Ferris update: It's all about the cheese!

Well, if you read my Milestone/Setback thread http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...43#post1374943 you'll know that Ferris and I had a "tiff" on Saturday morning.

After he clawed me to bits in the morning, Ferris hid from me the rest of the day. Ginger actually seemed quite pleased by the whole thing, getting some alone time with me, just one on one, without that pesty Ferris getting in the way of her affection.

I went away for the evening, spending the night at a friend's and leaving the care of the kits to my roomie. On Sunday, I went on a motorcycle ride with about a dozen pals to see the beautiful and vibrant brilliance of the spectacular fall foliage we are having this year.

We took a 225 mile round trip up into lower VT and back via the Mohawk Trail. While in VT, we stopped in a town called Dummerston, population 1,200, to partake of the yumminess of their annual apple festival. While there, I purchased some blocks of local chedder - some of the best tasting cheese I've EVER munched on. The apple pie was pretty darned good, too!

After a fantastically beautiful day, I rolled home at about 8 p.m., and found Ferris hanging out with my roomie on the couch. Well, he saw me come in the door, his eyes got BIG, and he was off like a shot, hiding from me still.

I saw that was going to be the way he wanted to play it, and thought, ok, no problem! Ginger was her friendly self, greeting meowmy by rubbing against my legs and coming close to touch noses with me once I sat down.

Ferris, seeing Ginger come close to me, forgot himself for a minute or two, coming in close to sniff me. I petted him on the back once or twice, just enough to get his motor going, and then he suddenly remembered he was mad at me, and with an "Oh ya, that's right!" look on his face, promptly took off again.

After a little while, though, I broke out some of the cheese I'd bought to share with my roomie, and as soon as Ferris smelled it, he was all over me, with these teeny little mews, like he was starving to death, and just MUST have some cheese or he'd die.

With a giggle, I fed him and Ginger both some very tiny pieces of cheese, and as a result, Ferris DID forget that he was mad at me - either that, or I was completely forgiven once the cheese came out.

Ferris was a sweetie the rest of the evening, and although he was a bit skittish this morning, I was able to catch ahold of him to give him his second dose of the dewormer. I hope he actually swallowed it, but don't know for sure, because as soon as I pumped the syringe into the back of his little mouth, he tore free and ran away from me again, hiding once more.

Poor boy - I'm SO mean to him!

So, we'll be friends again, despite the ups and downs, and Ferris continues to teach me what it is like to live with a former feral, while I teach him what it is like to be well taken care of, whether he likes it or not.

Neuter date T-minus 17 days and counting!!!

I'd say - stock up on the cheese and you will have a friend for life.

Great news that he's forgetting that he should be mad at you.

There ya go, you found his weakness! YAY!

That is too funny. Don't get much cheese out there in the woods, do ya boy!

But I know what you mean about them seeming to 'forget' or 'remember' that they are scared. Good thing they don't have memories like dogs!!

Who knew cheese was the way to a cat's heart?

Maybe I should try the cheese trick....it's local where I am!

Give it a shot - it can't hurt! (Besides, you can eat the rest if they don't go for it!)

Actually I think I'll try a little bit out of one of those packages of shredded cheddar. Around here you can get the Cabot extra sharp pre-shredded.

Mine all love cheese too, though it is Persil who would really sell her soul for it - especially cheddar. She seems to know from fifty yards or two stories away when there is cheese in the offing and comes running for her share. I made a cauliflower cheese tonight - always my comfort food, and had to give away quite a large lump of cheese between them!

I know that milk and ice-cream are said to be bad for cats and that they are supposedly lactose intolerant, but to date I've seen no adverse reaction or appearance of tummy-aches as a result of sharing either a small amount of cheese with either of them, or a few licks of ice-cream with Ginger.

If the cheddar is what works for Ferris, perhaps even better than the chicken baby-food, well then, cheese it is!!!

