Archive of Our Own ^beta

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* Rung is an ex-therapy cat who gets along great with other cats and even other animals though as their owner got older, they forgot to take care of him and had to give him up to the shelter. Despite this, Rung gets along pretty well with most cats and animals there except for Froid. The two will fight when given the option and have to not only be placed in kennels where they can’t reach each other but also where they cannot see each other.

* With Rung being a sweet and older cat, you would assume he would get adopted easily but it seemed he would get passed over though you were never sure why. Even at events, he would cuddle and even play with children and adults alike but at the end of the day, he would just return to the shelter.

* Rung continues his duties though, often curling up on people’s laps when he feels they’re stressed or sad, so when it was noticed he would sit on your lap the most, your fellow coworkers would ask if you were okay. Even your supervisor got worried and suggested perhaps you should foster him as it seemed he was “trying to help you.”

* Rung would be the easiest cat to foster out of most cats, his more docile nature being a breath of fresh air unlike most cats at the shelter. He is a senior cat though so perhaps it’s his age that keeps him a little rooted but he can be more active if he chooses.

* Rung has a few quirks such as watching you when you work, often bringing him to the shelter to prevent him from getting lonely and following you around everywhere, but on the weirder side, he has a tendency to arrange the toys you brought him in a particular order around his bed. He makes it known when you have to wash them that they have a particular place and they need to go there.

* As Rung and you spend more time, you notice that he seems to take care of you more than you do yourself. When you stay up too late, he meows at you until you follow him and leads you to bed to sleep. If you haven’t eaten or drank in a while, he won’t and will wait for you to eat and drink. And if he catches you crying or sad, he tries to curl up onto your lap but if you don’t give him the option, he’ll just curl up next to you to at least know he’s there for you.

* Rung gets very excited when you say his name, meowing and even putting as you greet him or announcing things such as dinner being ready or that you’re home. But when someone does get his name wrong like a coworker or a vet, he does growl and furrow those brows in disappointment.

* You decide to adopt him in the end as with Rung in your life, things felt much better and you were actually starting to take care of yourself without his help but a gentle reminder now and then didn’t hurt, but for now, he can live his days out in a comfy retirement with both of you taking care of each other!

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* Megatron is a big, old street cat with all the scars, marks, and behaviors to prove it. He was a menace in his youth, running a feral cat colony, evading rescuers, getting into numerous fights with cats and other animals, and scratching anyone who crossed his path… until recently. On the umpteen time to try and recover him, he relented. Perhaps he had a change in heart or he realized his age was catching up to him, no one was sure but at least he was getting some much needed help.

* Megatron was unusual cat to say the least, still being grouchy and hissing at others but seemingly getting along with the other cats like Rodimus and Magnus though he will hiss at the formal if he tries to play fight him. He usually stays by himself or hangs out with a smaller black cat from the same cat colony that was also rescued.

* Because of his history, he needed to be fostered and you drew the short straw. You’ve never dealt with a cat of this magnitude or behavior before, especially as he had a major distrust towards people even after his rescue, but if he allowed himself to be rescued, then surely it meant he was ready for a change of heart and willing to live out his years in a warm and loving home, right?

* The first few weeks were… rough to put it gently as he refused to interact with you, only really coming out to eat but you kept trying to get him more comfortable with you, even using treats, toys, and nice food to try and make him comfortable in your home which he saw right through your meager attempts. He would swat, bite, and scratch at you when you got to close which left many battle scars on your own hands and arms. He would sleep in a room away from you and seemed to leave any room you entered. But still, you persisted.

* The first breakthrough you made with him was when you came home, exhausted but still taking the time to try and get him comfortable with you, which resulted in him refusing the offer, before plopping down on your bed and taking a small nap. When you awoke, you felt a mass of heat next to you, peaking an eye open to see Megatron actually cuddled up to you, a deep purr rumbling against your body as he rested. It was hard not to react as you closed your eye again and enjoyed the small victory, warm and cozy next to him.

* Megatron does soften up overtime, going to you when he wants a pet or scratch but he has to be the one to initiate the contact first. He will also cuddle up next to you but usually when you’re sleeping or drowsy first. He will still growl at you, but he doesn’t bite or scratch at you anymore which is a positive. For being a big, mean old formal street cat, he can be pretty soft and not just in the fur department!

* Megatron does accompany you to the shelter and back where it’s very obvious to all the staff that he’s attached to you. He’ll either be with the other cats or he’ll stay on your lap. If another caretaker or if an interested party tries to pet him or get his attention, Megatron does hiss at them before moving away from them or moving back to your lap.

