are considering all the options before making any decision already shows how much you care x

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Hi everyone – thank you for all of your replies– it has helped a lot.

So I have called the shelter this afternoon and told them Maya has a home. I am going to pick her up next week – I need to organize a room for her first and buy all the cat things an indoor cat needs.

I asked the very excited shelter lady about getting another cat – she recommend that I don't get one right now. Her reason being that Maya would just connect with the other cat and not me. She said Maya is well trained in cat behavior but needs to learn to trust humans. She also said that if Maya still have not open up to me after a month we could try and see if an other cat would help.

I asked her a little more about Maya's past – apparently she came in as a young kitten with 3 of her siblings and her mother - so she has been with her mother for 12 weeks. I guess that is a good sign. The shelter lady seems very positive that Maya can be a happy cat she just needs a patient caretaker.

So now I have a lot of research to do – indoor cats seems to be a little more complicated than the outdoor. I also need to figure out the raw diet thing. So I will diffidently keep asking all of you experienced cats owners for advise, and of course I will update and provide pictures. I think I have made the right decision – it feels right

She is absolutely beautiful and I wish you many happy years together.

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

I'm excited for Maya I'm a total novice but I can see Feliway is really helping with Biffy's nervousness, didn't kick in till day 3/4 though.

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The shelter lady also said that she thinks that Feliway will help with Maya. I have never heard about it - does anyone know what it is made of? Is it natural and safe? I am a little neurotic about giving her cancer...

Yay congrats! You will probably find in the beginning that she will prefer to hide under the bed or in some other little hidey-hole. A tip is to sit there calmly and read out loud, so she gets used to the sound of your voice. Also try interacting with her with treats and toys once she is coming out!

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Mummy to;

Sooty 9.6.1996 - 28.04.2011 Rest in peace my love!
Storm (Sueragdandy Phantom) 28.02.2010
Benji (Kassaro Benjamin Franklyn) 08.03.2011