Feral setback

[momofmany]

Originally Posted by chowchow

Wow, 11 out of 12 sleep with you, that's so awesome!! Did you have to avoid eye contact with each of them before they ever let you pet them?

I divert my eyes and if I happen to make eye contact, immediately do a slow blink at them. Blinking is a sign of greeting in a feral colony. I still blink at the ones that are on the shy side and it seems to help them a lot.

 

[chowchow]

Well then, I'll definitely have to try the slow blinking thing!

 

[gingersmom]

Originally Posted by chowchow

Hi Cally,

Thanks for sharing your success story, I need to hear as many success stories as possible, especially when I'm feeling bummed out about what I did.

My Ferris was just 3 months old when I got him, but he's come really, REALLY far in 6 months, and for him it was a combo: Food, and ZERO eye contact. If eye contact was made accidentally, I would blink kiss at him: slowly closing my eyes, slowly opening them, rinse, repeat.

Now I can make almost regular eye contact with him, and he blink kises at me all on his own now.

If you want to read more about him, just search on "Ferris" as there aren't any other TCS kitties with that name.

I brought him home on August 31st, and he has completely won my heart over - but for quite a while, I thought that he hated my guts and that he would never socialize. Boy was I wrong!

One day he bumped my hand with his head when I was feeding him - oh yes, chicken babyfood is a sure fire way to a feral's heart!

Patience is key! But those little setbacks do occur, and you really can't blame the kits for reverting occasionally.

Oh, by the way, I got him flower essences through my vet, not Bach's remedy, but similar. We chose essences designed to reduce panic and to bring calm, and Ferris has come along by leaps and bounds since then!

Good luck with your boy!

 

[chowchow]

Hi GingersMom,

Thanks for sharing your success story too. I had no idea that the slow blinking thing was something good -- I always took it to mean that they were bored or sleepy! Which flower essences did you get and how was it applied? Does it work better than the pheromone diffuser?

 

[gingersmom]

Originally Posted by chowchow

Hi GingersMom,

Thanks for sharing your success story too. I had no idea that the slow blinking thing was something good -- I always took it to mean that they were bored or sleepy! Which flower essences did you get and how was it applied? Does it work better than the pheromone diffuser?

It doesn't work better, it works differently.

Here's the thread on the flower essences: read post # 16.

 

[chowchow]

Hi GingersMom,

Thanks for the link -- looks like I'll have to get some of that Bachs Flower Remedy asap! So do you need to continue using it for Ferris every single day? Or is he so accustomed to your affection now that you don't need to rely on it?

 

[chowchow]

Well, it's been 5 days since I've been putting Bach Rescue Remedy into Blackie's food and he still hides a lot. Sighhhhhhh.........

 

[chowchow]

After reading your various success stories, I thought I'd try the cat treat route. Blackie was on the sofa so I joined him by on the other end. I shook the cat treat package, took one treat out and put it down right next to me on the couch. In the past, my husband and I held it out on the palms of our hand and he swatted at us, so we never tried it again. But this time he came and ate it right away! So I got another treat out of the package and set it down on my left thigh this time, and he ate it right away too! So I got one more out, set it down on my right thigh and he stepped on my left thigh to help himself to it!!! First time to have contact with me ever!!!!!

I feel like an idiot for not thinking of doing this a long time ago!! It was so easy!! He even lied down a couple of inches from me, waiting for more! I would've given him more more more but he's had diarrhea before when I gave him 10 treats in one day, so I gotta be careful.

Can't wait to do the same number tomorrow!!!!! Yippeee!!!

 

[beandip]

Originally Posted by chowchow

After reading your various success stories, I thought I'd try the cat treat route. Blackie was on the sofa so I joined him by on the other end. I shook the cat treat package, took one treat out and put it down right next to me on the couch. In the past, my husband and I held it out on the palms of our hand and he swatted at us, so we never tried it again. But this time he came and ate it right away! So I got another treat out of the package and set it down on my left thigh this time, and he ate it right away too! So I got one more out, set it down on my right thigh and he stepped on my left thigh to help himself to it!!! First time to have contact with me ever!!!!!

I feel like an idiot for not thinking of doing this a long time ago!! It was so easy!! He even lied down a couple of inches from me, waiting for more! I would've given him more more more but he's had diarrhea before when I gave him 10 treats in one day, so I gotta be careful.

Can't wait to do the same number tomorrow!!!!! Yippeee!!!

Congrats!!!!

That's a major milestone! Please don't feel like an idiot, either...Personally, I will never claim to fully "understand" any feline! They've always outsmarted me and I admit it.

 

[chowchow]

So I've been giving Blackie cat treats on my lap for a week now and he's been eating it each time. He doesn't stay on my lap though. But tonight, after he ate four treats, he lied down next to me on the sofa and I was picking the crumbs off of me over and over, and all of a sudden he swatted at me and then he hissed at me!! I guess he felt threatened by my hand? I had just finished giving him those treats with the same hand, for crying out loud! Sighhhhhhh.........