Meet Santa Maria.

San Diego, CA · 2 years 8 months · Domestic Short Hair / Tabby / Mixed (short coat)

Listed since Feb 23, 2026. Listing dates do not establish shelter intake or continuous availability.

First seen by Goodmorph Oct 30, 2026.

Rescue last updated: Aug 7, 2026

In the shelter’s words

Meet Santa Maria! 6/20/26 - Here is what the foster mom has to say about this beautiful tabby: Santa is a very chill adult cat with impeccable manners. She is gentle, silly at times, loves to sleep/nap (especially up high on the top of the kitchen cabinets or in the cat tree), has the cutest little meow, which at times may surprise you because she sounds like a baby kitten. She is living at Casa de ARWOB, which means she lives with her daughters Pinta and La Nina. They are almost a carbon copy of their mother, BUT the difference is the nose color and the white markings on the face. Santa needs to be adopted into a home with other cats or a single cat. She tends to bully her daughter Pinta – in fact, both Santa and Nina bully Pinta for some reason, which means we would love to find a separate foster for Pinta and another foster for Santa and Nina. Santa does NOT bully any of the other cats living at Casa de ARWOB, so it seems to be a “family matter.” Santa is the type of cat who is gentle, calm and smart. She spends most of the day on her own, but several times a day she will come and find you by jumping into your lap. This is when she is seeking loving pets/kisses. She will occasionally also chill by your computer when you are working. She will randomly get the zoomies and play with toys on the floor, specifically anything large like a tennis ball so she can do the bunny kick. We believe she was likely a great hunter as a past stray, so she just loves the laser pointer and feather wands that she can “hunt.” She is super loving and will jump up on the counter in the morning to greet you. Santa is also a very clean kitty with excellent litter box skills. Santa Maria would be a great cat for anyone that wants just ONE pet in the home. She does live with other cats and won’t take any sass from the other felines, but she won’t start anything either (at least not among the other dozen cats living at Casa de ARWOB). She has zero interest in dogs, so when a foster dog enters the room, she quickly excuses herself and gets up high on the counters. She is not stressed or bothered by the dogs. She is just not interested in being friends with them at all. We suspect she would be great with children, as she is easy to approach and doesn’t mind being picked up or petted. BE AWARE that she is the first cat to run and hide when people enter the home. She will either jump high on the kitchen cabinet or get inside the cabinet under the sink, closing the door behind her. Ha, ha! Consequently we expect that she will not show well with potential adopters, so do NOT expect fireworks when you meet her. If you are choosing a forever pet based on the initial interaction or a “connection” with her, you will NOT find that with Santa Maria. It will take her days if not a week to gain trust and start roaming the room or around the house. We would like to find someone that is interested in a foster-to-adopt trial for 2 weeks or more. We need someone who understands this kind of personality and will help her feel comfortable over time, by helping her to come out of her shell so she can bond with her human(s). Santa is healthy, up to date on medical, spayed, and has tested negative for FeLV/FIV. If you are interested in this beautiful sweet girl, please fill out an online application at ARWOB.org right away!

RescueGroups record ID: 22287034

What this home needs

• Other dogs

  Mentioned by the shelter

  “Feed checkbox: Yes”

  Not a verified observation — ask staff about the context. A positive shelter report may support search results; it remains unverified and needs confirmation.

  Shelter statement ↗
• Cats

  Mentioned by the shelter

  “Feed checkbox: Yes”

  Not a verified observation — ask staff about the context. A positive shelter report may support search results; it remains unverified and needs confirmation.

  Shelter statement ↗
• Children

  Mentioned by the shelter

  “Feed checkbox: Yes”

  Not a verified observation — ask staff about the context. A positive shelter report may support search results; it remains unverified and needs confirmation.

  Shelter statement ↗
• Still to ask the shelter

  housing and stairs · medical and care. These details are not documented here; unknown does not mean no.

Roster last seen: Nov 2, 2026, 6:07 AM UTC
Goodmorph last synced: Nov 2, 2026, 6:07 AM UTC
Availability confirmed by a person: Not confirmed

Shelter staff and authorized volunteers: add a dated observation

This shared profile remains available for up to 90 days after it leaves the source roster, unless removal is requested sooner. Adoptions and applications are handled by the shelter.