Jimmy is having a breakthrough!!

jcribbs

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Oh my gosh, I am soooooo excited. For those of you who don't know Jimmy Cat, he is a cat I adopted from one of the members here. He is absolutely feral and I adopted him on April 19th. He had been in foster care for a year.

He had never been in a home type situation before so we are his first family and the only ones he will ever have... He had avoided human contact except for the first few days he was with us and I honestly think he let me pet him then because he was terrified.

So several months have passed with this wild kitty man living in my house. I had given him a closet for a cave/den and put his crate in there and I also put his food bowl and water in there. At night when we would be in bed, he would explore the house and he took a liking to the laundry room and at night would spend time in there, but lately he has been spending more time in the room where his closet is. And that is because I have three baby kitten who are living in there with him. He has nearly adopted one of named Minny. She is about 10 weeks old.

But two days ago, I sat in the closet with Jimmy and put some raw steak in a saucer and placed it about 3-4 feet from him. I left the closet with him close to the steak and he ate it and loved it.

Ever since then, he has been more open with me. I do not try to touch him and I have given him his own space. I read a thread by Hissy that said to blink slowly and lower your head when you look at him and that is feral cat talk and you are being submissive to him. I do that and he does it back to me.

But anyway, tonight I went in the bedroom and he was sitting on the dresser in the bedroom. He stayed there and did not run. I took this picture of him. He stayed there a few minutes and I talked to him as I sat on the bed. He stayed there long enough for me to get two pictures of him on the dresser.. That is just amazing. And I was about 4 feet from him when took this. This last week he has done this a couple of times but when I break eye contack or turn my back on him, he dashes to this closet. Tonight when I turned away and walked to the bed and sat down, he remained there for a few more minutes. I caught a picture of his tail as he jumped down and sent that to Eileen..... hehe

Isn't he cute peeking around the starch can???



When he jumped down and went to the living room and NOT his closet/den/crate. A few minutes passed and he came back to the bedroom and got in his closet. I was already back in the living room. But I was excited by this because he was actually out in the open with me [not hiding or running]. So a few minutes later, I went back to the bedroom and he had gotton back on the dresser again. He sat there a moment while I talked to him and then he jumped down and went BACK to the living room AGAIN. I moved his covers and put them in this spot because the last week I have noticed he really likes to lay on the dresser. So I fixed him a bed up there and gave him three bites of cheese for being a good boy. Then when I returned to the living room, he was sitting under the table with another cat of mine named Socks. I sat down carefully on the couch and just watched him talking quietly to him and he listened to me. He was alert and not afraid... For the first time!!!


But then I spooked him. I walked toward him to get the camera and he went back to his room where his closet is located. I waited a few mintues and went in there and took this picture. And when I took this, he stayed in the window. I left the room and he remained in the window. He did not run away. He was still there when I left the room.



The reason the window picture is exciting is because while he was in foster care for the year he had no windows and the woman I adopted him from wanted so badly to see a picture of Jimmy looking out his window so this is for Eileen who loves Jimmy too. I knew he sat in the window but he would make a mad dash for the closet if me or my husbby got close to the door so until now a picture of this was impossible. And this took me totally by surprise tongiht. Previously, he knew when I was coming down the hallway and he would get in his crate in the closet so he would not be out in the open with a human around. The fact that he is staying put when I enter the room tells me he is trusting me.... He is a beautiful boy, more so than these pictures. I changed the megapixels on my camera so his next pictures will be clearer. This was vega. I have it set to 7megapixels now. But he is georgous and a huge boy.

But Jimmy is coming around. And one day he will truely trust me. But this is a breakthough for Jimmy. He is finally feeling comfortable enough to be with out of his closet and have ME in the same room.

Something that might have helped Jimmy, other than the steak, was the kittens. I am in there constantly playing with them, holding them, kissing them and loving on them. Jimmy sees this and he is used to my odor on them.

This is exciting stuff to me and I will have to be careful not to over whelm him with my zestfulness. I must just keep doing things that way I have becuase I want him to progress forward and not get scared and revert back to his hiding stage. He might anyway but if he does, he will quickly come back. He wants to trust me...



In my opinion, there is nothing more rewarding than gaining the trust of a true feral adult cat. There is no closer bond.

