what to do with Baby?

opilot

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Okay Baby is the feral maine coon mix I got Jan 1.

So, he's now tamer - he comes out and runs around, get really
close to me and plays with me. Sits out and watches from the
stairs, let me walk by....plays a storm with my Frogie girl cat....

BUT HE WILL NOT LET ME TOUCH OR PET HIM



He used to let me pet when he ate his baby food, but now
he seems to have decided that this no longer is okay?

He DOES purr at me, when playing and roll and show belly.
And he has seen me cuddle my Frogie and pet my big Diablo
boy and play with Goose.

But still, I am not allowed to touch him??? I am trying to put
Feliway on me now... to make him smell me as non threating.

But I am confused, and wondering, is this kitten EVER going to
be the kind that can be picked up? I had so much luck with sweet
little Siamese T.T. that I can't help but want that to happen for
this little Baby cat.

He has the sweetest face ever, and a lovely "look"...

Am I cruel to want to pet him? My tamer friend wants him, to take
and put in a cage and TEACH him to like pets.... can this be done?
Or will it simply scar him so much he will NEVER come around???

I felt if he was with a friendly cat (none of my younger ones are good
with him) he would learn to play and be petted easily. After all, it was
my foster kitten extraordinare, Dewey, who brought T.T. out of his
feral shell in about 2 wks flat!!!

I know he liked it when I did pet him. So I am hoping he'll continue to come round. He does roam the house when I am around, comes down stairs to see what's up etc etc... and he knows all about playing on the cat tree. And surely, he knows I"M the one moving the toys for him? LOL


Other people's experiences would be helpful here. If he doesn't tame the tamer lady wants to put him back in the colony, but I see him as merely
a cat that will take time to blossom and just needs a special kind of home....

I even have people in NY who sound terrific who might want the little guy... if I can figure a way to drive him up there that is!!

So, advice anyone who has done this about the merits of waiting and letting him "evolve" into a friendly cat???
 

ldg

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Sorry - I only have experience with giving kitties as much time as they need.


Maybe you can check into the Yahoo Feral Cats group to see if anyone there has experience with the crate taming method - but with a kitty that hasn't been crated for - what - about a month? http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feral_cats/

Also - if you have good potential adopter in NY, what about contacting [email protected] to see if they've got a transport volunteer that can do it?

BTW - the other problem you've got is that now he's getting to that "kitten-y" stage when they often don't want to be held or loved on - so it might be hard to tell if it's his personality, his fear - or just his age.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help!



Laurie
 
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opilot

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Baby breakthrough?

So, this morning I woke early at 6 am. I heard my old Shebs (thyroid problems) wailing as she sometimes does. Then silence. and then... a meow. Not my oldsters, not my young ones... no this was a meow I didn't recognize. Sleep blurred, I finally realized: It was Baby!

So I went to his babygate and let him out of his room. He purred a storm and started to play with me! With his toy. Then the breakthrough - he acted like he wanted PETS! He SNIFFED my hand before backing off (slower this time than before) He let me BREIFLY touch him!

Oh my god. such a rush. I was so disappointed he didn't keep it up.

Last night he saw my big boy Grey Goose playing and getting pets and loving on me. Do you think he was observationally learning? And his purr was HUGE like he was saying "hello Mommy, I hate being locked up at night, thanks for letting me out"....

Anyway, v. slow going with this one. I still strongly feel that he WILL tame with another friendly kitten to show him "the way"....

I miss my Dewey. Dewey tamed T.T. for me, and he would have tamed
this little one in 2 ticks.


Lets hope he continues to get friendly and less afraid. Too bad he's going to tamer lady ... I don't know how he will react to cage taming...
 

ldg

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I hate to say it - but at this point, I wouldn't give him up to her for "taming." I don't know the specifics of the situation, but I wouldn't want to move poor Baby again before going to his furrever home - wherever that's going to be!
I know you may not really have a choice in this unless you want to take on the job of finding him a furrever home - but I feel so bad for Baby!

I still think you should try contacting the Best Friends No More Homeless Pets Campaign Network to see if there's anyone to transport him to the home in NY if you think it's the right place for him!