I still have some in the fridge, so I'll be able to give him a taste tonight if he's still upset with me about the worming meds. That ought to get us square again. At least until the 27th!

Gizmo insisted on having some shredded Mozzarella cheese with me last night. She had her first asthma attack in three months afterward.

No more cheese for her.

Originally Posted by gizmocat

Gizmo insisted on having some shredded Mozzarella cheese with me last night. She had her first asthma attack in three months afterward.

No more cheese for her.

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Silly Gizmo! No more cheese for you! We don't want you scaring your meowmy like that!

Thanks for the tip about the cheese! I fed Brady some bits of american single and he ate out of my hand! (Sorry, he ain't getting any Cabot cheddar......) That was a first!

But thanks also for the tip about cheese possibly bringing on an asthma attack. I did not give him very much, just enough to put a smile on his kitty face!

That's so awesome for you! You should try some cheddar next - it's stinkier!

Ferris was nice enough to me when I came home from work. He came close for a couple of treats but otherwise kept his distance, but he's not outright hiding, so we're all cool.

I still have the cheese...

I am amazed at how determined this cat was to eat some cheese. She WOULD NOT get off the table and she actually pushed her face into the bag.
Her previous owners, I believe, fed her pizza and tuna fish.
No more tuna either, Gizzy, unless it's in cat food!

He's adorable! Just keep that cheese coming, LOL

My kitties don't like cheese, but they go nuts for the lactaid milk in my bowl after I have Special K Red Berry cereal.

That is interesting about Gizmo - Wellington doesn't like cheese as much as Persil does, but he does eat it as treats now and then. If the others are having some he certainly wants his share! I have never noticed a connection between that and an asthma attack, but I will watch out.

Well score another one for TCS! That tip about the cheese was a huge help!



I am currently trying to get cat and dogs to be comfortable with each other. So far I had been leaving the door open about 2" where we are keeping Brady. Brady, Zircon and Sophia can smell and see each other, but there is no danger of any sudden movement.

Brady loves to come out and get brushed, so I use this to get him near the door. Then I whip out the cheese (Land o'Lakes American singles) and feed him little bits. Well he was in such a trance and the dogs gave me the LOOK that I thought, heck, why not. There I was, passing out cheese like dealing cards in a poker game. And I had to open the door to about 12" Togetherness. Unfortunately I had only brought down one slice, and I ran out quickly. I got up, said "stay right there" to the three of them, ran upstairs and got two more slices. So they sort of ate together, no hissing, growling or any animal signs of hostility.

As a side note, when I ran out of the american singles I cut off a slice of the Cabot extra sharp cheddar. Brady would have no part of it.

Originally Posted by 2dogmom

Well score another one for TCS! That tip about the cheese was a huge help!

I am currently trying to get cat and dogs to be comfortable with each other. So far I had been leaving the door open about 2" where we are keeping Brady. Brady, Zircon and Sophia can smell and see each other, but there is no danger of any sudden movement.

Brady loves to come out and get brushed, so I use this to get him near the door. Then I whip out the cheese (Land o'Lakes American singles) and feed him little bits. Well he was in such a trance and the dogs gave me the LOOK that I thought, heck, why not. There I was, passing out cheese like dealing cards in a poker game. And I had to open the door to about 12" Togetherness. Unfortunately I had only brought down one slice, and I ran out quickly. I got up, said "stay right there" to the three of them, ran upstairs and got two more slices. So they sort of ate together, no hissing, growling or any animal signs of hostility.

As a side note, when I ran out of the american singles I cut off a slice of the Cabot extra sharp cheddar. Brady would have no part of it.

Click to expand...

That's so awesome! More progress!!! So Brady isn't a cheddar fan. Well, that's okay, more for ME!

And since I was on a roll I decided to push the limit. Brady was being exceedingly friendly, so I brought the dogs' food bowls into the downstairs hallway just outside of the 'prison'. With the door open, I had them all within sight and smell of each other (about 4') and dining. Nothing like breaking kible together to bond them critters!