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Likely adopted

Gia

European Shorthair · Female · Senior · 15 years

Gia was dropped off with us because she no longer got along with her two partner brothers after 13 years. The owner took her to the vet, who claimed everything was fine. How he could determine that externally, we don’t know, as no blood test, urine analysis, ultrasound, or X-ray was done. She was introduced to our vet. The blood test and urine were indeed unremarkable. The ultrasound also turned out to be reassuring, showing no issues. The X-ray revealed that she has mild arthritis in her right hip. However, we don’t believe that this causes her aggression. When preparing her abdomen for the ultrasound, we noticed that we couldn’t find any castration scar. The test showed that she was unneutered, even though the vaccination card provided by the owner stated that she was neutered. It’s unfortunately not uncommon for cats to develop uterine infections or cysts in old age, which might have troubled her so much that she became so grumpy. However, the castration also turned out uneventful, with no cysts or infections visible. Currently, we still haven’t found a medical cause. We can’t imagine a cat suddenly becoming aggressive without a trigger or a medical reason. Gia has unfortunately already bitten several volunteer cat-sitters here. She cuddles with them wildly, and then suddenly bites. We have therefore separated her to prevent her from biting more volunteers. Since then, no biting incidents have occurred. We, the caretakers, know Gia well and don’t cuddle with her much to avoid such incidents. However, we can’t predict how living with her will be. We hope to soon have a single cage available where we can better observe how she interacts with us and volunteers. We don’t want to reintroduce her with other cats because she was very dominant over them. She is accustomed to apartment living, but since she also likes to sit in the outdoor cage with us, we could also imagine her getting used to being let out. Other cats and children should not live in the household. This animal was surrendered to the shelter. This cat needs outdoor access.

DE·Show original

Gia wurde bei uns abgegeben, weil sie sich nach 13 Jahren nicht mehr mit ihren 2 Partnerkatern verstanden hat. Daraufhin war die Halterin mit ihr beim Tierarzt, der behauptete, dass alles in Ordnung sei. Wie er das so äußerlich feststellen konnte, wissen wir nicht, weil es wurde weder ein Blutbild noch eine Urinuntersuchung, ein Schall oder ein Röntgen gemacht. Sie wurde jetzt unserer Tierärztin vorgestellt. Das Blutbild und der Urin waren tatsächlich unauffällig. Ultraschall ergab zum Glück auch nichts. Das Röntgenbild zeigte, dass sie eine leichte Arthrose in der rechten Hüfte hat. Wir glauben aber nicht, dass das die Aggression auslöst. Beim Abrasieren des Bauches für den Ultraschall fiel uns auf, dass wir gar keine Kastrationsnarbe entdecken konnten. Der Test ergab, dass sie unkastriert war, obwohl im Impfausweis, den die Halterin uns mitgab stand, dass sie kastriert sei. In dem hohen Alter ist es leider nicht ungewöhnlich, dass sich die Gebärmutter entzündet oder Zysten entstehen. Vielleicht machte ihr das so sehr zu schaffen, dass sie deshalb so launisch geworden war. Die Kastration verlief allerdings ebenfalls unauffällig. Keine Zysten oder Entzündungen waren zu sehen. Aktuell haben wir also immer noch keine medizinische Ursache gefunden. Wir können uns aber nicht vorstellen, dass eine Katze von heute auf morgen plötzlich aggressiv wird, ohne dass es einen Vorfall gab oder es einen medizinischen Grund gibt. Gia hat hier leider schon mehrere ehrenamtliche Katzenkrauler gebissen. Sie kuschelt immer ganz wild mit denen und ganz plötzlich beißt sie dann zu. Wir haben sie deshalb jetzt separiert, damit sie keine Ehrenamtler mehr beißen kann. Seitdem kam es zu keinen Beißvorfällen mehr. Wir Pfleger wissen Gia aber auch gut einzuschätzen und kuscheln auch nicht so viel mit ihr, um solche Vorfälle zu vermeiden. Wie sich allerdings ein Zusammenleben mit ihr gestaltet, können wir nicht genau sagen. Wir hoffen, dass wir bald ein Einzelgehege für sie freihaben, wo wir besser beobachten können, wie sie sich im Umgang mit uns und Ehrenamtlern zeigt. Mit den anderen Katzen wollen wir sie nämlich nicht mehr zusammensetzen, da sie sehr dominant denen gegenüber war. Sie ist Wohnungshaltung gewöhnt, da sie bei uns aber auch gerne im Außengehege sitzt, könnten wir uns auch vorstellen, dass sie sich an Freigang gewöhnen würde. Andere Katzen und Kinder dürfen nicht mit im Haushalt leben.

Size
Age
Senior · 15 years
Location
🇩🇪Köln
Shelter
Kolner Tierschutzverein
Living with Gia
  • Spayed
  • Good with cats
  • Good with kids
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Cared for by Kolner Tierschutzverein · KölnLearn about European Shorthair

Listed 2 months ago

Bringing Gia home

What you'll need for Gia in week one.

Hand-picked · prices indicative

  1. 01
    Required by most shelters

    Hard-Shell Cat Carrier

    Top-loading carriers are easier than dragging cats out of a side door.

    View on Amazon
    €25–40
  2. 02

    Feliway Calming Spray

    Cat-specific pheromone. Spritz the carrier 15 min before pickup.

    View on Amazon
    €18–25
  3. 03
    Editor's pick

    Covered Litter Box

    Privacy reduces stress in week one. Get one size up from what you'd think.

    View on Amazon
    €25–45
  4. 04

    Clumping Cat Litter

    Match the shelter's brand for the first bag, transition slowly over a week.

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    €10–18
  5. 05

    Litter Scoop + Stand

    Daily scooping is non-negotiable. A stand keeps the scoop clean.

    View on Amazon
    €10–18
  6. 06

    Sturdy Scratching Post

    Tall enough they can stretch fully. Saves your couch from week one.

    View on Amazon
    €30–60

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About Gia

What life with Gia looks like

Gia is a senior european shorthair cat waiting at Kolner Tierschutzverein in Köln.

Senior cats are the gentlest house guests: predictable, mostly silent, and grateful for a sunny windowsill. Older cats often have minor dental or kidney issues — keep an eye on water intake and weight. Many sleep eighteen hours a day and want no part of any drama.

🇩🇪Adopting from Germany

German rescues typically require an in-person home visit (Vorkontrolle) or detailed video home check before approving adoption. Animals leave the shelter sterilized, microchipped, and with a valid EU pet passport. Adoption fees usually fall between €250 and €450, covering veterinary preparation.

Köln, Germany browse more cats in Germany.

Frequently asked

Adopting Gia, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about Gia?
Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. Kolner Tierschutzverein handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw Gia on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt Gia if I live in another country?
Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — Kolner Tierschutzverein will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. Plan for an extra €100–€350 in transport costs depending on distance.
Is Gia already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?
Most cats on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if Gia isn't the right fit?
Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with Kolner Tierschutzverein early rather than rehoming privately; they know Gia and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?
TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (DE). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.
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