Jimmy is having a breakthrough!!

Glad the Program going's to work for you, Jenn. I'd never heard of it either, so good to know. I think you're right on about Jimmy's weight. He's a big (and handsome) boy!

Thank you LGD. And Star is my only ADULT feral experience. Two of the young cats I have came from feral mothers. The others were strays that wouldhave turned feral had I not took care of them. They were standoffish but not wild and scared. I could tell they had been handled before.. Turtle, Socks, JJ, Mama, Kissy, and Cleo are all females. But they were strays. Dovey and Angie are Mama's babies. I let her take care of them in a spare closet. Cookie is Socks babys. And Tink had a feral mother. But they were 10-11 weeks old when I started feeding them and handling them. Socks litters before I claimed her all turned feral. She belonged to a neighbor that never got her fixed and she had litter after litter until I got her and fixed her.

Everything I do with Jimmy and every step he makes I compare with Star because I have no other adult feral. She was my first. And since finding this site, I realize now all ferals are different. Star and Jimmy are totally different in how they react to things that I do.

In fact, when I started trying to tame her, I had no idea what a feral cat was. I was thought she was afraid of me ... She will probably never like being handled but she is not afraid of me.

I lost Jimmy yesterday. I looked all over and went to work this morning and still couldn't find him. When I got home today I searched every nook and cranny..high and low..... behind stuff in top of all closets. He was gone.

So finally I started looking in all the kitchen cabinets and I found him. Where my silver ware drawer is, there is a space behind it. I was stading there dumfounded and the drawer started moving. I opened the cabinets undernearth and Jimmy is on a small board behind the silverware drawer...

I put him some food in there and some water. Poor little guy!!

But he is ok......

Later on,
Jenn

Jimmy is back out of the kitchen drawers and back camped out in our bedroom. After I get JJ to the vet in the morning, Jimmy might come out. I have been gone working all week so I am not sure what he has been up to.

Jenn can I ask you something? Were you ever afraid you would lose Jimmy in the house? I know it is a stupid question. I have a seven month old foster who came to me about three weeks ago...feral. Her background is that her foster home has had since she was 8 weeks old with her sisters. Her sisters tamed down but Snow White won't. I was asked to foster her to see if I could connect with her. I have her locked in my bathroom right now and she has taken to hiding in the drawers. I talk to her, feed her and otherwise leave her alone, but I feel so helpless with her. I have been told she needs to be out and about with my other social cats but I am so afraid I will lose her! I am thinking about moving her to my room where she can have a large cage as her own and only one cat for company. Faith is a nice cat who is learning to overcome her street cat attitude! I can not let Snow White out with the others until her buddy, Fergie, who I got a week ago tames down. In my room she would have places to hide but I feel like I wouldn't lose quite as easily in there! Is it okay to ask you questions? My experince with ferals is a couple of four week olds who took almost six weeks to come aorund. Fergie who is four months old, not as bad as Snow White and is a work in progress too.

Thanks Regina (Dozen2luv)

Hi Regina,

Keep in mind that I have only had two ferals.... and others with more experience might not agree with me but this is what I have done.

But in my opinion, I would not cage your feral. Let her loose in the house. I initially put Jimmy's crate in a closet and made it all comfy for him but I left the closet door open and the bedroom door open and took the door off the crate. It was only a den...not a cage. So he could move things at his own pace and get to know me and the animals when he felt like he was ready. I fed and watered him everyday and talked to him everytime I went in the room. I occassionly slept in the room as well. I watched TV in the room. All of this was with the door open so if he wanted to flee me, he could.

But I keep all the windows closed. I use central air. I don't want Jimmy to even have access to the screen because of the potential of him possibly getting outside.

But as far as losing him in the house. Nah.....

What I discovered is that since his littler box was in his bedroom, and his food and his water was in HIS CLOSET by the entrace to his den/crate, if he felt threatened, that is where he went. It became his spot until just recently. He would venture but it was during the quiet of the night and then he would return to "his den" when hubby and I started roaming the house in the morning.. He listened and watched everything we did but at a distance.