Jenn
 
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jcribbs

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I had to go peek at him one more time before I crash and he was eating kitten chow. He had two bowls of Cat Chow in the closet with his water, but he likes kitten chow.

He went back to his crate when I entered but he WALKED to his crate. He did not run.

Ok, now bed time.. Nite all,
Jenn
 

eilcon

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Hurray for Jimmy and you too, Jenn!!! I love the pictures of him. He's such a handsome boy!
And, that picture of him in the window is something I've been longing to see. It really sounds like Jimmy is feeling safe and that he can trust you. You're doing a great job with him and your patience is paying off. Thanks for taking such good care of our sweet boy!
 
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jcribbs

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Thanks guys...... He will get there!!!! I am going to go back to carrying on like I normally do again so he will feel as though things haven't changed..........but they have!!!! Since yesterday he has a lot to think about.... I don't want to spook him. If something happens and I am FORCED to take a picture, I will post it.

I have to sheetrock today and the dogs are going to be outside so I'm putting most of the cats outside that I feel might be agressive toward the babies. That way Jimmy and the babes have free run of the house with the passive females and males. Socks, JJ , Cleo, and Yellow. They are all good with the babies. And that way Jimmy can get back to his regular things, like drinking in the kitchen and lounging in the laundry room.

It's just wonderful to see his progress!!!

Jenn
 

renny

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That's such wonderful news Jenn, and Jimmy is such a handsome fellow. I'm glad to hear that he is starting to feel safe and at home with you. Are you worried there might be a setback when you have to pack them all up to move?
 

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This is great news! I'm so happy for you. Thank you for taking on the challange of a wild kitty, you are a big hearted person for doing so!
 
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jcribbs

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He a good boy........

As far as a setback when we move, I'm sure there will be. What is in his favor is he is already familiar with our smell and the other cats... So, not everything will be new. The same critter, the same people, the same food bowl, the same crate, the same cover. I am hoping "the same things" will outweigh the differences. When I moved Star I had to trick her to get her in a crate. She was terrified but she knew all our cats and knew I fed her. When we settled up here, she quickly fell into the routine of things because we were all still there. When we moved last November, Star had only ventured in my house very few times. I had to leave the door open and put tiny pieces of cheese right over the door step. When I first got her in the house, I have my husband standing inside by the door and while she was eating, I grabbed her and he opened the door and I quickly released her. It was "Bam"...very fastly done to avoid injury to me. I kept her in about 4 hrs and then started cracking my front door for her. She would stick her head in sometimes. But my point here is when we moved, I had been feeding her for over a year. She was a little nervous of her new territory and watch my other cats, who she knew, and followed their example. She has never run away and she 'usually' comes inside at night. She doesn't like being the only cat outside. I hope Jimmy is the same way. He might not be but it would be nice. So I am very very glad our cats are not strangers to Jimmy. And he might be a little scared still but he also knows I am his sole food source.

Hubby and I were talking today and we are putting Jimmy crate in the middle of our bedroom closet facing outward when we move. That is different for him but the point of that is he will see the others using the kitty door which we put in our bedroom. The enclosure we are going to build is outside of our bedroom. I am leaving his food inside when we get moved so when he goes out he has to come indoors in order to EAT. I want him to know that he can go outside and enjoy the outdoors but food is in the house. If he stays out there two days with no food, I will have to feed him cause I know his tummy will be growling but I would rather him come indoors to eat so he will learn the process of HIS HOUSE and that HIS FOOD is inside. It will make him more dependent on us which is good but then he can still enjoy the outdoors. Because that is going to be the routine of all the others. And I want him to eventually pack with them and become part of their pride.

If he goes out and can't get away [the enclosure] and he watches the others going in and out, he will learn what to do and how to do it. I think Jimmy will love being able to use a kitty door. Probably be a month or so away, but he will like it and I suspect he will watch the other for a couple weeks going in and out before he ventures that direction to check it out.. It has been over a year since he has been outdoors and I want to make it as natural a habitat as possible for all the cats..

Something else that will get Jimmy's goat is he was a inner city cat. He has never been outside in the country. He will hear birds and all kinds of new sounds. That will be fun to watch as he hears sounds like that for the first time.

There will be a setback, but hopefully he will bound back pretty soon from it and enjoy his new lifestyle..

