A cat came out of one of the toughest colonies in Queens, New York, and once she was safe indoors, she did something her foster had never seen any cat do before: she taught herself to switch on her own spinning toy.
PotatoCredit: Little Wanderers NYC
Potato is one of The Little Wanderers NYC's recent rescues, and her path to safety came down to a single moment of compassion. A trapper had first planned to trap, neuter, and return (TNR) her to her colony, and one ear was tipped to mark her for that life outdoors.
That plan held until one volunteer paid closer attention. "A volunteer, Nora, stepped up and said she's too friendly and she deserves a life inside," Tatiana, her foster, shared with LoveMeow. That single decision changed the course of Potato's life.
The place Potato came from was a hard beginning. She was pulled from one of the toughest colonies in Queens, where the cats were treated as little more than mousers, left to keep breeding without spaying or neutering and without the care they needed.
You know where to find me. Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
Safe indoors at last, Potato needed only a little time to trust her new world, and her patient caregivers gave her exactly that. Before long she had settled in completely, stretching out and relaxing as though she had lived there all along.
Then her personality began to show, and what a personality it is. Potato turned out to be one of the cleverest cats her foster has ever known, and the proof is her circling toy, which she starts herself with a press of the button in the center.
Potato switching on her spinning toy all by herself. Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
"She knows how to start the circling toy, first cat ever to figure it out," Tatiana exclaimed. And Potato does not stop at switching it on.
"Yesterday she dragged this toy by her mouth all the way through the hall to her room. I guess she wanted to play alone," Tatiana added. This is a cat who knows exactly what she wants, and she has the wits to make it happen.
Sharing is not an option.Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
That same toy is one Potato guards with comic seriousness, keeping a watchful paw on it so none of her housemates wander off with her prize. "She is absolutely hilarious," her foster said. At around nine to ten months old, Potato is playful, sweet, and endlessly affectionate, the kind of cat who greets everyone with an open heart.
She soaks up every bit of attention she is offered and hands it right back, folding herself into a lap or a conversation as though she has been part of the family for years.
Potato and her buddy.Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
"Potato loves people, gets along beautifully with other cats, and happily cuddles up with both young playful friends and even senior kitties," Tatiana shared. In a full house, she is the one who puts everyone at ease.
By now she is fully ready for the next chapter. Potato has been spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, and cleared on her health screening, so she carries a clean bill of health into whatever comes next.
Potato Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
The camera clearly loves her, and her foster has leaned into it, photographing Potato poking her head out of a little cardboard house and lounging beneath signs made just for her. She plays along with every bit of it.
With her bold swirls and stripes, Potato looks almost like a small Bengal, and she carries herself with the easy confidence to match.
Nice and warm. Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
Little Wanderers NYC is handling her search for a home, and the rescue also offers a foster-to-adopt option, placing its cats with families across several states. For a clever, cuddly, one-of-a-kind cat, that net is cast wide.
Whoever meets her will get a cat who taught herself to run her own toy, hauls it to her favorite room, and then guards it like treasure, all while handing out affection to each person and cat she meets.
I'm just a couch Potato.Credit: Little Wanderers NYC
Not long ago, Potato was marked for a life back on the streets, one ear already tipped. Today she is stretched out in her own comfy spot, running her own toy and waiting for the family clever enough to keep up with her.
Share this story with your friends. More on Potato and Little Wanderers NYC on Instagram @littlewanderersnyc and Facebook, or email adopt.littlewanderersnyc@gmail.com.
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