Another breakthru for me with Lucky Pierre

Lucky, born feral about 3-1/2 years ago has been coming in the house at night every night for the last few months. I think this is in part because it has been getting colder, but also because he realizes how cushy all the beds, sofa's, cat perches, etc are inside. I've also spent a lot of time touching him, stroking him, and picking him up when he allows it.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 to let the dogs out. Lucky usually goes back outside first thing in the morning with the dogs. The house was dark (no lights on yet), and I have other cats that like to slip out the door. So this big cat comes up to the door wanting out. I reach down and start to push him back (not sure which cat it was), then started stroking the length of his back.

My breakthru: I realized that I've got to know him so well that I could tell by the feel of his fur that it was indeed Lucky. So I open up the door, let him out with the dogs.

A small thing, but I realized that I can tell who he is by touch. A feral cat (getting more and more semi-feral) at that!!

There isn't enough money in the world to buy the wonderful feeling you get when you make a breakthough of any kind with a feral. The warmth starts at your toes and goes all the way to your hair.

Good for you and wonderful for Lucky. You both have worked very hard.

That is wonderful!

Awwwww Congratulations on another break through and wishing you many more

Lucky is such a large cat for a feral (probably 14-15 pounds) and solid muscle. The other night he was sleeping on the dining room chair when I had to herd the cats to the non-construction area. I walked up to him and gently picked him up. His claws went into the chair cushions and I had to extract them one by one. He stayed still as I carried him to the sun porch and placed him into a cushy chair in that room. He curled up and went right back to sleep. That was another defining moment for us and the moment when I realized just how big he has grown this year.

You know how cats follow you in the bathroom and have that strong need to "help" you go potty? It's just hubby and I at home and we rarely shut the door behind us and our bathroom is pretty much the parade of cats.

Lucky has been inside the house enough times that he's witnessed the other cats come up to me for scritches while I'm sitting on the throne. Last night, for some odd reason, the other cats didn't see me go into the bathroom. Lucky followed me and started rubbing against my legs. I obliged him by reaching down and stroking the entire length of his body like I do to the others. He let out a purr and just stuck around until 2 cats realized I was in the bathroom and came in to investigate. He got nervous at that point and left.

I told my husband about it and he let out a "no sh*t, you are the cat lady". He knows Lucky well enought to realize this was a big breakthru.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww he keeps coming around and coming around .......... keep posting his progress Way to go to you, you Cat Lady

simply marvellous cat lady

I love hearing stories about Lucky

Love it..these little breakthroughs mean so much.

Amy, I saw this thread at the top and got all excited hoping there was another big breakthrough - and there was!!

I have followed the posts about Lucky and I think he is a great cat and you are wonderful to be so caring about him. And he obviously knows it!

I didn't see the beginning of this thread when you started it, but it's such fun to read through!

Sounds like Lucky isn't really so feral anymore. Pretty soon, you won't be able to get him out of the house!

Laurie

Originally Posted by LDG

Pretty soon, you won't be able to get him out of the house!

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and what a wonderful thing that would be

I don't push this boy and have left it totally up to him to socialize at his own pace. When I watch his behaviors, it enforces my ideas that cats learn more from each other than they ever do from us. What would prompt a feral cat to walk into a bathroom and rub against your legs? Watching other cats do it of course!

I do wish someday that he decides to never leave the house and live indoors. If that moment comes, you bet I'll be doing cart wheels.

Come to think of it, when he first started coming in the house, we'd be woken up in the middle of the night by loud MEOWLS and hissing. Lucky was always somewhere in the middle of it. That hasn't happened now for a few months. Hmmmm.....he's got friends inside!

Originally Posted by Momofmany

.......I do wish someday that he decides to never leave the house and live indoors. If that moment comes, you bet I'll be doing cart wheels...

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Now THAT I want to see!

Laurie

...And you are SO right! All of our kitties after Lazlo unquestionably learned from watching him (or others) interact with us. Especially when it came to brushing. It was a hassle with Laz - but others took to it after watching him loving it!

About 8PM last night I sat on the sofa and thru my feet up. Lucky hopped up on the other end of the sofa, curled up and fell sound asleep. My dog Sam usually sleeps in that spot and came up to jump on the sofa. Good dog that he is (OK, well conditioned dog that he is), sees Lucky, puts a paw up on the sofa to ask permission and I tell him he can't disturb the kitty. He lays down on the floor with a humpff. But he did wake Lucky up in the process. Lucky looks at me, looks at Sam, then goes back to sleep.

About half hour later, Sam again asks permission to join me. I tell him it's OK but he has to lay in the center cushion of the sofa (between Lucky and I). At 75 pounds he's not entirely graceful and manages to jump up and only nudge Lucky a little bit. Lucky looks at me, looks at Sam, then goes back to sleep.

At 11:30, Spike needs walkies and comes over to wake me up (we were all asleep by that time). I stand up, Sam jumps off, and Lucky finally decides hes had enough disturbance.

But we got about 3-1/2 hours of time together on the sofa. I even tested him by resting my toes against him and he still didn't budge.

Another first in this house!

Awwwwwwwwww it seems like hes coming along at a faster pace

Even thought it's almost summer, Lucky still likes to come inside the house in the evening. Although he is a short-haired cat, he gets knots on the top of his back where he obviously has trouble grooming himself (he is a very large cat).

So what the heck, I grab a brush and rub it down his back. He looks at me, lays down and let's me continue. Pretty soon he is purring with his eyes half closed, only to open them when I stop to pull the fur out of the brush. He didn't want me to stop.

After a few minutes, he rolls onto his back and spreads all 4 legs wide. Alrighty then, I start brushing his stomach, from his neck down to his rump. He only closes his eyes tighter and starts to purr louder.

He rolls back on his side and we brush some more. He stands up and walks around but never out of arms reach as he wanted to be brushed!

This went on for about 20 minutes. There's one little clump that I couldn't work out so will need to get the scissors on him his next venture inside.

Would you believe that a semi-feral cat loves to have their bellies brushed ?!?!?!?

It's not quite a cartwheel moment, but DH and I did do the big high 5.

I will need to keep the camera ready for the next time.......

Wow, thats amazing, I am soo happy for your and his progrees! Congratz

Lucky has just spent the better part of the last 48 hours inside the house. Actually, in the last 2 days, he went outside late last night when we walked the dogs then came back in this morning and hasn't left yet.

I picked him up and carried him to our scale to weigh him and he's close to 18 pounds. Solid muscle. He wasn't that big a year ago and he just turned 4 this year. I hope he doesn't become a mush-butt now that he has decided to lounge inside the house. But if he does, I'm not sure that I care right now - better for him to lounge inside than for me to worry about him outside.

I need to get more pictures......