Adoption news: Goonie & Taz

We always love to hear how our adopted Syros Cats are getting on in their new homes. Here are the latest updates on Goonie and Taz, now living their best lives in New York and Oxford!

Goonie: uptown girl!

We’ve had a lovely update from Marisa, who adopted Goonie in December 2024.

“I wanted to share photos of Goonie, showing her new life in New York City. As you can probably tell from the photos, Goonie loves lounging around and snuggling. In Syros she was a rambunctious, anxious little cat but since settling into life with me she’s calmed down quite a bit. That hasn’t stopped her from jumping on top of the refrigerator every so often! She spends a lot of time making biscuits on anything she can get her paws on, play wrestling with my other cat Sweet Pea and is always purring. The two girls really get along and I often find Sweet Pea grooming Goonie. She can be a little shy when new people come to my apartment, but within a few minutes she’s sitting on their laps demanding attention. Goonie is truly the sweetest cat and I cannot be happier about my decision to adopt her. She’s a true New Yorker now!”

Taz: From Syros to Oxford

Taz was adopted earlier this year and had a long journey to his new home by ferry, plane and car. His adopter, Katie, recalls their journey and what life is like living with our favourite woolly bear in Oxford!

“From late August to October 2025, I spent an incredible month and a half volunteering at Syros Cats. On my very first day, sitting around the table with Susan and the other volunteers, an adorable black fluffy cat hopped straight onto my lap. Susan immediately warned me he was a biter and gave me about two minutes before he’d sink his teeth in. But ten minutes passed and Taz was perfectly content, purring away while I stroked his cross-eyed, gappy-mouthed little face. And that was it. I was done for. He’d chosen me and I’d chosen him.

Over the weeks, I got the full Taz experience: part absolute menace, part total sweetheart who wanted cuddles, until he very much didn’t. I hadn’t planned on getting a cat (my housemates had explicitly told me not to bring one home), but I couldn’t imagine leaving him behind. So I made the decision to ask to adopt Taz, find somewhere new to live, and then come back for him. However, when I got home my housemate situation changed and I was able to go and get Taz even sooner than I had hoped.

That’s when reality hit. I had to figure out how to get a cat from a Greek island to the UK, and of course, the UK makes everything as complicated as possible. Flying him directly home in the hold was too expensive, and flying him in the cabin isn’t allowed into the UK. So I settled on a plan: fly us both to France, where my wonderful dad would pick us up and drive us through the tunnel and home.

Now, even without a cat, I’m a nervous flyer, not because of the flying, but because of all the things I could mess up. Forgetting passports (a genuine risk), losing luggage, missing flights… the usual chaos. Add a cat into the mix and my anxiety skyrocketed.

But when I arrived on Syros, Jo sat me down and talked me through every single detail of the journey. She made sure I knew exactly what would happen at the airport, and honestly, I ended up knowing more than the check-in staff. We planned food schedules, discussed the soothing treats I’d bought, and sorted out the needs of tiny Tabasco, a kitten who I was also helping to transport to her new home in Athens.

By the time travel day arrived, I was more prepared than I’ve ever been for a flight. En route, Taz and I spent a surprising amount of time sitting on the floors of baby-changing rooms and disabled bathrooms (Jo’s top tip), which gave us both some much-needed respite on the long trek home. But amazingly, the whole journey went as smoothly as it possibly could.

Now Taz is living his best life with me in Oxford. It’s been incredible watching him change. It was always obvious he wasn’t meant to be part of a colony, he’d literally fought his way into the Syros house, and he was often accused of bullying the other cats and stealing their food. But I didn’t expect so much of a change to come over him. Having his own space, free from other cats, has let him become his full, wonderfully chaotic self.

He’s become VERY vocal, which he never was on Syros. He comes to greet me at the door when I get home, and patiently waits for me to wake up in the morning for cuddles (with only the occasional midnight leap onto my face, just to keep me humble). He still has absolutely no respect for personal space and will happily sit with me, or directly on me, while I’m working. Then in the evenings he unleashes more energy than I knew he had, now that he’s no longer burning it all on being anxious around other cats.

I realise he’s maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but I wouldn’t have him any other way, and I think he feels the same about me. I can’t thank Syros Cats enough for rescuing him and giving us the chance to find each other”

If you are interested in adopting a Syros Cat, please check out the Adoptions section on our website https://syroscats.com/adoptions/