At first he slunk around, making furtive dashes and peering down from the cat tree. Gradually he relaxed, began to play, and discovered catnip! For the next year, Sage worked as hard as we did. It was both endearing and heartbreaking to see the conflict in his face, between the instinct to bolt and the possibility of trusting us. I bribed him shamelessly with treats.

The turning point came after 14 months. Returning from vacation, we were greeted by an overjoyed Sage, who following us around chirping for days. And then, he let me pet him!

Although not a lap cat yet, he loves to be petted, sprawling on the floor, purring and kneading, pushing into my hand. The patience is easy. Seeing the efforts he makes to overcome his fear, it's impossible not to fall in love with him! Sage fits perfectly here; there's no doubt in our minds that he was only waiting at Happy Tails for us to finally find him!