today is the best day ever!

about 9 weeks ago i got 2 kitties (they were 4 months old) from the humane society. after i got them home i realized that they were for the most part feral. i've been keeping the kitties contained during the day and taking them out at night, playing with them and trying to get them used to me and to trust me. i take them out for 12-14 hours on saturdays and sundays as well. cracker has been coming out of her shell and she will jump on the bed when i call her and let me pet her. she likes the attention. however barrel spends most of her time under the dresser. slowly she's been coming out more and playing with her sister. she still runs from me & won't let me pet her. however....

today we had a breakthrough!!!! while cracker was rubbing my legs and letting me pet her, barrel came over and wanted to be petted as well! i feel like i've won the lottery!!

she has come over to me numerous times today for pets. it was all i could do not to cry. i have had moments of such pure frustration that i couldn't imagine this day ever getting here. i know that i still have a long way to go but today has been the most satisfying day since i got them. just wanted to share that with everybody

airprincess, thank you for sharing that story, it really brightened my day
it's gray and bleak here, and no rain one of those days that needs rain to save it
and i have been sitting here with weather blues & hot chocolate, now i have a
permenaent smile on my face, as i know how incredibly hard it is to do what you've done,
and the feeling is like nothing else



your whole heart just explodes and you forget about how
hard it all was, and how frustrating, all that.


i'm so happy for you

I am so happy for you. That is the best reward ever.I am sure every day will bring more rewards.

Air:

That's great news!!! (I the names, too.)

i met my boyfriend at a cracker barrel restaurant...hence the names

quick question, should i let them out now, since they are starting to come out of thier shell? how much longer do i need to keep them contained? i feel like enough time has passed that i can give them free reign, but i'm scared of doing the wrong thing.

No expert here, but I'd say if they are already out for 12-14 hours on the weekends, why not give it a try?

It's amazing how our hearts explode with Love when something so simple in life is received! Job is my feral; he finally (after one year) is coming around, but we are filled with anticipation when we can actually pick him up and hold him... I did as a kitten; but he was filled with that wild streak even at that age. I can relate to how you feel It's a joyous moment!

You put smiles on my face

I too understand the satisfaction of bringing a feral cat around. What a great feeling!!! Keep giving them big kisses and hugs.

Congrats AP!!! That is such wonderful news. When they do come out of their shell I find the ferals (or ex-ferals ) tend to be very loving and demand petting all the time.

Give it a couple more days to see that there's no setback and then I would give them access to the rest of the house. Are they going to be indoors only?

That's excellent news! What a breakthrough! This deserves a Blob-O-Rama!



=^..^=

last night was the first night i let them have the townhouse. they tore through my room all night long, chasing each other, much to my boyfriends chagrin, but bless his heart he didn't grouse. since they spend all the thier time out in my room, it seems that is where they are most comfortable. this morning they didn't let me pet them, the didn't run away but kept their distance watching me as i did stuff. they backed up when i tried to walk towards them. i think that in part may because they are afraid i'm going to scoop them up and contain them. they have learned that thier time out always ends. so i guess it's just a matter of time before they realize that they have the whole place to themselves and that i just live there. tonight i will get them and put them back in my room to play as i have done in the past, but when we are done they will still have the whole house to play in. here's to hoping they decide to play somewhere else at 3am! (last night we shut the door, but cracker nudged it open, then i put a shoe down to block the door, she hit the door 3 or 4 times until she was able to get the door open. our bedroom door doesn't latch all the way so i'm going to have to figure out a way to keep it shut)

i just wanted to say thanks guys. when i tell this stuff to my family & friends (none of which have cats) they think it's nice, but they don't understand like you guys do. i think my dad thought i was crazy when i told him yesterday that i felt like i had won the lottery. he just laughs at me. i feel so glad that i have a place i can talk about this stuff & you guys know exactly how it feels.

anne, they are indoor cats. i'm going to go get them soft paws here in a week or so, now that they have access to all the stuff i don't want shredded.

Originally posted by airprincess...
they realize that they have the whole place to themselves and that i just live there.

Click to expand...

Dear AirPrincess,
What a sweetheart you are to let them run around so unconditonally...I've actually met cat owners that don't do this...beats me!!!! I have to remember I'm the tenant also.

I get so happy when I hear stuff like this

God Bless to All

I have never smiled this much as when I read your post!!!!
Happy days are here again...

Airprincess,

That is one of the best rewards a cat person can have. It takes alot of patience and time to bring around feral cats. You should be very proud. I know I am. Keep up the good work and don't let anyone every tell you you can't do something (that makes me want to persevere even harder).

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I'm so happy for you Airprincess!!!! I hope things continue to go well!!!! (and cracker barrel is one of my favorite places to eat!!)

I bet they are a real sight. I can remember letting a few of my timid ones out. I am so happy you have broken through that barrier. I am sure within the week, they will be much more relaxed and want to come see you.

it's been less than 2 days, since I've released the girls on thier own recognizances, and I'm very excited because they haven't been hiding. they are still a little leary, but instead of bolting when they see me, they just watch me closely and make sure that a certain amount of distance stays between us. i couldn't be happier.