December 29th, 2025
Trust Takes Time
This year, SAFe’s community grew in a meaningful way when we merged with Hidden Gem Cat Rescue. Along with welcoming new cats, we also gained a dedicated network of foster families – including Missi’s!
Missi entered Hidden Gem’s foster program back in January. At the time, she was fearful of humans and spent most of her days hiding. It took months before she felt safe enough to stop retreating and allow her foster family to interact with her.
With patience and consistency, Missi slowly began to trust. The cat who once fled from people became “extremely sweet, snuggly, and talkative,” according to her foster family.
She’s Putting Her Best Paw Forward
By the time Hidden Gem officially became part of SAFe Rescue, Missi had been in foster care for more than ten months!
When she was ready, our Adoptions Team partnered closely with her foster family to coordinate meet-and-greets. While she had made tremendous progress socially, honoring her boundaries during introductions allowed her to be her most authentic (and adorable) self.
Healing looks different for every cat – and together, we meet them where they’re at
Settled, Safe, & Loved
Today, Missi has a loving home of her own! Within days of adoption, she was napping on her adopters’ laps and exploring their newly installed kitty wall climbers – a complete 180 from the timid cat she once was!
Stories like Missi’s are made possible by fosters willing to put in the time, patience, and care behavioral cats need to thrive. With Hidden Gem now part of SAFe, that foster community has grown even stronger.
As we look ahead to a new year, we’re excited to continue helping cats come out of their shells and discover the love waiting for them.
