Three years ago, Sa’Haara B.’s partner adopted Winona, a 17-year-old cat from the ASPCA – ultimately swaying Sa’Haara from a dog person to a cat person.

“She was the cat that got into my heart and made me want a cat for myself,” said Sa’Haara.

Winona sadly crossed the rainbow bridge at age 20, but her memory stayed with Sa’Haara, who now has a fondness for cats and felt ready to adopt her own.

“For all of 2024, I was like, ‘I want to get a cat.’ But I wanted to wait until I wasn’t travelling as much and would actually be home for the cat to get used to me,” explained Sa’Haara. “I told myself that in 2025 I would get a cat. I went home for the holidays and came home on January 1, and on January 2, I went to the ASPCA and adopted a cat.”

Prior to heading to our Adoption Center in New York City, Sa’Haara did some research on our website and went in with a couple of cats in mind, including Hazel.

“Hazel, thankfully, was still there on the day that I went,” said Sa’Haara.

Hazel, a 7-year-old calico cat, was brought to the ASPCA in November 2023 from an overcrowded home where she did not have much interaction with humans. Due to this, she was quite shy, and during her time with us, Hazel went between the shelter and foster care for over a year, often overlooked by potential adopters.

“She had a lot of interest in people adopting her at first because she’s adorable — they told me she has ‘pretty privilege’ which I think is true,” Sa’Haara told us. “But, she does have a couple of health issues and some of the potential adopters would hear about them and be scared off by that.”

While in our care, Hazel was diagnosed with both IBS and early onset kidney disease. Thankfully, both conditions can be easily managed with a strict diet and  plenty of water – Hazel just needed the right adopter who was willing to make sure she had everything she needed. As Sa’Haara toured the Adoption Center with one of our Admissions & Placement Specialists, Hazel was the first cat she met. 

“I had woken Hazel up from a nap to interact with her, so I was a little worried she’d be annoyed with me,” remembered Sa’Haara, “but she came out and I bribed her a little bit with Churu, and she sniffed me and everything.”

After spending some time with Hazel, Sa’Haara went on to meet a few other available cats, but none of the interactions felt the same as her initial contact with Hazel.

“I was like, ‘Okay, she’s the one.’ I decided to go back and see if she was ready to be taken home,” said Sa’Haara. “I could tell that her personality was in there and ready to come out, it would just take a little bit of time and I’m okay with that. I think I’m a pretty patient person, so I was ready to go at Hazel’s pace. She may be a little bit different, but I think I’m really prepared to take good care of her.”

Sa’Haara brought Hazel home that very same day.

Getting to Know Each Other

Knowing Hazel’s history, Sa’Haara was prepared to keep Hazel confined in her bathroom for a week or so to allow her plenty of time to slowly adjust to her new home. However, as soon as she put the carrier down, Hazel immediately hopped out and started sniffing everything.

Since then, she’s been getting increasingly more comfortable around Sa’Haara and is starting to let her personality shine through.

“She likes to play a lot, which I wasn’t expecting for her to want to do so quickly,” explained Sa’Haara. “She has a wand toy and laser pointer that she loves — and treats are a great way to get a shy cat to bond with you! She loves to explore and is a very inquisitive cat and I really like that about her. I come home from work, we have our little playtime, and I get my pets in and when she’s decided she’s had enough she will go to her favorite hiding spot.”

She adds, “I’m very surprised at how quickly she’s adjusted. It was around the three-week mark that she really started to come out of her shell.”

Sa’Haara describes Hazel’s personality as “nosy but very scared to be nosy,” often finding her sneaking around, but if caught, Hazel will freeze and run to her favorite hiding spot. She also gets the zoomies at nighttime and runs around the apartment the moment the lights are shut off.

“She’s a little vain, too, which I think is cute,” Sa’Haara joked. “She looks at herself in the mirror like all the time. I find that really adorable. Back to the pretty privilege of it all, she knows she’s cute.”

Once while getting ready to go out, Sa’Haara put on some music and when a song by Adele came on, she was shocked to see how much Hazel liked it.

“Hazel was under the bed, and she came out and was like, ‘What’s that sound?’ I don’t know what it is but when I put Adele on, she is so intrigued and will immediately come out and sit in front of the TV and watch the screen.”

A true pop princess, Hazel also enjoys Harry Styles and even uses the feather boa Sa’Haara got at his concert as a toy.

When it comes to shy cats, Sa’Haara wants to remind adopters to ask plenty of questions and not feel like it’s their fault when their cat is shy or doesn’t want to come out of their hiding place right away. Sometimes, they just need some time and space to open up! 

Though it’s only been two months since they were brought together, Sa’Haara is looking forward to Hazel becoming even more comfortable around her and other people. She’s also excited to see what antics Hazel will get into as she continues to come out of her shell. 

“Hazel has changed my life for the better in the short time I’ve had her,” said Sa’Haara. “She makes me excited to come home from work every day and see her and play with her. She brings such a smile to my face every time, she’s so adorable! She is very spoiled — once a week I’m buying something new for her. I love finding out new things about her and I hope she is really starting to enjoy her home here with me as well.”