I did not keep him confined in order to attempt to socialize him. He is moving at his own pace. I think if you cage a wild animal you will never tame them. It's like a chained dog... You know what I mean?

As long as you don't have a spot where she can get inside the walls or have access to the great outdoors, turn her loose, but first move her to a small area that is only hers. The cats you currently have might sniff around in there but that's ok. They have to get ot know each other. Ferals as a rule are not agressive with house [domestic] cats. They are submmissive. They know the rules. If you have a closet you can spare, that's great. But put her crate inside the closet and don't face it outward. Remember that is her hiding spot. Her safety net. She will hear the house activity and eventually get curious. But all ferals are not the same. Never rush her. Just feed, water and talk to her. But she has to have a safe spot to hide in.

And like I said, if you make her a special space you will not lose her in the house. I kept Jimmy's food and water by the entrace of his crate in his closet. The litter box was across the room.

And actually, the first three to four days he was here, when I got him, the bedroom door was closed but then I opened it. And you know what, he stayed in the bedroom because he felt safe there. When he finally started venturing in the night, that is where he would go when he got nervous. It was the safe spot. And it was Jimmy's room.

Jimmy NOW uses three closest and sits under the kitchen sink as well. He likes cabinets. He sits sometimes on top of my washing machine and in shelves across from it.

He knows the entire house now. And since he knows the other cats and the house, the people are next and he will come around. He is doing better because he was not confined.

If you confine your feral, what territory does she have to learn? None.

You want her to learn your house and your domestics so she can find her spot. It will be ok....

If anyone else, like Eileen, has any suggestions for Regina post em. There are severl feral people here.

And also, know this. Some ferals never like being petted. Star for instance, lives here, meows to go in and out, talks to me, feels safe, but has never sat in my lap... It has been over two years. Probaby two and a half... But she knows this is home. The cats I have are part of her cat pack.. She found her place with them and uses the rules they go by..

That was my long answer....

So I guess for a short answer.....make her a spot and open the house up to her. A crate in a closet [with no door on the crate] is wonderful. Leave the closet door open as well and the room door open. Face the crate away from the closet door so she can hide. Put her food and water at the entrace of the crate on the floor. And put her a litter box in that room. You might close the door to that one room for a few days so she can learn ONE ROOM. Then open it.

Your cats might go eat her food and they probably will. So just keep her bowl full and say hello when you see her... She will come around but it might take a long time. Jimmy is not there yet. He still has a long way to go. Itt took him three months to just learn the house territory and my cats. And since he observes us now, he is seeing me pet them and love on them. It think that helps too.

Keep me posted.
Jenn

p.s. Something else you might do, is copy your post to me and open a new topic in the feral section and ask others also. The difference between us and our ferals is I keep mine and yours is a foster child. I have absolutely no idea how a feral in foster care would do if they bonded to a person while in foster care and were then adopted. Jimmy was also in foster care for over a year with no results. But Eileen, in this thread, was with Jimmy in his foster care days. She might have a suggestion or two for you to try. And Hissy also has much much foster experience. And I'm sure others do too but I don't know theri names. But mine, I have kept.. I'm a sucker for the ferals. I love it when they make progress. And I get attached very easy. After bringing them so far, I have to keep them because they bonded with me. If I had been a foster mother to Star, I would have had to adopt her myself and the same with Jimmy. And since my others were strays and babies of ferals, they don't like other people. They disappear when other people come around and I think that is typical. I went to Texas for a couple weeks recently and my husband stayed home. Star stayed outside the entire time I was gone. She would not come in the house for my husband. He said he stood in the doorway with the door open 15 minutes at a time and she would not cross the thresheld for him to come inside. She would sit back and look at him. She only does that for me and she has lived with him a long time. As soon as I got back from Texas, she came in and stayed for a for a few days relieved things were back to normal. She was happy to be in. Star walks past him in the house and lays on the back of the couch if he is sitting there but she does not like change....like hubby putting her in or out of the house or me being gone since it puts her off schedule.... He has never been able to pet her. ... She doesn't even like her catfood changed. She likes everything to remain the same. Jimmy will probaby have lots of those same traits when he is a little further along.

