3 ferals at snow

[jtbo]

U thought that I made horrible mistake, as I was going to pick up Miuku, however without my glasses I did not see so well and it was Mauku who I grabbed, of course that did result one angry cat escaping very fast, jumping and clawing to every direction in process. She did then quickly go to cat room and I thought that it will certainly mean square one with her.

Surprise, after a minute she came back cautiously looking around, then she did sat near to me and gave me cold back treatment, staring to wall and sitting her back towards me.

I did then started playing with straw near her, which made her forgive me I guess as she started playing and soon she was rolling on her back and slowly blinking. I even could pet her near ears with straw. She then got bit tired of all that action and climbed to cat tree and fell asleep almost instantly.

I guess she is much more trusting than what I have thought, she just has slight issue with touching, it is not only with me, it is with others too, she goes to panic if anything touches her, maybe she has a trauma.

She also comes often to sit right next to my bed and stares at me, like if she would want something, but I can't figure out what it is, maybe at some time it becomes apparent.

Other ones have been mousing lately, they are always getting very excited when I get up as it might mean they get to downstairs hunting little mice that sometimes come to there. They are really good at that actually, even tiniest little iita is catching those really well, she is also enough small to go to places others can't get, like behind cabinets, so usually there is one at each end of cabinets and iita runs behind the cabinets making mice to run if there just is any, then other ones catch them.

 

[jtbo]

Today Mauku let me pet her from behind the ears and top of her head, not very trusting, but she did enjoyed it. Only one time, she has been avoiding again after that my attempts to pet her again.

I first pet her with straw then without her seeing I did pet her with finger for good while, as she saw reality unfolding at front of her eyes, she leaped to safety and looked at me with murder in her eyes, but soon after that she allowed me to pet her with her seeing what I was doing.

It is difficult to push just enough to make her learn more, but still enough little so not to scare her, but slowly we are getting to understanding of how many scary things are actually nice things.

 

[jtbo]

Guess who purrs loudest of them all? Yes, Mauku does, she has louder and most clear purring of them all. She still is rather shy and does not allow me to pet every time, but we are progressing fast, as she was sleeping in cat bed, I did pet her secretly and all of sudden she started purring loudly, also later she did roll onto her back when I did play her with string and she even very cautiously did touch my hand with her cheek just very briefly, but clearly that was a first bump from her.

She is coming around slower than other ones, but she is certainly coming around and steadily too.

Surely she loves playing a lot, also from sitting close to me staring directly at me, she does that a lot, even she is mostly sleeping, it is ok to bother her with playing any time, she also greets with really good stretching, so things are progressing really well.

Also I'm learning new skills and my goal is to become indie game developer, hopefully things go well as these cats need quite bit of funding. Just food is 70 in a month, without income it is bit hard, so hopefully in some future day that new path will create some revenue.

 

[vball91]

JTbo, it has taken me many days to read this entire thread, and every minute was worth it. You are the most patient, cat loving man I have ever *met*. I have so enjoyed the stories of all your ferals/strays but especially Mauku. She is a special cat, and I'm so glad that she is learning to really trust you. I was really worried about her when she was outside and missing during the really cold times.

I will have to check out your blog next for more stories of you and your wonderful kitties.

 

[jtbo]

JTbo, it has taken me many days to read this entire thread, and every minute was worth it. You are the most patient, cat loving man I have ever *met*. I have so enjoyed the stories of all your ferals/strays but especially Mauku. She is a special cat, and I'm so glad that she is learning to really trust you. I was really worried about her when she was outside and missing during the really cold times.

I will have to check out your blog next for more stories of you and your wonderful kitties.

Thank you from your nice words

This long diary might be bit boring to read, but I hope it is not too boring.


Today I managed to belly rub Mauku, she was sleeping soundly and I started to pet her from head, from side and as she rolled bit to her back, then I rubbed her belly, I guess she never woke up during that as she did just enjoy from it.

Later I tried to pet her from head but she was too afraid of that, so I rubbed her head with plastic straw and then she let me pet her with finger.

I'm petting her a lot as I try to make her used to that, so just a moment ago I did pet her again, behind the ear, then from chin and rubbing ear and she responded beautifully turning her head to allow better petting and she even closed her eyes, looked like enjoying a lot. She then set to sleep, so this day probably makes lot of improvement in near future.

It is most important what cat got as last experience, especially before cat starts sleeping as that is what will be remembered mostly it seems. That is why giving treats before letting to from freely after brushing for example is making progress, also letting go should be such that it is clearly letting go, cat can't think of being escaped as that works against learning to be brushed. However it is activity that most of mine are still not very comfortable with, some are horrified and there really is no way to brush them properly, but there is some slow progress.

