“Feral” Barn Buddy to Feline Supermodel
Shazam! The “feral” barn cat turned supermodel!
We adopted Shazam! through PAW’s Barn Buddies program for cats deemed feral or unadoptable due to temperament. When the animal care attendant brought Shazam! out to us in the carrier, he described him as “spicy!”. He didn’t let a peep out the whole drive home, and looked pretty calm in the carrier when I brought him into the barn, so I let him out. With 3 great leaps, he was across the room and up in the rafters.
For the next couple of months, his food disappeared, and he used the litter box, but we only saw him on motion sensor cameras and occasionally caught a glimpse of him glaring at us from behind some boxes on a high shelf. It was January, so it was easy to keep him confined to the barn; the chickens had a separate door to go in and out of their coop, and he didn’t have access to it.
As the weather started to warm up, I began spending more time out in the barn area, trying to befriend him. He didn’t want to come near me, but couldn’t resist treats and toys - especially Cat Games on the iPad. I would put it at my feet with the mouse running around and squeaking on the screen, and he couldn’t help himself. Soon, I was able to touch him, and within a few weeks, he began seeking attention. Even so, it was August before I could pick him up, and over a year before he was willing to come into the main house.
My sweet boi 🥰
Fast forward 4.5 years, and he is now the most affectionate, sweet cat ever! He loves to sleep with us and gives hugs. If I go outside, he will run to me, and if I don’t pick him up immediately, he will try to climb my leg! He follows us on dog walks and loves to taunt the dogs by running ahead and jumping up in a tree, only to jump down on the path right next to them as they approach. The dogs do not like it when he does that, but he thinks it’s very funny.
Recently, I was contacted by Dog Bites, a local pet treats company in Salisbury, NB. They were looking for some marketing images for their new line of Cat Cravings treats. I know how tough it can be working with cat models, especially if you try to take them to a different location that they aren’t used to - that’s why I normally do cat sessions in their own homes. As we discussed what they wanted, we determined that our best bet was to use Shazam! as a model so that I could work on his cat schedule and in his familiar environment. Bonus that he is such a handsome and cool-looking cat, with his different coloured eyes (heterochromia).
What says “Atlantic Canada” more than lupines? (Ok, probably lighthouses and lobsters, but I think lupines make the list!). I thought it would be fun for an NB brand to include some of that local colour!
Dog Bites and Cat Cravings treats are freeze dried treats in a variety of flavours. The cat treats are exactly the same as the dog treats, just in smaller pieces, which also makes them perfect for our tiny dogs and to use during small dog sessions.
The Dog Bites and Cat Cravings team with their trade show display featuring Shazam! (Photo shared with permission, courtesy of @dogbitestreats on Instagram.)
Some alternate images of Shazam interacting with the treats.
Maybe it’s wrong to find this funny, but if so, then I’m ok with being wrong 🤣. We even got the cows on the pasture across the road to help out! When I saw this beautiful sunset starting, out the window, I ran outside with the treats, hoping maybe to get the cows in the distance. It turned out they were very curious about what we were doing, and were much more cooperative models than Shazam! Not pictured: the 17 million mosquito bites I got during this impromptu photo shoot.