Laurie
 

linda_of_pgff

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I think that Dewey was in your life, in order to teach you, how to help tame Baby. I think maybe Dewey is depending on you to carry on the work.

Please don't expect Baby to "switch" overnight, from scared feral, to tame playmate kitty. I think it IS a breakthrough that he was willing to TRY playing.

Best,
Linda
 
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opilot

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Thanks Linda. Baby is moving along. He/she (will know when the vet does!)
is doing well I think. I have tamed many a cat - I have 2 ferals that are my cats at home now. But they knew me from feral colony, so they weren't as difficult to "tame". One is tame to all, the other only to me.

Dewey was hand reared with constant interaction from age 5wks. So no trouble to socialize. He had / has Coon personality! V. outgoing.

Baby is similar - not a lap cat, but quite interested in everything. Had I had earlier he might have been a real lover. As it is, he will take many more months to settle in to being "tame" for real. Ihope to place directly from my home via Coon rescue.


that will make it easier on him... or her... as it turns out!

Send vibes for trapping him to get to vet's ... that will be toughie for me on Saturday
 

ldg

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I'll set a reminder to myself to send some vibes Baby's way on Saturday! I won't be around to log on, but know that I'll be thinking of Baby!


Did I understand you right? You're going to try to get him adopted directly out so he doesn't have to go to tamer lady?




Laurie
 

carwashcats

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My mama cat, she was the most wild, of the ones I trapped from the car wash. She is tame to me, and still a bit skiddish! and if someone new comes
in the house, she darts to her favorite spot in my closet. She is a beauty, so soft, and dainty! She isn't even very big although she is about 5 now! She is a great hunter, from her previous background of course. She still has feral
tendenices. It's kind of funny, how she can be, sometimes when she is laying
on the top of the back of my couch, if someone comes in, (this is pretty
cool how cats can do this) she can sense who is a calm person or something, because she will actually let them pet her. and I think to myself, she must
know, because the people who are kind of hyper, she will get up out a dead sleep and run for cover! To me she always has a wild look in her eyes! I know
she wants loving so bad, but I can tell you this and that is she will not let
no one not even me pick her up and love on her, I think she jumped in my lap
once. and jumped right back down!
She is sleeping with me again, and whenever my alarm goes off in the mornings, I will feel her soft paw on my cheek, then she will touch me again, and again on my face ever so soft to wake me up! she has actually saved me
from being late on several occasions. And one more special thing about my mama, one night I got really sick, so I went in my bathroom, shut the door, and I was in so much pain that I was actually crying, from the fever, (to cry during fever is almost a relief to me) anyway, that precious girl, sat at my bathroom door, crying, meowing loudly, I was so sick I was lying in my br floor, I couldn't move, for I thougtht I was going to faint, I could hear her, and when she couldn't get me to open the door, she went to the living room where my son was and started meowing loudly at him. He was like "it's ok mama" you know how guys are. He didn't pay her any attention! So she came back to the br door and was in a panic, by then I got my witts back enough
to let her in, and she sat by me with her paw on me , until I got up and went to bed! Reminded me of Lassie!!!!
One more thing, she is deathly afraid of Thunder Storms! OMG! and what is so weird about it is she panics so bad, that she actually wants to go outside in the big middle of it! she did the other night before I could blink an eye.
If she is inside, she will meow, so nervously I feel so bad for her, I know she needs kitty valium! So don't get discouraged, Baby is just her own cat!
She will come around, or she will some, "time" you know that with all the ferals you have been involved with! Bless you, it takes such special
people to even grasp what a feral really is!!! But they are so special!!!!!
And they are so worth it! I used to say, It's like starting a new day, everyday, whenever I first started feeding the ferals at the carwash! They knew my son and I, they even knew the sound of my truck, but whenever it
came to getting close, well it was like they had never seen us before!!!
Good luck to you and Baby!
Monique
 
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opilot

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Well spay day came and was tough on me! I am soo attached to the wee one. But I knew it was good to give her to the tamer lady. She will at least give her the worming meds she needs (I am sooo bad at doing that even with my own cats!!)