Little iita for example at times loves to be picked up and she bumps her tiny head against my nose with great enthusiasm when picked up, but sometimes she just runs away, it is much better than used to be, still sometimes she starts swallowing repeatedly, she does that when she is scared.

Starts to feel bit like Alaska here, -35C this morning, Tiger insisted to be let out to stairs, after 5 minutes he had very strong desire to come back inside, at stairs there is same temperature as outside, after that he has not been vocal about door that is closed, too cold even for him.

In a way they are very intelligent, but some cases they are not, they want that door would be kept open all the time, without realizing that it would mean cold weather coming indoors, also they forget quite soon that cold they found from stairs.

As it has been sunny days now, I have noticed that they are spending more time being upside down, reaching paws and when anything comes to reach they are grabbing it, like my poor hand or curtain etc. Even Mauku does that, but she is bit afraid of me so my hand is not suffering, however she is rolling on her back, rubbing her head against floor and swinging paws a lot while twisting her body from side to side, must be that she likes from the place as she is marking place safe that way.

 

[vball91]

This diary is in no way boring! I really enjoy the way you describe their socialization process. I have also learned things about cat behavior and instinct from you, things I've never thought about or dealt with, as I only have a total lap kitty who is about as different from your cats as possible I believe.

 

[jtbo]

This happens every time I clean windows, that squealing sound that comes from wiping the window causes most of my cats to panic and run trough cat door to other side without even slowing down. It is not even loud sound, but something in it causes them to get full panic. It can take an hour until I see them emerging from their hide outs.

Silly really, but they know how to be silly for sure.

 

[jtbo]

Little iita is indeed little, here she is with normal size toy mouse, her tongue looks tad large compared to her nose, maybe it is only part that has been growing since she was a kitten, she is nearly 2 years old already, weights next to nothing and she has not been growing at least for a year or so, miniature cat, comes in 1/2-scale, fully featured and includes vocal capabilities of piercing volume levels.

tiny_cat_big_tongue.jpg

• jtbo
• Mar 17, 2013

 

[jtbo]

Oh and it seems most of my pics are from iita, you see it is completely useless to attempt to take any good photos from the rest of them, for example this is what photos from Mouku usually are, "eeek, he has something in hand, double eeek it is the horrifying camera thing!":

spooky_mouku_b.jpg

• jtbo
• Mar 17, 2013

It is at least hour worth of relaxing to get Mouku be ok with thing in my hand, his choice is usually just run away, but he did sleep whole night next to my leg making too good bed warmer in process, so he continues that tame/scared thing of his.

 

[vball91]

Little iita is very photogenic though. Mouku looks startled. Mine doesn't mind the camera (or phone), but the only time she's still enough for a picture is when she's sleeping. Not a very interesting photo I'm afraid.

 

[jtbo]

Mouku is bit of startled from everything new and anything that makes sound and if it is in my hand that is even more reason to be startled, he usually runs away from such horror, but this time he was bit more playful than most of the time so I could take poor pic of him.

Mauku is progressing slowly, today she has allowed me to pet her twice from ear without getting scared of my hand. Also I attempted to take picture of she sleeping in a cat nest, but of course she noticed my attempts and was not very fond of those.

Her winter fur is starting soon to decrease to something less hot for summer, longer white bits are probably disappearing then. She is one that is most interested from playing though, and she is often doing hunting thing at cat tower which is her way to tell that she wants to play, she really seem to like that, but she is very afraid of hand still, surely can sniff, also sometimes likes to receive petting, but most of the time is running away if I bring hand too close to her

If she is not in the mood of having pets she still might slap my hand with her claws, then her claw gets stuck to my hand and she does not understand the curvature of her claws too well so she tries to pull her claw off which of course results some minor skin damage, but she has learned that claws are not required for the effect so that is improvement too.

Plastic straws are her best liked toy, also as she usually is now at cat tree and extension I have made to it (simple 2x 2 by 4 pathways to cat bed that is at other end, cat tree top level at other end and cat tree is at window ledge, so she is above me most of the time, when I wiggle straw below that structure she tries then to claw it from various gaps and holes I have left between two 2by4 and also around top level of cat tree, that is for her also lot safer feeling place to play than if I would be above her.