* You eventually adopt Megatron though it’s safe to say that he kinda forced it on you. He’s a one person cat and you happened to be chosen as his person. If you decide to, you adopt his smaller companion, Ravage, and the two live in your home in comfort. Megatron does like to go out and about with you, to work, to the pet store, and other places but is very protective of you. If another animals tries to get a pet or your attention, he bats at them until they go away. Not even the biggest dog stands a chance against him though his aura and reputation does most of the work.

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* Swerve is a smaller, fluffier cat but has a big voice and loves to use it! He’s one of the most vocal if not thee most voice cat at the shelter! That’s the reason he was here, most people finding him adorable and sweet but would return him soon afterwards when they realized that he wouldn’t shut up. He’s been through this routine so many times and each time he comes back, you can tell how sad he gets with each return, usually not moving or staying in a corner by himself before he reacclimatizes to the shelter again, chatting and chirping away.

* So your supervisor and fellow coworkers pleaded with you to foster him for some peace and quiet in the shelter to which you acquiesced. You seemed the most tolerant of his talkative nature and you lived by yourself so you couldn’t possibly bother any friends, spouses, or neighbors. Aside from that, this last return had been hitting him harder than his previous ones and you felt bad for him so home with you he went!

* Swerve is a big fan of the television, often cuddling up to watch whatever shows you happen to be binging. Swerve will also watch movies with you and munch on popcorn that you give him. You found through a lot of late night movie marathons that he has favorite genres of movies and shows, preferring a sitcom or good 80’s action film.

* Swerve also likes to travel with you, being a rather friendly cat but doesn’t like walking due to his stubby legs. You’ll either have to carry him, let him perch on your shoulders, or carry him in a little sling or cat backpack! His favorite place to go is the bar when you need a pick me up or hanging out with friends! He became a bit of a celebrity hanging out with you there and enjoys mingling with the regulars.

* One of your favorite activities to do with Swerve is to chat with him. When you come back from work, you ask him how is day was, what he did, what trouble he got into, and so on to which he tells you in great detail. You laugh, nod, and tell him things like “then what happened?”, “really?”, and “that’s really cool!”. You can see his eyes light up when you let him speak.

* The first time you took him back to work to hang out with the other cats, Sweve thought you were taking him back like so many others before him and remained silent during the ride there and in the kennel. You tried to cheer him up with treats, with toys, even just keeping him on your lap, but he was very deep in that depressive funk. It took a lot of reassurances and getting him ready to come back home that he realized you just wanted to take him with you to work so he wouldn’t be lonely at home.

* If Swerve does end up becoming your cat, you’ve signed up for a life long binge partner, drinking buddy, a minor celebrity at the kennel and bar, and someone who’s always willing to chat with you, helping you with some of your own loneliness as at the end of the day, you always have someone to come back to who needs and loves you.

* If he doesn’t, Swerve ends up becoming a bar cat at your local watering hole and even gets his own little spot on the counter. He becomes the mascot of the place, welcoming people in and making sure people are laughing and having a good time but he always makes time for you when you visit, curling up in your lap or chatting away while you drink, catching up and reminiscing about old times.

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* Ultra Magnus is a very large and older cat, a model cat that other cats should look up to but more often than not, get policed by and does have the tendency to growl and hiss at other cats that become chaotic at the Lost Light shelter. It’s suspected he’s not trying to be malicious but rather trying to get them to be more compliant with the staff and the help they’re offering.

* Magnus RELIES on a schedule; he knows when the shelter opens, when it closes, when food is offered, when vet appointments are made, the works. If anything gets delayed or moved ahead, he gets very upset and let’s you know with a hiss or a grumble but he’s never swatted or bitten any of the caretakers so you know he’s just trying to keep a tight ship.

* This is especially apparent if you’re ever late going to or coming from any obligation, Ultra Magnus lets you know you’re late with low meow before you clock in and carry on with your duties. He’s become the forever cat of the place, kinda like a rule enforcer. There’s often jokes where he’s the one running the place and even has his own little nameplate and matching tag stating he’s the “Lost Light Shelter Rule Enforcer”. Though with him being a permanent resident, he gets moved between employee homes to keep him active and entertained but to also to give the other cats a break from his nagging.

* When you take in Magnus into your home, he gets right to work making sure your house is up to his particular standards. He makes sure to get your attention with meowing or even dragging you to a certain mess to clean it up. He also meows at certain times such as feeding time or signaling when he’s going to bed. You can practically turn off your alarm as he learns your patterns after being around for a while.

* As much as he was a pain during his first stay with you, later stays become much easier as you know what Magnus expects out of you and he actually helped you to develop some routines you use even without him there. Though you’ll never tell anyone, you’ve made his meows your alarm as it helps to wake you up much faster than your previous alert.

