Jimmy update!!! - Page 2

Well, today was a new day. I have all the kitties in the enclosure tonight so I can rest worry free.

The cats love it when we sit outside. It makes them lively. So, here's a couple new pics I took today:

This is Jimmy under his tree that he LOVES with his friends...this is a huge tree.


And here's the road kitties. They were all standing and playing in the road. Jimmy was fixing to pounce. They feel so good out there playing.


And here's Jim in quiet contemplation.


And here he is stepping out --


And here is is just walking around. He loves his yard. He has not left it one single time except to walk in the road today..... He's a home body. And that's my husband's cute little head. He was drinking a martini!



And here's the rest of my husband. We pump water from the creek from drinking and bathing. he was getting us ready for the upcoming winter the other day. This was his "surprise" face!



And more another day...
Jenn

aha....... You must mean Muffin. ssssshhhhhhhhhhhh -- Don't tell her she's not a cat. She thinks her only problem is her "broken purr button".....

She loves the kitties and snuggles with them during the cold nights.

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Right now, every one is chowing on a deer leg. We just filled our freezer. We're not killers but the neighbor took one down and gave it to us..

My big dog Emma has never eaten a deer leg. She sniffed at it and then it was like some wild instinct took over and she lay down with it, draped her arm over it and got with it. Low growls ensued with other dogs staying away until she was finished. Like a pack.

Thank you Catbehaviors. We try real real hard to give them everything they need.

They are all tucked in for the night in the enclosure. I keep the back light on for them to deter coyotes from coming in our yard. They have their own motion detector light OUTSIDE of the enclosure so if anything approaches, a spot light beams on .

Star and Toe are on the porch tonight. They have two rubbermaid crates facing each other about a foot apart with blankets tucked in each one and up over the sides so the sides will be warm as well. Then I have a big piece of carpet draped over both of the crates. They are warm warm warm....and totally happy.

OMG, I love the new forum look/style!!!!!!!!!!

 

The reason I stopped by was to post another update.  Jimmy has decided the only way he will go in the enclosure at night is IF I give him a snack first.   I call it "wienee snacks".   He runs behind me meowing.  After he eats it  I have to pick him up and carry him.  I made sure to set him down gently and stoke  him after he is back on the ground so he feels he did a great job.  

 

He also has to be either the first cat or the last cat in the enclosure at night.  Don't know why as that's his decision.

 

Today I walked a path to the creek that my husband had mowed and looked behind me and there was Jimmy.  He went on a walk with me.  He meowed and talked after he saw me notice him.  He is really doing great.  When I left to come back to the house, he followed right along behind me.   He's a real little trooper and has came so darn far.  He still won't lay in my lap however.

 

I have a little video/audio tape of him meowing at me somewhere.  I'll have to find it.  

 

Jenn

Here a pic of JIMBO that I took today.

 

With the cold weather setting in, he prefers to sleep inside again.  Bless he little spoiled heart!!  He is so relaxed on the "couch bed"... I went to town and bought a hamburger and he wants it.  You can see his mouth open meowing at me.  lol.........  He has been inside all this week.  He does not want outside.  It is possible something scared him and he just feels safer in the house.  OR, he has discovered he has a choice -- outside with the enclosure OR in the house..  His choice is obvious which really pleases me immensely.  

 

The enclosure, by the way, is stuffed full of straw now with their blankets burrowed down in the stray.  They love it!  I have also ordered our bathroom heather (therm controlled) which we are going to use from our restroom to heat the enclosure.  Total fire safety.  The heater should be delivered to my husband's job this week.  After we get it installed and figure out how we plan on heating their enclosure from inside our restroom, I'll post some pics.  Husband is planning on some sort of blower system keeping it at around 36-40 degree all winter. That is plenty warm with fur coats.

 

I was paranoid last week.  Thought I lost Star and Tink.  But they were tucked in the enclosure napping.  Jeez.  I've got to relax.  It's just so different with them running around outside.  On bad days, rainy, cold, whatever, I keep them enclosed/housed with us.