I am leaving him alone today because he was so darn good yesterday. I don't want him thinking I am going to go running in there and shine a red light that flashes in his eyes everytime I enter the room. I want him to relax so I am leaving him be again.

And looking glass, I LOVE the ferals.. I love the challenge of them. None of my have ever been exposed to lots of other people so most only like hubby and me and most were strays but not truely feral. But Star and Jimmy are true ferals. Star trusts me I think.........hehe and Jimmy is learning.

Jenn
 
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jcribbs

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JIMMY JIMMY JIMMY............

Well, I was just sitting here on my computer and I looked up and Jimmy was in the living room just watching me.

I took the first picture and he ran back to his bedroom. And then just now I looked up and he is laying in the living room floor .........Laying there relaxing and watching me type this. RiGHT NOW........

WOW........... I am just ignoring him like Hissy said to do once concerning Star. He is so beautiful. He is till there and I have been uploading his photos. He has been there at least 15 minutes or so. He is going to have to move soon because I need to walk past him to take a shower and get ready for work.






He wants to trust me................ His eyes are even shut right now. This is a first time thing. He has NEVER laid in the living room with anyone in it.

The morning I noticed him sitting in the hallway and just look at him now.

Totally relaxed......



He is still there but now his eyes are closed. He is actually sleeping in the living room floor..... But I have to disturb him to walk by him.....

His is definately having a another breakthrough.......

Jenn

p.s We are packing things up. That's why the boxes in the living room. Princess Minny is also in the living room with Jimmy.
 

eilcon

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That's awesome, Jenn!
Jimmy is definitely starting to trust you. He looks so relaxed in those pictures - such a handsome guy!
 
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jcribbs

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THAT LAST PICTURE BY THE WAY, IT IS NOT SIDEWAYS. JIMMY IS LAYING DOWN RESTING. He went to sleep shortly after that...

He was about 10' from me..Pretty close. One day he will be another computer kitty...... Wait and see...

Jenn
 
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jcribbs

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And yeah, he is very very handsome......

I hated to get up and have to do things but I had to. He left the room when I went to the kitchen.

Before this happened, he was sitting in the hallway. I started down the hallway and spooked him and he made his mad dash back to his "crate of safery" But this is exactly how Star did.

Slowing venturing out. She would also sit in the edge of the room when I did stuff around her. And she slowly got braver and braver until now she just hangs out in the house sleeping on furniture. I can step over her sometimes and she just lays there.... Petting her is difficult except under certain situations.

I surely hope Jimmy starts letting me near him to pet him. It will make putting frontline on him much easier... And we are frontlining all in a week or so. Two weeks at most. If Jimmy would just let me near him to pet him, I could sneak his dose in real fast and act like I am not doing anything.

Jenn
 

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Originally Posted by jcribbs

I surely hope Jimmy starts letting me near him to pet him. It will make putting frontline on him much easier... And we are frontlining all in a week or so. Two weeks at most. If Jimmy would just let me near him to pet him, I could sneak his dose in real fast and act like I am not doing anything.
Jenn
Very Monty Python.
 
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jcribbs

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WEll, this morning when I got up Jimmy was sitting in the living room with all the cats. I walked to within five feet of him and he sat there. Right now this is what Jimmy is doing...... We are cramped and crowed right now wth all the packing so when he went to the bedroom I moved a few things to have an unobstructed view of him when he comes back.

And he came back. This is JJ an JIMMY sitting looking out of their door.
 

eilcon

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Yay, more progress for Jimmy!
That's a cute picture of him and JJ sitting at the door - two big, handsome boys!
 
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jcribbs

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Not this batch here but the next pictures will be clearer. I changed a setting on my camera and hope it works. But these are still with the old setting.

He is just walking around getting to know everyone.
 
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jcribbs

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Not sure WHY camera blurs when I download the pictures. Gonna have to get my manual out and look at it later. I am fixing to get ready for work again. Day 2... I might have to reformat the little memory card.

JJ and JIMMY.
 
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jcribbs

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Jimmy is actually being social........ But I have to figure out what the heck is wrong with my camera and it blurring when I download. The pictures IN the camera are crystal clear.

Not sure why Jimmy has decided to trust me, but the last two days AFTER husband leaves for work, Jimmy heads to the living room with me. That is ultra cool........
 
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