Baby got combo tested negative yayy! she had rabies, distemper, Revolution for fleas, mites and worms. Spay. What else? hum I think that's all.

She did very well popped out of anthesia quick and came too and was
cuddled for 1.5 hours in my arms recovering. The she got REALLy scared
so I had to put her into the carrier again. She is a bit freaked. I told the tamer lady to not hold out great hope.

I certainly HOPE and PRAY and ask for all the vibes and prayers you can give me on this board that she come around this week to loving pets!

She has a HUGE purr and seemed this week to be finally realizing that asking for pets was not a bad thing! She has been soo good after / during / between nibbles / dinner/lunch/bfast! She would let me put her in my lap and pet and purr a storm. She would strech and roll for me, and FINALLy this morning?? A tiny tiny meow for me!!


Then I had to go ruin our rapport by taking her in to be fixed. I talked to her the entire time she was in the carrier and the entire time she recovered until I had to surrender her to the tamer lady. I sent a smelly shirt with her, to remind her of me.

I am SO sad. I pray so hard she will return in a week completely tamed and ready to receive pets!

Pray with me please. I need the support.
BABY needs the support, LOL.

Soon she will be a good little cat ready to go to a forever home!! yayy.
She is adoreable and so many Maine Coon lovers have asked after her...

Her website on petfinder: (search google "Baby Maine Coon Rescue MCR Virginia" to find it:

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...petid=10082638

She's beautiful. Classic coon - except she's got shorter than usual legs, a loongish torso. Otherwise, she is a total coon kitty!
 

ldg

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Baby's a SHE!


Will you get updates on Baby from tamer lady? Tamer lady isn't thinking of putting her back out if she doesn't come around in X amount of time is she? If so - will you take Baby back to continue fostering until she finds a home? You've already put in so much work.


for all you've done for this wonderful baby girl. Sending HEAPS of vibes that she comes around quick enough for tamer lady!


Laurie
 

katie=^..^=

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opilot,

At first I had that awful box with the red "x", then I click show picture, look away and look back:

OH MY! that face! so adorable, so much intelligence in those eyes! Please tell me Baby is going to a home. I really don't want to think of her going back outside to the colony.

You are so wonderful to these cats. Thank you.
 
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opilot

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No, Baby stays with me if she isn't taming at the lady's.


The lady is on travel for the weekend, so I get her back on Friday!! Yayy!

She's there till Friday night


I have decided to keep Baby if she doesn't come round. And you are right Katie, she has wise old eyes!


V. sweet kitty under it all...

I found it hard to let her go. And Laphrogie likes her (my female) and Goose (the male cat she's afraid of) was Loooking for her tonight in the house...

So, worst case she stays with me. Best case she can become tamer and go to a home. Thanks to Maine Coon Rescue posting her, I've had people from NY and NH inquire. One of them wants to fly her up!!

I am a little nervous thinking of that, but I am willing to think positive
that it is a good placement. But of course, I could not place her unless
I had her tame to being picked up. She sitll wont' let us do that.

Pets during eats is about it right now, or pets right after. No pets when playing or after fed, LOL.

and yes, he is a She.
I wasn't sure with the fur!

Stay tuned. More to post mid week when i find out how she behaved
in her cage for tamer lady.
 
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opilot

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I forgot to add - combo negative, Yayy! Or maybe mentioned it, I'm a bit mixed up and tired!

Other news: trapped 2 ferals at my other site that I maintain. A male and female. Happy I got them. 2 less breeders! My friend used a drop trap and the elusive 3rd cat was so smart she wouldn't go in it! Even to eat...

We also got (at baby's feral site) the Daddy cat of Baby a giant fluffy thing that looks like a coon .... litterally but is a cat instead, LOL. I call him Gigantor.

We found he had bad ears from mites or something, so they took care of that at the spay / fixing clinic today.


So (2) of my ferals got done, one from Baby's site (the Daddy Mac!) and (1) Baby! That's 4 cats today.

All for a suprizingly real low price...
 
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