Such good news!! Yea for Coconut!! Also yea for the Mom getting spayed!!!
Coconut has come so far!
Coconut has come so far!
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Coconut (feral kitten) update
- Thread starter kalynnda13
- Start Date
This is great news all around!! You are doing so great with Coconut!!
That's awesome that someone had her mom spayed. She's much better off now.
That's awesome that someone had her mom spayed. She's much better off now.
Great news all around!!!!!!!! Glad Coconut found someone so willing to be so patient. Isn't it wonderful when the right cat finds the right person? Coconut definitely did 
I just found this thread, and am thrilled that another feral is in a loving home. I'll be following this now, rooting for you every step of the way!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #25
Update: Backwards steps...and maybe a big step forward.
Letting Coconut out into the house wasn't working. She could avoid us, and did. If we got within a few feet, she'd go somewhere else. Even if she was eating...she'd leave the room. So, she's back in the bedroom...and I'm looking for ways to get sleep :-) I've got one of those draft door stoppers on order...Ghost keeps putting her claws under and rattling the door.
Coconut has only been back in the bedroom for ~12 hours. When she is mobile and playful, she still doesn't want to be touched. But...at one point during the night, I woke up to her leaning against my leg, near Ghost. I started petting her...and she stayed. I lightly scratched her face and head and stroked her upper body. Even after I turned on the light...she stayed for pettings. I think I got a good 3 minutes of petting in before she had enough. So I know it is possible...and will happen.
Thanks for all your encouragement. She is so worth the effort.
Letting Coconut out into the house wasn't working. She could avoid us, and did. If we got within a few feet, she'd go somewhere else. Even if she was eating...she'd leave the room. So, she's back in the bedroom...and I'm looking for ways to get sleep :-) I've got one of those draft door stoppers on order...Ghost keeps putting her claws under and rattling the door.
Coconut has only been back in the bedroom for ~12 hours. When she is mobile and playful, she still doesn't want to be touched. But...at one point during the night, I woke up to her leaning against my leg, near Ghost. I started petting her...and she stayed. I lightly scratched her face and head and stroked her upper body. Even after I turned on the light...she stayed for pettings. I think I got a good 3 minutes of petting in before she had enough. So I know it is possible...and will happen.
Thanks for all your encouragement. She is so worth the effort.
You are making fantastic progress. Occasional steps back are to be expected but you will continue to move forward. 3 minutes of petting at one time is excellent!! Great job!! Yes, she is worth it!! She's such a pretty little thing!
I found the same to be true when I brought a feral into my home. He was doing well and we allowed him time out of the room. This proved to be just too much too soon. So back into his room he went. It was another 4-8 weeks before I allowed him time out again.
I also find that when I am in bed and laying down, he is the most relaxed. I read an article once that said that timid cats are much more at ease with humans when they are laying down. It has to do with it being harder for the human to move around. The cat can easily get away.
I always say when working with feral cats, it's one step forward and 2 steps back. Yet, they will continue to move forward, it just takes time.
I also find that when I am in bed and laying down, he is the most relaxed. I read an article once that said that timid cats are much more at ease with humans when they are laying down. It has to do with it being harder for the human to move around. The cat can easily get away.
I always say when working with feral cats, it's one step forward and 2 steps back. Yet, they will continue to move forward, it just takes time.
You're definitely making progress!!! I know it's so hard with the two steps forward, two (or more...) steps back. We've worked with socializing feral kitties (some as young as just weaned) and a large portion of them never truly got over having anyone walk around, but will happily spend time with people who are sitting or lying down. So I don't think Coconut's reaction is horribly uncommon. It does make sense - think about how much larger and more intimidating a human looks to a tiny kitty when we "tower over them." I have to remind my husband of that when he tries to give treats to our feral group - - even though they're finally becoming more open to petting. He'll come in and say "I don't get it - you give treats and all 5 come over and 2 let you pet them - I go out with treats and they scatter." It never fails if I say "Did you try to give treats sitting on the steps, or walking toward them?" Nine times out of 10 the answer is "Oh that's right...I was walking around." If he goes rigt back out and sits on the steps, they come over and are much more comfortable.
So know that may be something that really takes time for Coconut to adjust to - and jsut remember what kept her alive was running from predators (and when we stand - we certainly look like one!). She's so cute - I'm glad you're willing to be so understanding with her!
So know that may be something that really takes time for Coconut to adjust to - and jsut remember what kept her alive was running from predators (and when we stand - we certainly look like one!). She's so cute - I'm glad you're willing to be so understanding with her!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #29
May 20 Update:
Coconut is now "mostly" a former feral. She is happy indoors, will sleep on the bed some nights (or like last night, on ME), plays with the other cats, and purrs up a storm at times. I can pet her when she is sleepy or if I have treats. With time, I know she will complete the transition to house cat. It took the stray/abandoned kitten we trapped two years ago almost a full year to completely get over his fear. Coco, a true feral, has come a long way in about 4 months. She is still going to be our smallest cat, but she is growing as a kitten should. It breaks my heart to think that if we hadn't rescued her, she'd be raising a litter of kittens right now. With us, she gets to BE a kitten.
She does have a new nickname of 'destructo kitten'. She loves to chew on cardboard, and has completely trashed a scratcher. She's not eating it, just seems to love ripping it apart. Since she has her adult teeth, it's not teething. Spice, one of our other cats, loved to pierce cardboard with her teeth when she was younger. I don't know what it is about cardboard, but some cats seem to love it.
