Follow Up On Kiki The Feral Cat

[sainthogan]

She has come a very long way since October. She will come inside, and spend a maximum of about 10 minutes in my apartment. She will play with me, and she is constantly underfoot if I go outside and she is there. She will follow me around the parking lot, and wait for me outside if I go into another part of the building. She loves getting scratched on both sides of her head at the same time, and will let me scratch her sides. She has turned into quite the purr monster. She isn't comfortable being held, but she will tolerate it for a brief moment. I have had to pick her up to get her out of our neighbor's apartment when we were cat sitting for him. She loves going in there and playing with his cats. He doesn't mind, as long as he is home to supervise. His cats absolutely adore her.
She is wary of people who don't feed her often, and even some of them she is cautious around. She won't come in my house if my son is around. She will only let him pet her if she is outside.

Today, I gave her food, she swallowed whole, came inside, and promptly threw it up, then left. I'm told that she threw up in my house because she felt comfortable with me. I don't know about that, I think she just ate too fast and couldn't get back outside in time. Thoughts?

Here is a picture from November when she came to visit for a while. I was hoping she would curl up on that blanket, but she never did.

 

[tabbytom]

That’s good to hear that she’s comfortable with you.

I’m not sure about throwing up in the house means she felt comfortable with you. Is this the first time she did that? Eating too fast will get them to throw up after eating.

Are you planning to keep her indoors? If yes, do continue to let her in all the time and make her feel at home. It’s better and safer for her to be indoors.

 

[sainthogan]

That’s good to hear that she’s comfortable with you.

I’m not sure about throwing up in the house means she felt comfortable with you. Is this the first time she did that? Eating too fast will get them to throw up after eating.

Are you planning to keep her indoors? If yes, do continue to let her in all the time and make her feel at home. It’s better and safer for her to be indoors.

I don't think I will ever be able to keep her indoors. She panics after about 10 minutes, and faster if someone else is in the house with me. And yes, it was the first time she threw up in the house. When hubby feeds her, he doesn't put a full container of soft food out for her, so then she ends up eating it all in the middle of the night, and doesn't get more until I get home from work in the midafternoon - then she thinks she has to eat all of it one gulp. But she doesn't act like that if you put out a full container of soft food for her - then she takes her time, and eats it throughout the day and night.

 

[tabbytom]

It takes time and at times, lots of time to get her get used to be indoors. It’s no harm trying but for now, she could just be an outdoor/indoor cat till one fine day she’s really 100% indoors. It’s a slow transition but worth a try.

 

[catsknowme]

Wow - you are making good progress with her. I love the tiger stripe look

 

[houseofnine]

About the regurgitating food: you can flatten the food with a spoon after you put it in the bowl. This will make the cat eat more slowly. Hope this helps.

 

[sainthogan]

Thank you. I had done that, but she felt like she had to eat it all in one gulp anyway. I try to keep her from eating too quickly, and most of the time she doesn't, just got lucky this time i guess.

 

[catsknowme]

You can also try adding water to her soft food and make it into a gravy. Poor thing, she has known hard times. Bless you for helping her and giving her a brighter future.