She might look mean in photo, but she is not really a mean cat, only if you put your hand to her nest then she will shred skin out of your hand, just bit of character in her which she slowly is letting show as she becomes more and more socialized. It will take really long time for her to become more trusting, but every week some tiny bit more, I know that she loves little rub behind the ear, she is turning her head on pushing against finger I use to rub her so it is just matter of her realizing that it really is my hand doing that.

I managed to rub even under her chin today, oh how she jumped when she realized what was making that nice rubbing, she is bit silly in there that every petting is nice as long as she does not see it is my hand doing that, so I think she must be quite close to step over that feral edge and step into tame side, just very slow step in her case, might take months to get that step done :lol3:

 

[jtbo]

I had to spend one night away at fundrising and collecting supplies from other side of the country (lucky me not living in US, would be bit more than one night away to go other side of country in US).

When I came back, Mouku was very confused, he did stay well clear of me whole two days until he figured out that I'm the same giant as before and he even jumped on my lap to rub my nose with his cheek as he was so very happy.

Even Tiger was quiet for bit over a day, normally he is either sleeping or talking about something that he think is most important thing in whole world at that moment.

Also managed to pick up full cooler (frozen goods as nothing is growing here at the moment because of snow) of blueberries and smaller red ones that I don't know what those are in international language.

It has been terribly cold few weeks, this morning -20C again, but sun is working hard and cats love to sunbath at the window, it is not too long until snow starts to melt and all kinds of cats start to roam outside again, you never know what kind of cats there will be each 'season'.

 

[jtbo]

It is quite nice how cat learns there is no immediate danger from you. She spend many many months hiding at other room, but she now knows to sleep less than foot away from me, she even can walk past me so close that she almost touches me and also at times she does enjoy when I pet her head. But it has taken quite bit of time to get this far, in two parts must be nearly 12 months that it has taken so far and she still is bit afraid of touching so I need to first pet her with straw and then I can use hand too, but only sometimes, long time to go to have her properly adjusted.

However that is just work at indoors, has been from 2010 since I have worked to gain her trust, first at outdoors, then at warehouse. She has become from wall climbing panic attack to playful indoor kitty that runs to bowl as fast as rest of them when hearing faintest sound of opening pouch or can. Never give up, it can take long time, one might get bitten in the process, but eventually it all does pay off, she does purr loudest.

 

[jtbo]

Mouku has learned new thing, he now likes to come under the blanket, actually that is what he prefers now over top of the blanket. He is still having his spooked reactions to most of the things, but he forgets all that when he jumps on bed.

Panther is quite a noise maker, he stalks everyone and runs around at mornings, only if I keep everything completely pitch black and without lights he is not doing that routine. Only trouble in that his routine is that it starts to cut my sleep quite short as it gets bright outside so early already and at summer it never gets dark here.

 

[catapault]

The little red berries - in Finnish are they called Puolukka? I know them as lingonberries. They make a wonderful jam. They are related to cranberries.

 

[jtbo]

The little red berries - in Finnish are they called Puolukka? I know them as lingonberries. They make a wonderful jam. They are related to cranberries.

Yes those and indeed they are great. Pasta with meat and add those berries that have half crushed and then added ~30% sugar, it does taste very different to ketchup, but taste is so much richer and fresh that it is really great ketchup replacement.

Some do heat up the jam when making, but I don't, vitamin C gets destroyed if boiled, or even heated a lot, of course my 'jam' is not very much jam like as it is more of liquid with berries, but it really does not bother me. I could use jam sugar to make it more jam like, but it would be again one thing more to eat and I'm trying to keep natural and simple food.

Good bit is that it makes my food something cat will not touch, so no longer danger of them eating wrong things.

One day as I was cooking it took just turning back for a moment and Panther had sneaked behind me, jumped to table and was testing his teeth to onion I had waiting to be peeled. He is also quick to retreat as I spotted him I had no time to move as he was already running past me as he did know he did something he should not do.

Now those little red berries are nice also in there that during autumn, I just need to walk from yard to my forest to pick up those for the jam or anything I need and there grows loads of them, also blueberries, area covered by those is as vast as I can walk from there. so it is fairly handy for me to use those.

Some pics to show how it is here:

puolukka.jpg

• jtbo
• Apr 8, 2013

inside_forest.jpg

• jtbo
• Apr 8, 2013

Currently situations are still bit snowy:

ice_age_surrenders.jpg

• jtbo
• Apr 8, 2013

 

[catapault]

Meatballs made with venison and pork, with lingonberries and sour cream in the sauce. Yummy! Little pears, left whole but the skin peeled off, cooked in a lingonberry sauce. Wonderful dessert.

