Trapping for 2nd time?

Oh that is FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Batman GO!

I should mention also that Batman is not much of a licker with us humans. It's pretty rare when he gives us an affectionate lick.

I'm happy he is happy about her.

What a huge accomplishment !

Batman is a sweetheart and so are his moms

M arina

That is just great news!!

Originally Posted by LoveWhiskers

...Batman is a sweetheart and so are his moms

M

arina

Click to expand...

That's great! (And so true! )

Some photos:

Pretty Patches:








I wonder if he likes her a bit "too much" for how a son would love a mother, but idunno.

He licks her for a bit, then moves on to play or do what not.

When he first got in the room tonight, he did his little pounce to say hello (which is really cute) then went right in to lick her to say hello.

(Edit - yes, her towel is SUPER DIRTY but it's hard for me to change it out when she's in there so much!)

Momma Patches is a very pretty kitty! Batman is a sweetie! He sounds like a very persuasive advocate of the "indoor" life!

With spayed/neutered kitties, there is no "inappropriate" when it comes to lovin'! WHAT a sweetheart - and she does NOT look upset!

Such a beautiful girl!

Call me goofy, but Patches eyes don't look as scared as they did in your earlier pictures. She's calming down. (just my humble opinion)

I think she's looking at me in a different way now. Tonight I was playing with a wand toy with Batman and she was watching the toy - but I would notice that every now and then she would stop watching him and actually just look at me, like she was trying to figure me out.

Batman likes to great her with licks, but she must be shedding her winter coat and she must not be grooming herself very well - so he gets fur in his mouth and then that annoys him and he leaves.

I'm waiting for her to lick him back. Unfortunately she's very non-reactive to him - she either lies motionless or she'll lower herself down a bit. She hasn't done anything cute to him in return. I was giving him some treats near her and she did actually lick her chops a bit but she won't eat in front me of (I can't leave her treats down until Batman's gone or else they will all get eaten by him)

So I guess the next couple weeks will be more of the same like this and then when everyone is worm-free, I guess we can look into leaving her door fully open so Batman can go in and out as he pleases. I'm so happy they're ok with each other. I'm not nervous at all anymore letting him in her room.

Originally Posted by killerapple

Batman likes to great her with licks, but she must be shedding her winter coat and she must not be grooming herself very well - so he gets fur in his mouth and then that annoys him and he leaves.

I'm waiting for her to lick him back.

Unfortunately she's very non-reactive to him - she either lies motionless or she'll lower herself down a bit.

Click to expand...

2 thoughts: when a cat is stressed they will shed. If you are in upper midwest, it's not quite spring shedding time yet. If lower midwest, you may be right about her winter coat.

She probably won't lick him back with you in the room. She'll do it when nobody is around but the 2 of them.

That's cool that she's watching you play with Batman. This is exactly what you want, particularly if she becomes Batman's friend - she ain't so bad, my buddy plays with her!

Next step? Petting, cuddling or brushing Batman with Patches watching!

As to the grooming thing.... when Billy wants to be groomed, he stroll up to one of the kitties wiling to do it and shove his nose in their chest, slightly lowering himself. He stands/sits there while they groom him. Then they leave and he leaves. He doesn't groom back. Neither does Ming Loy - though when Billy and Ming Loy groom one or the other, the other does give a couple of licks back before moving on.

All that's to say... I don't find it at all unusual that she doesn't do anything cute back. Also, she may be enjoying it, not just enduring it - and it could be he's not asking for any in return.

How old did the vet think Patches is?

It is SO apparent she was truly a feral with little human interaction prior. She's still adjusting - and it's just so great that Batman is working out so well as an ambassador kitty.

That makes sense - I wondered if it was stress actually. I also wondered if maybe she doesn't feel at home enough to give herself a really good bath and relax like she would outside. Like how you might not want to crawl into a hotel's bath-tub because you worry it's icky or worry someone's filming you?

Batman woke me up last night banging around her door - who knows what they were up to. I am figuring out his different meows - sometimes he just whines outside her door because he wants to see her. Other times it's more of a frantic meow - and that's when she has moved in the room and he's seen her.

