Animals are known for their good instincts, so it seems only logical that they would know when they’ve arrived in the perfect place. That’s why, when Kurby the cat’s previous litter-box issues vanished in her new home, we knew she had found the forever family of her dreams. Here is her Happy Tail.

Kurby was found as a stray in Harlem, New York, last fall. A year-and-a-half old at the time, the 7-lb. Calico was timid and developed a reputation for being a bit of a grump.  We knew that her perfect home was out there, but we also knew that cute Kurby would be picky—and we were right.

In early November, Kurby was adopted.  She spent two days in her new home but refused to use the litter-box, instead leaving “accidents” all around the apartment. The adopters sensed that it wasn’t a good fit, so they returned her to the ASPCA to try again. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Kurby met Liann and her boyfriend, Carl.

“When we first met Kurby, she was curled up in the corner of her kennel, not really interested in making eye-contact,” says Liann, whose sister Karen first spotted the shy kitty. A lifelong cat-lover, Liann had never adopted a feline of her own, and this was her first trip to the ASPCA Adoption Center. Recalling that first moment with Kurby, Liann laughs, “Carl and I felt, ‘we have to meet this grumpy kitty!’”

We informed the couple of Kurby’s litter box issues, but they had a good feeling about the quiet cat in the corner. “When we opened her kennel door, her eyes lit up and, after a small hesitancy in sniffing Carl’s extended hand, she stretched herself into purrs and pets,” says Liann. “Carl picked her up and placed her on his lap, and she gave no indication of irritation or distress.”

The couple went on to meet other animals at the Adoption Center, but they couldn’t get Kurby out of their mind and soon returned to her kennel. “When we came back to see her again and the greeting pattern remained the same, we knew she was the cat for us.”

Liann and Carl adopted Kurby that day, and, armed with knowledge of the cat’s litter box issues, “prepared to love and support her and guide her in the right direction should she need it.” But sure enough, something amazing happened when Kurby arrived in her new home: the litter box issues disappeared.

 “I am very happy to report that not once has Kurby failed to make it to her box, or even slightly outside of her box!” Liann said in an update a few months later. “While she has always been a lover, I feel like she truly adopted us,” she adds. Kurby now runs to greet Liann and Carl whenever they come home, and she regularly follows the couple from one room to the next. “At night, she lies at our feet, and she chirps every time she jumps up to join us.”

Although it took two tries, Kurby made it clear that her second home was the one she had always hoped for.  Liann says, “She has become such a sweet member of our family. We’ve got our little sidekick, and she’s got her forever home.”

Congratulations to this very happy family!