* Magnus seems to help you with work as well, in and out of the shelter, either finding lost papers, pointing out missing spots, or waking you if you happen to fall asleep at your desk. Magnus, being a large cat, is also very fluffy and requires daily grooming. It’s after brushing his hair out that he looks even bigger than he is though it comes at the cost of static shocks between the both of you. Magnus also does not partake in catnip.

* Magnus has a certain bed he sleeps in and toys as well, a few favorites being a little green and white cat toy as well as a toy hammer he likes to carry around and sometimes, either on purpose or on accident, bonk other cats with it. If he comes to your home for a stay and notices things are starting to pile up or you stay in bed more often than not, he does come to cuddle with you before trying to chirp, meow, and pull you out of bed to help encourage you to get motivated to clean up and help yourself.

* When it’s time for Magnus to actually retire and find a forever home, you put your hat into the ring to take him home. If you’re not able to, at least you know you can still wake up to his meows and keep the routine you had together as a reminder of him. If you do get to take him home, you end up syncing up routines and even pick up more of his habits to which guests and famiky accidentally become the target of when visiting. You made things official by getting him a placard for him, stating he’s the “Enforcer of the (Your name) household”.

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* Rodimus is a feisty cat, to put it mildly. He acts like he owns the place, being the first to seek out attention from the caretakers that show up to open the shelter and the last meow you hear when the shelter closes down for the night. Roddy, as he gets nicknamed, wants to be everywhere caretakers go and gets himself into a lot of trouble. He’s adventurous and daring, having figured out ways to escape his kennel and escape the play area he and the other cats tend to be in when the place is opened. It was probably due to his eccentric nature that he was relinquished to the Lost Light shelter along with some other cats like Drift.

* Rodimus is a cat that needs a lot of attention, often yowling and meowing at caretakers to pet and play with him. He also is a very active cat, enjoying teaser toys and the giant running wheel. Most days he likes playing with Drift, ignoring Magnus when he bats at him, or bugging Megatron, who either ignores or hisses at him to leave him alone. Despite his usually happy attitude, Roddy has some moments where he needs alone time or he lashes out and needs to be isolated. He’s a little fireball that needs a little stability and one on one care so being single and with no other pets, you were the perfect choice to foster him!

* To say Rodimus didn’t wreck your home after he showed up to your house would be a lie; the little deviant decided to explore his surroundings in the most destructive way possible whether it was dragging your toilet paper all over the house, knocking off pictures of knickknacks off the counter, and managing to get into the food and treats you bought for him as well as the ones not for him. Nighttime wasn’t better, the cat making all sorts of noises in the middle of the night, leaving you restless and exhausted coming in next morning with him.

* Rodimus needs attention so from the moment you brought him home to work and back, Roddy would beg for your attention either by meowing, rubbing himself against you, clawing at you, or his favorite, jumping up or climbing onto you to be right up in your face. With him needing you, it made it nearly impossible to leave home without him but it turned out Rodimus does well outside and on a leash, using the time to look around and also greet people you would pass. He soaks up all the pets and praises given to him. He even enjoys car rides, becomes your little co-captain when you take him on your errands.

* Rodimus enjoys playing with you as well as certain other cats, often having playdates with Drift but will try to play and mingle with other cats. He also gets the privilege of being an outdoor cat and as such, has brought over many a dead, semi-dead, and alive critters into your home, in your bed, in your shoes, etc. But he always knows to come home by the end of the day, either finding his way to your lap or ending up sleeping in a cat bed you’ve nicknamed the Rodpod. With him by your side, you help each other out, becoming more social and outgoing as you take him around, boosting your confidence and helping Roddy find some stability and reassurance that he’ll always have you around to shower him with attention and praise.

* Rodimus is a heater. He could curl up next to you and you would be the one to move away because he’s that warm but it’s nice during the winter time or when you’re sad, needing the comfort. If you end up in a depressed state, he’s the one who gives you attention, licking your face and cuddling up into your chest or face before you manage to get up at least to take care of him. He has scratched you before out of anger, hissing and spitting but you don’t blame him, giving him space before he approaches you and tries to lick the scratches to say he’s sorry.

* If you chose to adopt Rodimus, life with him is never boring! You might end up adopting a few others along the way, making a little crew where he, again, acts like he’s in charge but really, you’re both in charge and try to remind him of that. If not, he still has a home at the Lost Light shelter and though other cats may come and go, he’s still along for the ride, begging for your attention and never giving you a moment’s rest but you wouldn’t have it any other way.