 

They have gained mega weight since being outside.  They are squirrel/rabbit hunters  and I can tell the difference.  They are all so shiny and fat since hunting.  I never realized how much they really needed to be free.

 

Every evening around 5pm, I take a weinee outside and call them and they all run inside the enclosure for me for their treat.  I use my "written cat list" and count them by name to make sure all are accounted for.  We ususally have 4-6 in the house at night.  The oldest usually stay in with us at night.   We have a system and it works!

 

Last week I was gone (sick in hospital) and husband had to put them up two nights.  NONE cooperated with him.  He had to leave them out for two freaking nights.  They would not come in the house for him and they would not go in the enclosure for him.  The weinee trick did not work.  hahahahaha..  Thank goodness they were all alright.  What he is doing now is when I go put them up, he goes with me so they will be used to his presence in case I am absent again.  He is practicing his cat call to try to sound like me.  Ferals get used to one thing or one person and it's hard to deviate from it.  I am trying to help them with him, but he is not their person.

 

Edited by jcribbs - 11/25/11 at 9:04am

Jimmy is rotten.  He is laying here letting me pet him.  He has his little head burrowed down in my palm and he is working his little paws making biscuits in the covers while I scratch his ears.  He is an amazing cat!  He is there and he knows it!!

He's a corker, that's for sure!!

 

The one thing he has never gotten over from day 1 of me getting him is --- sleeping under the kitchen cabinets.  Where we live we have curtains instead of doors so he loves it.  I have him a pillow in the corner under there.  That's where he goes when he wants his "alone time"....... 

Thanks.........

 

We have also made a big decision concerning Jimmy.  We have decided to keep him indoors with us till next spring.  I don't think he'll mind.  He likes it.

 

The reason is he is wishy washy about going in the enclosure at night sometimes.  When outside, he prefers to sleep on the porch by the front door like Toe does, on a blanket.  He is tom cat through and through.  But with cold weather here, I worry.  And I don't like to worry.  In the winter, game is less scarce and they become targets for fox, bobcats, coyotes and that's just not going to happen .  He does't run off or anything like that.  But I want him to have a heated place and be safe.

 

He is not like the others who flock to the enclosure or who run in the house.  He moves cautiously and probably always will.  I don't want  to  have to worry about him getting stuck outside in the snow in below freezing temps with freezing pads on his little feet.  The others will do fine with the enclosure as they will go inside to get out of the weather.  Jimmy doesn't.  Oh he heads in there and eats but I have never seen him take a nap inside with the door open.

 

He might have me fooled.  He's pretty smart.  But I am leaving him in till spring.  I'll let him back out after the last frost, which will be next March.  So I am keeping him in all winter.

 

I probably will shut the enclosure doors this winter on all of them.  They will be so upset but in March they can resume they vigil on the yard...  They have a 1200 square foot enclosure with a heated house.  They can make it with that for 4 months.  I probably won't shut the door until ice/snow hits as far as the other, but their time is coming too.  Dec-March.....  all snow and ice will be over hopefully.  

 

our bathroom heater ships tomorrow..... and we can set up their heat system.  I'll post pics.  I had pnumonia.  I'm okay now though.

ok, I have my first problem with Jimmy......  And I never thought I would see this day!  

 

I have decided he is completely over being feral because I can't keep him off my fireplace mantle.  He wants to lay up there and sleep among my trinkets.  The first time he got up there I carefully told him NO and touched his hip and he shot down...  The second time I was a little firmer.  And the third I firmly walked over to him and said "Jimmy what are you doing up there?"..

 

I just got him down again.  He has actually cleared him a little spot up there and pushed everything aside and curls up and crashes up there so he can watch all the comings and goings on around the house.    

 

He hasn't broken anything yet but he is not listening to me.  That's not how a feral would act.  He is acting like a big ole fat house cat!!! hahahahahha

 

Jenn

yep..........~  he is a mess.  pretty spoiled.  Since not very many cats are in the house, he feels like he is king.  The only other male in the house is 16 and he's pretty passive so Jimmy has claimed the territory...  He is very happy to be back with princess minny pearl.

ok, Jimmy understand the mantle now and also knows what down means.  I was just watching him walk around the living room and I could tell he wanted up there as he kept glancing at the mantle..  