Your pictures of the countryside and the plants growing there are very beautiful.

The berries - when they are collected do you use a shallow wooden scoop with "fingers" in front to just skim over the ground and pluck the berries off the vine? In Sweden it is called tyttebaer plukker.

Cranberries are the American "cousin" of  puolukka. Here's a link to an entry on my web site, of harvesting cranberries at a commercial cranberry farm in New Jersey, USA. Native Harvest: Cranberries I took the pictures last November.Enjoy.

 

[jtbo]

Meatballs made with venison and pork, with lingonberries and sour cream in the sauce. Yummy! Little pears, left whole but the skin peeled off, cooked in a lingonberry sauce. Wonderful dessert.

Your pictures of the countryside and the plants growing there are very beautiful.

The berries - when they are collected do you use a shallow wooden scoop with "fingers" in front to just skim over the ground and pluck the berries off the vine? In Sweden it is called tyttebaer plukker.

Cranberries are the American "cousin" of  puolukka. Here's a link to an entry on my web site, of harvesting cranberries at a commercial cranberry farm in New Jersey, USA. Native Harvest: Cranberries I took the pictures last November.Enjoy.

What an odd way to collect berries, great photos

We used to have fully metal made "marjanpoimuri" scoops (same thing as Swedish term I believe), but I think all available now are plastic or mostly plastic cheap Chinese ones. However I have been collecting by hand, choosing only berries I want and leaving at lot untouched for next creature that wants them, I have weird urge to live in closer balance with nature and take only what I need, which is perhaps not most efficient way, but I think it is way to support longevity and versatility of life. When I leave some berries uncollected, some critter might get food bit easier, which may cause owls to have bit easier time as there is more pray for them, bear don't need to travel as far and stays in forests if everyone would do similar thing etc. Not taking everything I can but taking only what I need, kind of thinking. That is something I believe American Natives had before and around time of Colonization of Americas and I think that during thousands of years they had learned which we still haven't.

Good part of hand picking is that no need to clean leaves, raw berries and other bits from collected berries, but it is lot of work at collecting phase, it is taking longer but not that much longer because I can skip one stage of whole process.

Oh yes, I think that Cranberries were such that had much milder taste than our Puolukka?

I did some searches and Lingonberry (Puolukka) is growing at Alaska too as I did suspect, our nature and Alaskan nature is not that far apart, daylengths at certain area are similar as are temperatures, we have gulf stream here that is sometimes making climate bit warmer than same latitude in Alaska, but pretty close the same plants etc.with bit of differences of course, Alaska is just bigger and more wild, I think.

Here is photo I found from Alaskan Lingonberry:
http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/tree-stump-with-moss-and-lingonberry-picture-7374-pictures.htm

These are ones that I hope to get photos of some day, all of these live in less than 5 mile radius from my house, Lynx has been right by my yard and even bear tracks I have spotted around 1/4 mile away, almost can see that place from here, so they are near at times, but taking photo or even seeing one is another thing completely.
http://suurpedot.multiedition.fi/www/en/

Anyway it makes easier to decide of not letting cats outdoors with this kind of wildlife roaming around.

 

[catapault]

So many autumn berries are red. I have wondered if it is a color more attractive to animals who will then eat the fruits and deposit seeds at some distance from the mother plant, complete with a nice addition of fertilizer.

Here's another local one - common name is partridge berry, Latin name Mitchella repens. Berries much fewer in number than lingonberry or cranberry. Also nice to eat.

Another evergreen berry plant is called wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens, but I'd have to search my files for an image. Another time.

 

[jtbo]

So many autumn berries are red. I have wondered if it is a color more attractive to animals who will then eat the fruits and deposit seeds at some distance from the mother plant, complete with a nice addition of fertilizer.

Here's another local one - common name is partridge berry, Latin name Mitchella repens. Berries much fewer in number than lingonberry or cranberry. Also nice to eat.



[ATTACHMENT=322]Innisfree_2012-10_Mitchella repens berries.jpg (104k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT]


Another evergreen berry plant is called wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens, but I'd have to search my files for an image. Another time.

Nature is full of surprises, there might be some purpose with color of berries, but then again there might not be purpose. Some birds I know are drawn to red berries, some paint stones red to protect their strawberries for example.

But some berries are blue, some black, there are yellow ones at swamp (here we have lot of swamps, tiny ponds etc. but more forest, but that is almost everything we got here).

I'm not quite sure if this is wolf or dog, but it is as close to wolf as it can be, imo.