And Jimmy will not eat in front of me. He waits till I leave. I saw him eat one time but that was special circumstances. I have never seen him poop nor drink water. He does it when humans are not around. Star will poop when I am around and drink water........BUT NOT AT FIRST.

Although Snow White is a foster I have already made my mind up that she has found a spot at my house if she needs it. Just can't tell the people I foster for yet! I don't think any of them want to admit that they have one that is probably unadoptable. I have 17 of my own and one of those is moving out with my 20 year old so she wouldn't increase the number any. I have a cat who lives in the cupboard or under the couch and she is not a feral. She just perfers those spaces, so there is always room for Snow White. I have a soft spot for the underdogs! I will put her in my room for now. I don't want her and Fergie together yet. Fergie's story is she was a kitten we couldn't catch when we got the rest of the litter so she was caught later and she is somewhat feral. She was at the same foster with Snow White and they were best buddies. She is with me now too. I am the foster who ends up with the problem kitties! Not that I mind I have cats of my own with issues.

Thanks Regina

Originally Posted by jcribbs

I lost Jimmy yesterday. I looked all over and went to work this morning and still couldn't find him. When I got home today I searched every nook and cranny..high and low..... behind stuff in top of all closets. He was gone.

So finally I started looking in all the kitchen cabinets and I found him. Where my silver ware drawer is, there is a space behind it. I was stading there dumfounded and the drawer started moving. I opened the cabinets undernearth and Jimmy is on a small board behind the silverware drawer...

I put him some food in there and some water. Poor little guy!!

But he is ok......

Later on,
Jenn

Click to expand...

Poor little guy, but poor Jenn too! How scary for you both. I'm glad it turned out ok.

I knew Jimmy was there in the house. Just "finding the spot" was my only problem. When the drawer opened by it self, I knew where he was. If it wasn't JImmy .....well, I had a ghost.

and Regina......that's wonderful that you will probaby keep SnowWhite. That's so cool You are a very loving person to do that. I can tell. Please update on her progress. I will be wondering how she is doing.

I also am planning on putting Jimmy's crate in our bedroom closet. He has recently decided he lives living under our dresser. There is a space there about 9" from the floor so he has room. But the front is real close to the floor so he peeks out at all of us. I slide him a little soft kitty food in a saucer under there......wait 30 minutes....and then go get his emply plate. I am testing which soft cat food he likes for his Program Flea Control... He likes Friskies so far and ate it all today in lieu of his hard cat food. He is not a picky eater thank goodness..

And Regina, I am sending you all the luck in the world as you work with Snow White. I love the feral bond and it thrills me when I see another the same way.

And what? You only have 17 cats???? hehe I got ya beat. I have 18. I had 13 until recently but a stray male, a mama and three babies wormed their way into my life... So overnight nearly, the number increased.

Once again..........good luck. Mine were all underdogs too except for TWO.
Jenn

JUST SAW JIMMY..........

HUBBY AND I WERE IN THE LIVING ROOM TALKING AND JIMMY JUST SPEEDWALKED THOUGH THE LIVING ROOM TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM.

HEHE............ He was walking low and fast but not running......

Jenn

We have also decided HOW we are going to place Jimmy in the new house. He needs a safe spot.

So this is what I have planned for Jimmy. I am placing his crate beside our bed in a corner so he can view the comings and going from the kitty door. I plan on keeping cat food inside the house and not in the enclosure until Jimmy can go in and out with ease. That might change later but at first if he has food and shelter outside, he would have no reason to come back in the house and so he wouldn't... Water will be in and out.

