This gorgeous domestic shorthair "Mackerel" tabby boy with big chubby tom cat cheeks doesn't know about all the goodness there is in the world. Tyson is a big scaredy cat, and we do mean big and scared. He hisses and swats whenever we come near and he doesn't like other cats very much either. Tyson's adopter will need to be comfortable putting a lot of time and effort into making him feel safe and comfortable. Tyson would thrive in a quiet home with a low activity level and lots of nooks and crannies for him to decompress in.
Tyson absolutely LOVES other cats and will snuggle with anyone. He is the protective big brother every cat deserves. Tyson would thrive in a home with other cats.
Check back soon to see if Tyson starts to open up to us - we are working hard to show him all the love and affection he deserves but he will only develop at the pace he is comfortable with.
Tyson has started allowing us to walk by him and sometimes sit near him without reacting, and he will take treats if we place them in front of him. He is making good progress!
Tyson is FIV+. This does not affect his day-to-day health but means he is immunocompromised and is more likely to get sick and have complications from illness. FIV can be spread through deep bites so he would do best in a home with either an another FIV+ cat, no cats or a calm and submissive cat that won't pick fights with him. He is very gentle with other cats but will finish a fight if one is started. His future adopter must be prepared for an elevated level of medical care for him later in life as well as possibly separating him from other cats in the home when they can't be supervised to ensure no bites ever occur.
Update: We have progressed to petting Tyson while wearing a glove with feathers hot-glued to the fingers. He will tentatively eat a treat out of your hand, but we still aren't able to pet him.
