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Sucker for a pretty face - Page 2

post #31 of 37
3/31/11 at 12:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post
How is Charley doing?? Looking for an update
Thanks for asking! He's still quite shy and reclusive and has come out to eat with me in the room only two or three times since the initial breakthrough. I think he got scared when he first began exploring his room and he knocked a small wooden frame off the dresser and it fell right into his secondary litterbox, probably while he was in the litterbox, too. Stupid me.

He doesn't seem to have done any further exploring since then, so I think I'll buy a bag of the fur mice that he seems to like and scatter them around the room outside his crate to see if that will tempt him to come back out and look around.

I've recently started playing an 80-minute harp music CD whenever he gets fed in the hopes that it will help him relax and be brave about having me in the room while he eats. And maybe one day the big scary monster will eventually become the nice lady who brings the tasty food and makes Charley feel good.
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post #32 of 37
3/31/11 at 12:14pm
Awwww................ I'm sorry he got a scare! It can take a little while to recover from these things, but at least it wasn't too traumatic.
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post #33 of 37
3/31/11 at 1:05pm
Nice to hear that Charley is doing good!!!

Once these little steps start happening more will come!! (The advice and support that comes from the people on this site is very very helpful) But unfortunately with steps forward, you sometimes also get the steps backward. I have had this happen to me on more than one occasion. Just keep hanging in there!!!!

Luna loves playing with mice, so Charley might like to play with them as well. I just put them all over the room and by morning they are knocked all over the place. I also leave a treat as well.

Charley will be just fine, and you are doing a great thing for him. Luna has taken steps forward and then when I think the next day will be maybe the same, I won't see her again for the next 2-3 days.

Don't give up!!! Wishing you and Charley Lots of Love and Luck!!!
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post #34 of 37
3/31/11 at 4:50pm
OH no... I know how you feel when something like that happens. I remember one day shortly after I had trapped Magilla and she was just new to her "safe" room. I went in to feed and we had already made such progress that she would walk right beside me to the spot in the room where I feed her. Well, right when I was just about to set the food down, the door bell rang, the dogs started barking and then I tripped when she startled and I almost fell on her. I couldn't believe it... I took her food from the room and left to give her a few minutes and myself time to calm down. It took her hours to eat that day and a few more days to feel safe again when I brought the food in. But she did recover and these things will happen, not much we can do about them. The more Charley begins to realize that these things won't hurt him when they happen the sooner he will get over them when they do. So even now with Magilla, if something goes haywire she is quicker to get over them.
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post #35 of 37
4/1/11 at 7:16am
Thread Starter 
Wow, Feralvr, that's quite a story! It's great to know that Magilla has learned to take things in stride. I'm trying to be super-patient and understanding of the stress that Charley is experiencing. I expect it will continue to be a slow process of adaptation for him.

I had to traumatize Charley even further last night - he'd miscalculated his aim and pooped on the edge of his litter box (and right on top of his fur mousie!), so I had to close him up in his carrier and take it out of the crate so I could do a thorough cleanup.

I then gave him his wet food dinner, turned down the lights and put on his music, and then I scattered a few new furry mice and chewy treats just outside the crate door. I left him alone until this morning, but there were no signs that he'd ventured out of his crate at all during the night.

So, I gave him his dry food breakfast, turned up the lights and put on his music and left for work. Both my kids are out of school today, so I hope they won't make too much noise and he can get some peace and quiet to help him relax.
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post #36 of 37
4/1/11 at 11:26am
I can see that one... "Kids, please don't make too much noise today, we don't want to scare the cat."

Charley's blessed with a loving, understanding, thoughtful, patient meowmy, and that and time is all it really takes.
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post #37 of 37
4/1/11 at 1:02pm
YEAH right... Kids be quiet today, cannot upset Charley OH the things we do for our little furbabies. Actually, Charley will eventually have to get used to all of the household noises and he will. Have fun with kids today
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