We are putting a section of linoleum in front of the cat door for food and water. [does anyone else plan their lives according to their cats???? ]

But this is my plan...... Eileen what do you think? Jimmy is not going to be a closet kitty any longer after we move. But he will have a safe corner with his crate so he can hide if he wants to.

It is a pretty large bedroom. It's about 16 foot square or lightly smaller. It's a good size.



And this picture is from where the crate will be located so Jimmy can plainly see the cat door and food by it.



But that's my plan when we get moved.


Cat door is cut out, taped and bedded around tomorrow it will be textured. And a lot of other things too.


I thought we would have all this finished months ago. It's been a slow process getting it all finished. Hubby is a darn perfectionist and about some thing I am too...... So, that has slowed us down some. We keep redoing and redoing because this is where we are going to live for the rest of our lives...

But reaching this point in the cabin, we see now that we are only mere weeks away from living here. The hotel where my husband used to work ordered way too much carpet for the rooms so they gave it to us. They were going to throw it away. So we have beautiful brand new carpet and padding and it is enough for the living room, bedroom and hallway plus the extra bedroom we are going to build in a year or two. It is dark green and matches the kitchen floor perfectly.

It seems this angel is doing her job. My grandmother made her and she is watching over our little cabin so we can complete it...





Signing off,
Jenn

I just saw Jimmy and I believe he was hurt by a human ar some point in his life... Yes, he is feral but I also thing he has hurt and so that is his double whammy and probably why it has taken him a little longer to come around..

He was sitting in the living room just now watching me from about 15 feet away and Socks growled viciously at one of the kittens. She was under my feet as was the baby Hank. Socks was angry at Hank and she could hurt him. And she was serious too. He is tiny and she weighs at least 14 lbs or so. Maybe more. She is a chunck and can be very domineering to the others. She used to be more dominate than she is now and before we moved when she was totally outside, she ruled the roost of the feral world. But when she growled at Hank, I pointed my finger at her and said NO. I did not yell or anything like that, but firmly told her "NO, Socks, NO" and she quit. Adn I moved Hank to another area. Socks knows what no means as well. All the cats know No and Get down and Want to go Outside and Snack and Come, and Kitty Food. And several other things too, but those are the main words. And each one knows their name. All except for the babies, Cow and JJ. The others I have had for a long time. I talk to them and sing to them all the time when we are alone. When I can't get one to come inside, I go out and call there name and Toe stands with me looking for the one I am calling. He helps me find them. He is head of the kitty pride at the Cribbs house.

But back to my story........By me just saying that in the firm tone scared Jimmy to death. He ran like a banshee from hades back to his crate... I am serious. I will have to be careful I guess, but I suspect due to his reaction to my pointing my finger and saying NO that something bad happened to him. I could be wrong but I don't think so. We laugh and get loud in here and turn the tv up loud and he doesn't run from that. And I was talking normally just firm. Maybe it was my tone and he could tell I was displeased. But if he is able to know when I am displeased that means he has experiened that before.....from another human and he remembers.. At least I think??? But also since he was a inner city cat, he might have seen things that I haven't even seen and maybe it just reminded him of something. I jjust don'tknow. I don't think it will set him back but we will see. He comes out daily now and checks things out. Usually in the evening and I suspect he is in here most of the night while we are sleeping.

At least that's how it looked. Anyone have any ideas on this?......

Poor little Jimmy. He will one day get over all of this and can put things behind him and know how good it is to be loved and petted.

