[Editor's note: The following column was submitted by Lots of Love Cat Rescue.]

Shelly is a tabby/bengal mix with sweet golde-colored eyes and an endearing personality that will win you over when you meet her. She is about 10 months old, a short-haired girl with chocolate and black tiger stripes, white bib and matching white paws.

She was born on the streets and during the winter, a kind soul spotted two kittens scrounging around in the back of an office building. After many phone calls, she was able to find someone that would trap, neuter and then release, since they were feral. However, once the release part came up, to turn them over to a hard life on the streets, she couldn’t do it as she looked into their frightened, innocent kitten eyes. Since they were so thin, she knew most likely there was nobody to at least take care of feeding them. She contacted Lots of Love Cat Rescue and asked if we could help by devoting time working with them and offering them their only chance of being domesticated.

We moved cats around in our foster homes to make room for these girls. They came in so incredibly frightened, but now they are living in a home and confronted with people who were so foreign to them, like being snatched up and living on another planet. With tons of hours invested, each day we saw positive changes. Shelly’s sister turned around faster and has found her forever home.  

Now it’s Shelly’s turn. She is working hard on her manners with strangers. Right now she gets shy until she knows you and we think she will improve as she has more opportunities to meet people. Everything is on her terms though. She is very easy going around cats and kittens and she enjoys being friends with dogs as well. Shelly would like to have more practice with being picked up and patted - she doesn't seem to mind being brushed so we predict she will improve. She will also need time adjusting to living in a home with many rooms to roam and all the different sounds that come with living with people.  

Because Shelly was rescued as a stray, she is used to being independent and now that she doesn’t have to live a life focused purely on survival, she has learned how to play and can keep herself entertained. She absolutely adores when her foster mom engages in play, as she comes alive when the cat wands come out. 

Shelly is a happy girl with a good purr but never overbearing or boisterous. Her favorite spot is sitting beside the computer as her foster mom works, gazing out the window, chirping softly at the birds. She has a good appetite and is litter box trained.  

She would make a great addition to any family with other animals or is happy being independent. Lots of Love Cat Rescue will always be there for you, offering advice on how to get her to overcome her shyness, with every "pawsitive" step of the way. This young beauty with pretty eyes is too sweet to over look.

For an adoption application or to see our other adoptable kittens and cats, visit the Lots of Love Cat Rescue website, email LOL_CR@hotmail.com or call 781-850-6684. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online, or mail Lots Of Love Cat Rescue, P.O. Box 396, Wilmington, MA, 01887.