Big cat, big name, Big Apple

WHEN HE LOST his home and landed in a shelter, this big tabby cat wasn’t feeling very brave. He cowered in the back of his kennel, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar place. But it wasn’t long before the Best Friends team in New York sprung him from the shelter and matched him up with Rachel Waters, who had recently lost her 23-year-old tabby. Rachel adopted the shy kitty and gave him a big, bold name: Lord Taronga. And since going home with her, he’s grown into it. He now rules his kingdom in the Big Apple, and he’s no longer scared. “He’s learning that he has a stable place with cat friends and humans,” Rachel says. “He will never, ever end up in a shelter again. I think he’s just now starting to realize that. We’re not going anywhere.”