What in the ‘Tortitude’ Is This Adoptable Cat Still Doing in Foster Care?
Published December 31, 2025, by guest blogger Grappa the Cat
Who’s orange and black and caramel all over? OK, yes, yours truly. … But PETA already found me a purrmanent home! So if you feel like you missed out on adopting me myself and I, or Marmalade (my summertime tortie in training), I have good mews:
There’s a new brindle beauty in town, and she’s looking for a supurrb family to call her own.
When my human and her fellow Community Animal Project fieldworkers first met the teen kitten, it was in rural northeastern North Carolina, where PETA’s rescue team answers endless calls for animals in desperate need. This call came from a well-intentioned resident who—after beginning to feed the free-roaming cats on his property—had become overwhelmed. My guardian picked up and transported several cats to one of PETA’s mobile clinics, where they were spayed or neutered and received additional veterinary care.
Among the kitty crew was the dark tortoiseshell gal, who was a little worse fur wear: The tip of her tail was broken, with exposed bone and necrotic tissue, requiring amputation. So, while fieldworkers reunited her owner with a few now-fixed cats whom he declined to surrender …
… my human pushed for PETA to gain custody of the short-tailed babe. Knowing he couldn’t commit to recovering the special-needs girl indoors and with supervision, the cats’ owner was purrsuaded to bid the tween tortie adieu.
Just like yours truly (Grappa!) and my predecessor, Brandi, once cozy in our foster home, this ginger-and-black belle was dubbed Rakia—an homage to the BP oil spill survivor and PETA’s very own tortie ambassador herself. In the very same guestroom that I once occupied as a “foster” (as if), Rakia was finally safe from the horrific fates that await most outdoor cats. And just like her cognac-colored forerunners (humble brag incoming …), the demure dame proved to be someone extra special.
Prior to her room 16 stint, Rakia was quite the shy Sheila—some might’ve even called her unsocial. Which is why my humans gave her ample time to herself—to decompress, to adjust, and to recognize that she was safe and loved. With a little time, a lot of patience, and all the respect and autonomy possible, Rakia’s fun-loving personality began to shine through. Because a move to a permanent home would be another major adjustment for this shy but sweet bébé chat, Rakia’s adopter will need to be very cat-savvy. Any prospective applicants should also be aware of Rakia’s strong tastes, like how she prefers her toys wanded …
… and her tube treats from the tips of her humans’ fingers …
… and her crystals charged …
… and her toys wanded …
… and her photos bombed …
… and her hierarchy placement high …
… and her humans to *work from home.
While Rakia is now a wand toy black belt and a litterbox pro (not to mention Ezekiel’s latest crush) and she has come so far since her initial foster days of hiding under the bed, with hissing being her main form of communication (I had never really thought to sleep between my humans’ legs or curl up on their lap during a movie night until I saw this girl do it), she could experience a behavioral backslide when moving to her new, true furever home. That is to say, she would not be an ideal cat companion for a first-time cat guardian. She will also require at least one confident feline friend to share her new home with. (While her current foster digs include two canine companions, TBH, she confided in me that she could take or leave a dog roomie.)
My New Year’s Resolution? To Lose 5 Pounds!
Rakia is roughly 7 months old. She’s spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated, and her tail is nearly fully healed. If you’re prepared to help me shed a few pounds (5.7 to be exact), I’m prepared to break out the rakia and toast to you becoming this deserving girl’s adopter! And CAP fieldworkers are prepared to chauffeur Rakia all the way to her adopter’s home, so long as it’s somewhere along the East Coast. Click below to email [email protected] and inquire about applying:
