Update on CJ - the traumatized kitty in Maine

sashacat421

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Originally Posted by sherylt


Oh What A Great Morning!!!!!!!!
This morning when I went to visit CJ in his hiding place to give him his breakfast, he came to the edge of his doorway and purred and let me stroke his head. I only patted him a couple of times and then left so as to push too much too soon. But the fact that he just nibbled at the piece of bacon I had taken for a treat as I patted him and didn't flinch or back up made my heart soar
Patience is the key as you all have told me but it's hard to restrain myself from pushing to hard too quick.

Looks like it's going to be great weekend for me!!!!
Hugs from Northern Maine,
Sherylt

OH MY!!!!!!! THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I COULD HAVE WOKEN UP TO THIS MORNING. This is fabulous. Sheryl, how wonderful. I recall these baby steps so well. You are brilliant in what you're doing.
Funny, bacon is Sasha's treat of choice, too. The fact that he let you pet his head is such a good sign. Yes, be patient, he will direct you and control this situation. You are establishing trust all over again.
This will take time. Now, having said that, be prepared for a set back, if that should occur. The next few days he may not come out at all. This is normal. Nothing is wrong. Just let him dictate his pace. He may be so excited for himself that it could possibly skew his appetite some and don't fret about him rejecting a meal in the next day or so. Every baby step will take HUGE effort and energy on his part.


If you have a sweater or something of yours, put lots of your clothes ---but not yet the dog's--- in the room for him to find.


Good going! Oh happy happy morning!

((((BIG FAT HUG)))
Elizabeth
 

mferr84

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Originally Posted by sherylt


Oh What A Great Morning!!!!!!!!
This morning when I went to visit CJ in his hiding place to give him his breakfast, he came to the edge of his doorway and purred and let me stroke his head. I only patted him a couple of times and then left so as to push too much too soon. But the fact that he just nibbled at the piece of bacon I had taken for a treat as I patted him and didn't flinch or back up made my heart soar
Patience is the key as you all have told me but it's hard to restrain myself from pushing to hard too quick.

Looks like it's going to be great weekend for me!!!!
Hugs from Northern Maine,
Sherylt
yeah, that is great news! very happy to hear that!!!
 
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sherylt

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sashacat421 said:
This will take time. Now, having said that, be prepared for a set back, if that should occur. The next few days he may not come out at all. This is normal. Nothing is wrong. Just let him dictate his pace. He may be so excited for himself that it could possibly skew his appetite some and don't fret about him rejecting a meal in the next day or so. Every baby step will take HUGE effort and energy on his part.


Hi Everybody,
Well just a our very wise Elizabeth predicted, one step foward on Saturday, now two steps back. After that very wonderful encounter on Saturday morning, CJ has decided to rethink things. He has gone to a new hiding place which I haven't discovered yet. He is evidently going to the old place, where I still leave his food, after I have left. I'm not pushing to find the new place, as I don't want him to feel that there are no "safe" places for him but instead talk when I am taking his food to the old spot as I have a feeling he is hiding nearby. He has chosen my husband's cellar workshop as there are lots of nooks and crannies there to hide. This sure does require a lot of patience. Thanks, Elizabeth, for holding my hand (and CJ's paw) through this tough time!!!!!
Hugs from Snowy Northern Maine,
sherylt
and CJ, Chuckie the Cat, and Mr. Kitty
 

sashacat421

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ok, easy does it-- easy easy easy....you're doing great. YES it does take a LOT of time. Sasha took almost 2 months just to be able to look out the window. It will take lots of time. I was so looking forward to the update, thank you!!
Does he still have the bandages on? Also, I'm sure you have done this, but is there any way you can just sit with him in the area for about an hour? I know that's a lot to ask. But if you can bring a book and just sit in the same room/area with him and not expect anything. Let him come to you. A lot of movement, even if it's yours, can add stress. Sasha sat in one area for about 8 days. It's ok. I sat with him every day for hours. I think I must've told him "Sashie keep pulling, honey. We love you so much." 25 times a day out loud so he could hear me.
I also took his first 4 days at home completely off and Eric and I worked almost opposite schedules then so he had either one of us almost 24 hrs a day. But Sasha had some severe injuries, we just had to. You are such a wonderful mom to notice his every move and that he was more reticent today. He's so very lucky to have you, Sheryl!!!!

And I love holding your paw. Sasha and I are here for you every step of the way, no matter how long it takes.
 

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Hi Sheryl,

I just got caught up in your thread again. As E said, you are doing all the right things and I applaud you for not pursuing him and trying to find out where he has hidden. God only knows what happened to him when he was lost, but it is evident that something traumatic happened to him. One thing you might keep in mind is that if he got hit in the head (bad people almost always aim for the cat's head) that he may have had his brain jiggled a bit and so just prepare yourself for that possibility.

I disagree with the vets in my area and I say that cats do experience PTSD. I am dealing with it right now with Tazzy and her aggression against the other cats got so bad, we put her on amnitryptilene. But all that does is make her sleep, and although she needs her rest, that is not much a life for a cat. So I am slowly pulling her off of it.

You just need to take it slow and easy. Sit in the room where you know your cat is hiding and read out loud a chapter at a time. When you leave, be sure that on the floor where you are sitting (where your scent is) that you leave nummy treats for him. CJ needs to know that your smell means good things.

Keep the lights dim in the room he is hiding in, and while you are in there, no matter for what reason, talk softly. Talk gibberish, talk about the weather, but just talk. Say his name a few times and if he does come out DON'T stare at him or startle. If he surprises you and makes eye contact, blink your eyes slowly several times in greeting.

Put his food, and water in the same places every time, and the same goes with his litter pan. Stay on a schedule for everything you do for him, so he can depend on you and set his internal clock by your movements. he needs stabilty and routine. You will find that sometimes he is receptive to what you are doing, and other times he is going to act like he doesn't even know you. It will take a long time for the two of you to come back together again. I am sorry that he had to endure such trauma whatever it was. It is to bad they can't talk to us and let us know how to really help them, but just do the best you can-

I know with Tazzy we have really good days and then really bad days. I think she is still processing what happened to her and it will take time for her to understand her leg is gone and I know she misses it, as she was our best hunter-

Good luck!
 
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sherylt

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It's a good morning!!!!! Yesterday afternoon CJ let me know where his new hiding place is! I was in the cellar doing things and I heard this "meow". I knew it was Cj as he has a very quiet soft meow compared to the other cats. I returned the "Meow" and he answered me again so I kept meowing and he kept answering until I found his hiding place. I went and got him some bacon (his favortie treat) and I put it where he could reach it and as I placed it, he came up and rubbed his cheek against my hand. He wanted to rub and be petted more then he wanted the bacon. WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't push things anymore than that. I feel so happy...another tiny step forward.
If you'd like to see pictures of Cj and his friend Buddy Moe just go to this link-
http://www.toleartist.com/Mr.CJ's World.htm

Hugs from Maine,
Sherylt and CJ
 

mferr84

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oh that is the best news ever! i am so excited about this. i check in daily with this thread to see if there is anymore news about CJ. i am very glad he is progressing along! this makes me teary-eyed!!
 
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sherylt

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Even more progress to report with CJ...yesterday was really good. I sat next to the doorway of his hiding place and CJ came over right to the edge and let me pat him,scratch his head, scratch his chin, and then he layed on his side and let me rub his belly. He kept rubbing his face on my hand and that went on for about 20 minutes. But I could not coax him to take a step out of that hiding place. It is his security....it's a dark closed-in area under one of the work shop benches, actually very tight quarters. Poor littlr guy...he can't even stand up in there but evidently the tight, closeness of it makes him feel safe. The hiding places he has chosen all have been tight dark places.
Well, I'll let everybody know tomorrow what progress we make today.

Moose hugs from Maine,

Sheryl ...and of course CJ
 

mferr84

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hip hip hooray!!!!!!!

more wonderful news!!!!

thanks for keeping us posted!!!
 

sashacat421

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Hi Sheryl, sorry - I was off the Boards yesterday, really long hours at work right now. But I can't wait to hear about the latest update....and that he's nudging just warms my heart. Way to go~~ lots more work to get through but you are so wonderful to him.
-E.
 
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sherylt

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CJ's still hiding out but he is greeting me with meows and purrs when he hears me coming to his hiding place and if I put my hand just inside the "cave" he will come over to it and rub his head and chin and generally let me rub, pat, and touch the front half of his body. So I can hear him and feel him but he will not come far enough out for me to see him (it's almost like he is embarassed about having only a few inches of his tail left). I'm spending about 20-30 minutes with him each time, giving him his food treat first which he has ignored the last two times seeking out the patting and stroking before eating. All this is so encouraging and I am struggling to resist the temptation to pull him out and try to hold him. I am letting him set the pace, which is defintely tough, as I want him to come out and be with us. But it is very encouraging to see the tiny baby steps he is taking. Cats have such a fragile psyhce.
Moose hugs from Maine,
Sheryl ...and of course CJ
 

sashacat421

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Moose hugs?? I can only imagine!
Your news of little CJ is so inspiring. I learned a lot from Sasha that surprised me... for instance, he never looked back, he always seemed to be healing forward; he never held a grudge; he loved me the best he could through all the pain and oh, how he suffered on and off the morphine for 2 weeks; he always wanted to "do better" - he'd push himself to eat with a severed tongue, to groom and clean himself even though he fell over trying to do it (I cried) and he was tenacious in his want to move foward. That's what kept coming through. I feel that from CJ and although they seem fragile and are in some ways, the resiliency Sasha showed was amazing.
That's what I learned the most, that with an abundance of love, love can heal just about anything.
Sheryl you are so sensitive and wonderful to him, it just can't be said enough.
You have faith in your little one and whisper to him this very fact and he will heal. It's only been 4 weeks-? and look how far he's come. Actually, I am thinking as I write this and at week 4 Sasha was where CJ is...just coming off the antibiotics and starting to look out the windows again...but it was very, very unpredictable and very delicate. He had moved from the upstairs bedrooms to the downstairs and we actually went out to a movie and he did just fine alone for 3 hrs without either Eric or I there for him.
...but we rushed back and gently embraced him for hours after that, though.

We're still here with ya every step of the way~~
Elizabeth and love to our coyote clubbers, huh!!!
 
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sherylt

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Originally Posted by cla517

Just bumping this for a CJ update!

It's been a busy week with all the Holiday stuff but the last present is wrapped so I can take time to let everyone know where we are at. CJ is still hiding out in his "cave" in Bill's workshop. He also has another spot that is on top of a pile of lumber that is suspended from the ceiling. He's quite an athlete and has always had a fondeness for heigths. He has set himself to my schedule so he always makes sure he is in the "cave" when I come with his treats. He does not venture out for me to see. I have to reach just inside the dark area to give him his treat. He very firmly rubs his cheeks, ears, and head against my hand. He purrs really loud during these sessions. I talk constantly to him during all of this using a real soft calm voice. So it's about the same. We have moved the main supply of cat food into our bedroom and leave the door open at night. The other two cats wander in and out all night. Our hope is that CJ will start to come in there at night and eat. He used to sleep on our bed every night and maybe the familiar surroundings will jog his memory or give him a little confidence.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.......
Sheryl and CJ....
 

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Merry xmas to you and CJ and your family Sheryl! I hope that over the busy holidays he was able to maintain his responsiveness. I must say I do miss reading about him and had grown somewhat attached to your little guy. Now if I felt that from 3000 miles away, I can only surmise how you feel with him right there. Cousin Sasha sends his very best and we want you to know we are still rooting for little adorable CJ.
 
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sherylt

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Well CJ has weathered the holidays without any setbacks!!!!!! And a little progress.... we moved the food for the other cat's and their water into our bedroom so that they wouldn't be hanging out in the usual places in case Cj decided to venture out and about. We leave our bedroom door open at night and there is a "cat access" door for the cellar as that is where the litter box is. You can see the access door from our bedroom. The other night, I awoke being poked by my husband who wanted me to hear CJ meowing from the cellar stairs. I called his name and made a few meow sounds myself. CJ and I "talked" like this for about 5 minutes and then he came out the door and layed down on the floor right next to the cellar door and meowed to me but that was as far as he came. I stayed in bed and did not go to him as I don't want to do anything he could interpret as my "chasing" him. Last night I awoke in the night to crunching noises coming from the cat food dish. In the low light of the nightlight I could see CJ eating. My husband, who was a sleep, moved and the noise startled CJ and he left for the cellar. But all in all, I would say he is taking baby steps everyday. Slow and steady...

Happy New Year to All of CJ's fans,
Sheryl and CJ
 
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sherylt

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Good News!!!! Putting the cat food in the bedroom and gently "forcing" CJ to move about the house more has worked. The night before last I caught a couple of shadowy glimpses of him feeding but if I moved he darted out of the bedroom and off to the safety of the cellar stairs. This morning I woke up and noticed a black kitty sitting next to the food dish, which is right in front of a glass patio door, watching the birds at the feeding station right outside. At first, I thought it was our older black cat, Chuckie, as the cat had his back to me. But then I noticed that the cat sitting there did not have Chuckie's distinguishing "torn" ear. It was CJ, sitting and watching the birds just like he used to. Then Chuckie came in and sat next to him and started licking CJ's head and face (he has always taken care of CJ like a mother cat would even though Chuck is a neutered 10 yr. old male). I let this go on for about 5 minutes and then I softly spoke to CJ. He turned his head and looked at me and then went back to watching the birds. He stayed there for about 15 ninutes until Mr. Kitty, 11 yr.old grumpy neutered male coon cat, came over and growled and hissed at CJ. Mr. Kitty is kind of like "mikey" in the Life cereal commercial - he doesn't like anything or anybody except Buddie Moe, the Golden Retiever...Mr. Kitty's only friend. CJ cringed and then took off to his cellar hiding place. Before CJ's accident, he would have chased Mr. Kitty but now he's the low guy on the totem pole. I am sure that that will all work out in time.
This is real progress for CJ. I think that giving him his space for a month and then gently forcing him to start taking baby steps back to his old way of life is the way to go. If we see him lurking anywhere in the house, my husband and I speak to him but have vowed not to try to pick him up or touch him until he comes to us and rubs against us. It's hard... he's a very cute, cuddly Teddy Bear kind of cat and Bill and I both were always holding him and patting him. WILL POWER!!!!
Have a great New Year everyone!!!!!!

Warm, furry hugs from very cold Northern Maine,

Sheryl and CJ
 

sashacat421

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Sheryl this is great.

It took Sasha 5 months to recover....so I know you want to scoop him up so bad! But your doing great and because of it he is starting to trust you again. His world view has been altered severely, and he does not see nor respond to the same stimuli in the same way. At some point in the future, you will indeed be able to gently scoop him up in your arms for that first hug.
 
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