For anyone starting the taming process...find a treat the cat loves. Freeze dried salmon worked very well for us, and got Coconut used to our hands and being touched. That seemed to help her turn the corner. I can even pet her sometimes when I don't have a treat :-)
Thanks for the advice and support. I wanted to let you know the good news about how well she is doing. We are very glad we caught her and spent the time to tame her.
Coconut is now "mostly" a former feral. She is happy indoors, will sleep on the bed some nights (or like last night, on ME), plays with the other cats, and purrs up a storm at times. I can pet her when she is sleepy or if I have treats. With time, I know she will complete the transition to house cat. It took the stray/abandoned kitten we trapped two years ago almost a full year to completely get over his fear. Coco, a true feral, has come a long way in about 4 months. She is still going to be our smallest cat, but she is growing as a kitten should. It breaks my heart to think that if we hadn't rescued her, she'd be raising a litter of kittens right now. With us, she gets to BE a kitten.
She does have a new nickname of 'destructo kitten'. She loves to chew on cardboard, and has completely trashed a scratcher. She's not eating it, just seems to love ripping it apart. Since she has her adult teeth, it's not teething. Spice, one of our other cats, loved to pierce cardboard with her teeth when she was younger. I don't know what it is about cardboard, but some cats seem to love it.
For anyone starting the taming process...find a treat the cat loves. Freeze dried salmon worked very well for us, and got Coconut used to our hands and being touched. That seemed to help her turn the corner. I can even pet her sometimes when I don't have a treat :-)
Thanks for the advice and support. I wanted to let you know the good news about how well she is doing. We are very glad we caught her and spent the time to tame her.
Thank you so much for the update!! Yea Coconut. She has come so far and you have worked so hard with her.
I have a cat too that likes to chew/rip cardboard. It's crazy. Also one of my outside boys, love to scratch on honeysuckle bark. He also rips at it with his teeth. Crazy!
I have a cat too that likes to chew/rip cardboard. It's crazy. Also one of my outside boys, love to scratch on honeysuckle bark. He also rips at it with his teeth. Crazy!
SOOOOO happy Coconut keeps making progress!!!!! That fantastic!!!!!!
We too have had many over the years that love to destroy cardboard ---never sure why some love it & others could care less?!?!
One of our indoor guys is bent on slowly destroying any cardboard stupid enough to "wander" into the house Flick has now scratched and 'eaten' 2 full triangular scratching boards. She reduced them to nubs! We've now also got 3 teeny foster kittens (4 weeks 3 days)...and two "Dozer" & "Dory" chew any cardboard they can. (In the pics I attached -2 of our 3 fosters; Dory, a cardboard lover....Dax, their quiet bother...and Dozer, the creamy white alpha brother who's also a box lover!)
You're right about finding the "sweet spot" treat wise! High value treats make a big difference in training --we've found mackerel works for many, but it does vary - one of ours goes nuts over string cheese.
We too have had many over the years that love to destroy cardboard ---never sure why some love it & others could care less?!?!
One of our indoor guys is bent on slowly destroying any cardboard stupid enough to "wander" into the house
Flick has now scratched and 'eaten' 2 full triangular scratching boards. She reduced them to nubs! We've now also got 3 teeny foster kittens (4 weeks 3 days)...and two "Dozer" & "Dory" chew any cardboard they can. (In the pics I attached -2 of our 3 fosters; Dory, a cardboard lover....Dax, their quiet bother...and Dozer, the creamy white alpha brother who's also a box lover!) You're right about finding the "sweet spot" treat wise! High value treats make a big difference in training --we've found mackerel works for many, but it does vary - one of ours goes nuts over string cheese.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #32
August update on Coconut:
Well, progress is still being made but slowly. When she is tired, and especially when she is in the bed, she can be petted, and purrs. The distance she keeps from us (outside of the bedroom) is slowly shrinking. We can now get close to her without her leaving...unless we move to pet her.
While it's hard, because we REALLY want to cuddle her, we've been enjoying her kittenhood. The rate of change has slowed down, but we are still moving in the right direction. It will happen...maybe not this month, or even this year, but we can see the signs.
Thanks for your help!
Well, progress is still being made but slowly. When she is tired, and especially when she is in the bed, she can be petted, and purrs. The distance she keeps from us (outside of the bedroom) is slowly shrinking. We can now get close to her without her leaving...unless we move to pet her.
While it's hard, because we REALLY want to cuddle her, we've been enjoying her kittenhood. The rate of change has slowed down, but we are still moving in the right direction. It will happen...maybe not this month, or even this year, but we can see the signs.
Thanks for your help!
Thank you so much for the update on Coconut. I am glad she is still progressing. She may always be the shy skittish kitty, but she is in a wonderful home with people who love her!
If you get a chance, I would love to see a picture!
If you get a chance, I would love to see a picture!
I'm thrilled to hear that you have made progress. Yes, it can take so very long, but is so worth it! And I agree, pics would be wonderful!
We've had our feral for one year now. He has never come to being a 'regular' domestic cat in his attitudes and behaviors, but, we have come to accept him as he is, bossing us around and acting like he owns us!! He really is very different from any cats I've ever had. Its just something YOU acclamate to and adjust to, instead of cat adjusting to you! How funny, but a blessing just the same!