Jenn

p.s. When I first moved Socks up here from Arkansas, she had never been a house cat or an in/out cat. But when I first started feeding her back in Arkansas, she attacked me over her babies once. The litter cookie is from actually. She had them hid under an old car in my alley and I was squatting down to try and see them. She kept them in the engine. I couldn't even see them but I was calling to them. I wasn't touching them at all and she came out of nowhere and jumped on top of my head and seriously attacked me. It scared me to death. She was one mean mama. Glad she is fixed now. When we moved the neighbors gave her to us cause they did not care about her at all. But the first time she came in the house, she took it all in stride. We could not get her back outside. She, by choice, stayed in for a whole month at least... She was so happy to be inside the house. The neighbors never let her inside nor fixed her so all her litters were turned feral. Cookie was the only one I could save and that was because she had this litter on my property. The only reason Cookie let me get close to her is beause of tink. Tink was so tiny when she came to me and Cookie liked Tink. They were friends. Cookie would watch me pet Tink and give her milk and she wanted some. Cookie was probably 4-5 months old and had never been handled. I'm just guessing at her age. Tink was younger and her mother was also a feral. An older feral. The rest of Tink litter got eaten by dogs. We lived in town at the time.. But Socks was one mean mama over her babies. And as long as Hank and Princess Minny and Honey stay out of her way she is fine. But she is one of the ones I put outside when I go somewhere because I don't want her alone with the babies until they are big enough to defend themselves. It took her a few months after becoming an in/out cat that she quit biting me for touching her back legs. She is fine now with that because I was persistant. Before she finally gave it up, she would just look at me and hold my finger in her teeth but not bite me. She was saying 'please'.. But when she reached that point, we made it. Now she doesn't mind anything and will lay in my lap on her back. She is a good girl but I don't trust her with the babies or with people. If a stranger cornered her, she would attack them with all her might. Someone on the forum was telling me they would not kiss their ferals forehead for quite some time after adopting them. Socks was like that. We did not put our faces close to her for several months. She was very unpredictable with her claws. Those days are over now and she is very sweet. But in spite of all that sweetness now, like I said, she would attack a stranger if cornered. She loves us now and works her paws on us all the time and purrs. But she used to not be that way. It took work to get her used to love. Just like Jimmy actually..

This is Socks. She is very big and has very beautiful bright green eyes. They are a very unusual color green. They stand out and that is first thing you notice about her are the color of her eyes.

Jenn, I love the image of Jimmy "speedwalking" through the living room - too cute!

The plans for bedroom and set up for Jimmy look great. Sounds like it will give him the security he needs, plus the opportunity to be more independent when he's ready. You must be so excited that the house is finally nearing completion. That's great about the carpet. Sounds just perfect.

Not sure what to tell you about Jimmy being so startled by your tone of voice. He was probably close to six-months-old by the time Millie was able to trap him, so who knows what his experiences were with humans before that. Like you said, he came from a tough, inner-city neighborhood. There's good, caring people there, but also a fair share of violence, so it's entirely possible he was mistreated or even abused. Coupled with him being feral it is a double whammy. It's going to take him that much longer to learn to trust and there are bound to be some setbacks. But, just look at what tremendous progress he's made in the few shorts months you've had him!

And, Socks is another wonderful example. She's a gorgeous girl!

Yes, he's my little speedwalker!!! And that's exactly what he did. Low and close to the floor and with eyes darting around... He is precious!

And yes, he is making great progress. I have JJ's recovery crate for nighttime close to Jimmy's....... So they can share stuff. Both are close to us.

I wanted JJ's dog crate recovery room close to us during the night. I put the door back on it so I can put him in there at night and not worry about him while I sleep. Vet said we can let him roam the house during the day and let him do whatever he feels like doing. I also put Jimmy crate close to our bed. If I do it now I think when we move the transition will be easier on him. He know this place and he is very familiar with our bedroom. I faced his crate away from us and away from JJ's so he will feel more isolated. He still needs that. It is his security. But for now, this is how I have them. The litter box will be moved but for now I just stuck it in a spot so Jimmy won't wonder where it's at. He likes his own litter box. He does not like going after the other cats. Isn't that funny?

But here is the shared area in our bedroom...... I gave Jimmy his own afghan and put it in his crate... He seems to like it.

One good thing about Jimmy being here is we have the same sounds all the time. Same TV shows. No children running though. Same cats.... There are no fights or yelling. It is a calm house or as calm as a house can be with 18 cats and three dogs. hehe But he KNOWS what to expect. And maybe that is it. Maybe since that was the first time he had heard ME speak in a corrective tone. That might have been all it was. There are no surprises like in the feral world of his youth. If Jimmy had not been caught when he was, no telling what would have happened to him.