 

So I watched him ---  he got on the couch and made his jump and then turned around and looked directly at me after getting on the  mantle.  I never left my chair, but  I snapped my fingers at him and pointed to the floor and said "down" and he jumped right down. 

 

He knows........ he's a smart kitty.

that's so true..........  

 

I have been rocking a spot in front of the fireplace the last couple days for the animals.  We are fixing to re-carpet the living room and I'm frantic -- trying to get this done before winter sets in.   I'm running out of time.

 

But this will be the older indoor cats rocked spot in front of the fire.  Still have a little more to do.  Needs to be a little bigger but it's coming along nicely.  I think they will enjoy it very much....  rock holds heat.  right now since it's new and all, they are avoiding it like the plague or something.  Not one animal has set a foot on it.

.   

Well, it's 11 degrees and all 18 kitty babies are in the house..... they will be in for a few days due to a cold snap in our area.  Supposed to have wind chill of 6-9 below tonight.  And Monday supposed to have snow.  We have been bringing them in if the actual temp falls before 25.  Their kitty house stays about 10 degrees warmer than the outside air, so below 25 puts them in the freeing zone and I can't have them getting cold.

 

All I can say is "Thank God we have a big big two story house"!!!!

Yeah, it's pretty cold right now.  Supposed to snow tonight, so they are in.  They have been in for two days.  Right now they are in a pile in front of the fire place.

 

They'll be in all day tomorrow and then Tuesday it's supposed to be in the 40's, so they can go out then.  And then back in the 50's and 60's for the following two weeks.

But they are enjoying being in.

 

And I do have a little update on Jimmy.  Jimmy loves to lay by the fireplace or on the foot of the couch.  I always just leave him alone when he's in one of his fav spots so I won't disturb him.  I like him totally relaxed, but the other day when he was on the end of the couch, I got on the other end, stretched out with my feet beside him and he took it in stride and just went to sleep by my feet......OMG.

 

And then today he was laying in the middle of the couch and I laid down on the couch and he settled in behind my knees.  I am just shocked.  We have come so far....  I didn't think he would do that but he is totally relaxed with me laying beside him as long as I don't touch him with my body........hehehe.  He will lay inches from me as long as we don't touch.  And he will actually settle in and sleep there beside me.

 

He has also been taking naps with my big old lab Emma too.....  he likes to lay by her warmth and she seems to enjoy him as well. 

 

One day he will be a lap kitty.  I see it coming.  I can actually see that day in his future. 

 

He is going to enjoy this summer so much.  They all love the creek and watching the schools of minnows swimming.  He already follows me around if I take a walk down there.  But this will be his first summer out in the open chasing squirells and rabbits and birds....  This will be Jimmy's best year.  

Jimmy, Jimmy Jimmy......  I love you!!!

 

Today he sat on the chaise lounge chair with me and I KISSED HIM ALL OVER HIS HEAD.......  he actually let me.  And he rubbed all over me.....  Finally...I have been waiting for this day!!!  I even laid down beside him and he just stayed there...  

 

It's the little things with ferals that make it all worthwhile......It has taken me years to get a really good SAFE kiss from him.....

 

Jenn

 

 

He's pretty awesome Miss Elly....  He is even letting hubby pet him "slightly"...  But he is my cat...  He is fat and sassy.  I have kept him indoors with me throughout the winter so he learned the joys of a wood burning stove and it's warmth..    He is doing great and he is a spectacular cat.  He is still moving forward but the steps are different now.  Most of his steps are mental with trust being involved in them.  He likes to follow me around outside when I go on walks.  He is about 10 steps behind ......... but that's ok...  He knows he is safe and that's all that matters. 

 

I can't wait till he sees his first school of minnows...... hehehe

 

I'll try to post a couple pics of him in a few days.

 

Jenn