Sorry folks, I have to get it off my chest.

I have just had a discussion with a lady who works in rescue, where
I have agreed to foster a pair of very bonded cats to assess them
for re-homing. They have been in cattery pens for 7 months, because
apparently, Contessa is "difficult".

I've had them 4 hours and IMNSHO, the boy, Champion, is a sweet-
heart, cuddle-bug etc. The little lassie, Contessa, is a very
fraidy, fraidy timid and shy semi-feral, who is scared of
everything. She's very reliant on Champion, and she hisses as
everything and tries to hide.

The BLOODY RESCUER described her to me, as the "Bitch from Hell"
(presumably because she hissed) and said (and I quote) "I had to
manhandle her into the box because she was un-co-operative".

Because Contessa is afraid of humans, and hisses at them and won't
interact with people, they have been handling her with leather
guantlets and forcing her to do things - i.e. making her run becuase
she hisses at them, and being agressive towards her.

She's now so friady, she SHAKES when a human goes near her.

IT MAKES ME SO BLOODY MAD. All that little lassie needs is someone
who is not going to pressure her, and lets her do things on her own
terms. Instead, she's just been through 7 months of terrified hell
because she had the wrong attitude from her foster carer, and her
foster carer can't read cat body language.

Fortunately, they are due to move on to a large no-kill rescue
facility that I work with, and that is experienced in dealing with
shy and timid cats once I've assessed them properly, but jeez. I am
so bloody mad at the rescuers.

Sorry, had to get it off my chest.

Helen M