I was reading in another cat forum this morning to gain more knowledge on ferals and one woman had posted it was 10 yrs before she could pet her adopted feral. Personally I think by this time next year, Jimmy will be an in/out cat in his enclosure and lay around the house with the other cats.

And gues what??? Jimmy just walked in the living room pretty as you please. I am sitting here typing and hubby is laying on the couch. We keep a litter area for the kittens in a corner and Jimmy just made a liar out of me. He went and used the litter box in front of us. That was the first time. I asked my husband "Is that Jimmy".. and he sat up and said "yes it is....".. I think it is a sign of trust when a cat poops in front of you expecially a feral. Jimmy has never done that before. I guess this means I can relocate the litter by his new crate location back to the laundry room. Thank god. I was not gungho about a cat box in the bedroom.. Yeah for Jimmy!!!

And when he finished he speed-walked back to his crate. He was in the laundry room initially when he went to the litter area. He just stopped to poop on the way to the bedroom. Wonder what he thinks of his new crate location? I also got him and JJ an automatic water bucket today for our bedroom. If Jimmy get nervous I never want him wondering about water so I keep food and water in front of his crate. In the above pic, you can sees his spilt food.

wow, that is awsome about his pooping with us in the room. He is truely trusting us.. I am so grateful to whoever is up there watching out for JImmy and making him feel safe in his home. Feeling safe in your home is always a good thing.

I am just sitting here thinking about Jimmy now. It is hard to believe he pooped with us in the same room. That is better than speed walking... I'll see if I can get you pic of him in his crate. I'm sure that's where he is right now.

Jenn

Look at this........ I just took this. I blocked the background out so you could see him better. Look how relaxed he is... This was taken just now. He was sitting in the restroom floor.

I have never seen him look so relaxed. He is giving it all up and is accepting us now. I can see it in his eyes. They want to love. When I talked to him, he tilted his little head listening to me talk. I only took one picture and did not want to disturb him. The babies were in there with him sleeping on the toilet seat cover and he was in the floor watching them sleep. He loves those babies.. They have helped him so much.



This is one of Jimmy's first photos taken last april. He has came a long way. He was hiding... He was so scared here. Now, he sits in the open and poops with us in the room. wow!!!

I have really enjoyed reading about Jimmy and his progress. I think he is very lucky to have your home to live in.

But.... I have to say.... this statement just cracked me up.

"I think it is a sign of trust when a cat poops in front of you"

I'm sure it is completely true, but just never would have thought of it that way.

Keep up the posts and the reports of the progress.

Wow. Looking at those then and now pics of Jimmy really shows how far he's come. He looks happy and relaxed now. And, you're right, Jenn, there is love and curiousity in his lives. With all the progress he's made in the few months that you've had him, I think your estimate of him accepting human affection and completely settling in is a safe one. It's so great that you've allowed Jimmy to set the pace and are so accepting of him. That's what is helping him the most.

I had to laugh at your description of him pooping in front of you and hubby. It's great that he's become so comfortable around you. Only true cat people would get so excited about something like that!

Poop can be exciting stuff!!! .....

JJ did not like his recovery room/crate by the way, so I am giving Molly the dog her den back today and putting Jimmy's crate in the corner. JJ was too sad to crate last night. He wanted to sleep on the couch. The other cats are leaving him alone so he will be ok and he was ok this morning..

Poor Molly had to sleep on a blanket last night. She stood and stared at it last nights like I was nuts for expecting her to sleep on "a blanket".. She wanted her den back. Rotten animals......hehe

What wonderful progress Jimmy has made. Isn't it amazing how much a kitty friend (or kittens in this case) can help a feral progress. Big hugs Jimmy.

Oh Jenn..there is nothing but good news in your house today (just came from JJ's thread). It's all so wonderful!!!