I'm working on the petting thing with her watching - she definitely watches. He's too distracted to really settle down and purr and knead on me, but he gets pet when he walks by or when he's eating treats - and she definitely watches that. Or I'll put my hand out and he'll come up to sniff and she'll watch that too. She's definitely watching with a lot of interest. I've really noticed a difference in the past week with how she looks at me/toys/Batman interactions, as crazy as that sounds - just from 20/30 minutes a day!

Batman was licking her ears last night - so cute. She closed her eyes. A week ago, he was smacking her in the face and she was hissing back - so nice that hurdle is already over with.

The vet thought 2-3 years old sounded right. Her 10.5 month old son is bigger than her.

I'm enjoying the ride. It's slow, but I have been very happy with the past week. And boy, this is so much different than just having 2 sister cats as a kid. I'm learning a lot.

Originally Posted by killerapple

That makes sense - I wondered if it was stress actually. I also wondered if maybe she doesn't feel at home enough to give herself a really good bath and relax like she would outside. Like how you might not want to crawl into a hotel's bath-tub because you worry it's icky or worry someone's filming you?

Batman was licking her ears last night - so cute. She closed her eyes.

I'm enjoying the ride. It's slow, but I have been very happy with the past week.

Click to expand...

But don't you stress if she is slightly stressed. You've brought her a looooooong way so far and she'll continue to improve at her own pace.

Closing her eyes is a sign of contentment. Cats slowly blink their eyes at each other as a sign of acceptance/friendship.

You have a lot to be happy about! I can tell through your posts how much progress she is making!!

Ok, I was either extremely unobservant last night or Patches now plays with her toys!

I went in there earlier with Batman and couldn't find any of her toys. Only pine cones. I eventually found her 4 toys all under the dresser - in the same area. I got them out to play with Batman so she could watch.

So here's the thing. Either he hit all of them under there last night and I somehow didn't notice... or she was playing with them herself!

They're all out away from the dresser so I'll see if they mysteriously get lost again.

That would be wonderful if she was playing!

I'm sure she's still somewhat stressed from all the radical changes in her life - but I have a feeling her stress levels are reducing even as I write here.

Amy's right - she looks much more comfortable in the more recent photos.

And I'm willing to bet it's finally dawned on her what to do with those toys! Ferals don't know what play is at first - and now that she's seen Batman, seen him interact with you, have him be so nice to her - and she's obviously responding well to his attention! - I think she's figuring out - finally - she is at least safe. ...which after watching Batman play - would quite easily lead her to getting out and working off some of that stress batting those little things around, now that she knows what to do with them!

You've made so much progress with her - and it truly is visible in your latest pics and posts! You can just hear in the tone of your posts that things are changing....

Last night I got woken up to hearing a ball (with a bell) rolling around in her room.

This morning when I went in, all of her toys were by the screen door!!! So she indeed plays!!!!!!!

She is a quick learner indeed!

The part of me that has been feeling bad for her (thinking she's bored out of her mind) is sooooo relieved about this!!! I think her days have gotten WAY more stimulating.

Originally Posted by killerapple

Last night I got woken up to hearing a ball (with a bell) rolling around in her room.

This morning when I went in, all of her toys were by the screen door!!! So she indeed plays!!!!!!!

She is a quick learner indeed!

The part of me that has been feeling bad for her (thinking she's bored out of her mind) is sooooo relieved about this!!! I think her days have gotten WAY more stimulating.

Click to expand...

She is a smart girl!!

It has always amazed me how much cats learn from each other, so much more so than anything we can ever teach them. This tells me that its more critical than ever to make sure she sees positive interaction between you and Batman. Think of all she is learning about humans from that!!

She's learned so much so fast from him!!!

Batman hasn't purred for me in her room yet but I do pet him every chance I can and put my hand out so he comes over and sniffs, etc. Batman doesn't eat off of my hand, but I thought that would be a good thing to try to get more positive associations going too. I'm going to try brushing him in there too - but he can get really hyper about that (and fight the brush) so I won't do that if he gets all crazy on me. I'm hoping he also can show her what the scratching posts are for - I'm not certain she understands.

I was all smiles this morning seeing all those toys moved.

Awww, congratulations on this huge accomplishments and here is wishing for many more to come!!!

Marina