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Grateful for any advice
- Thread starter epidaurus
- Start Date
Kittychick: Using the laser pointer is a brilliant idea! Every one of my skittish cats loves the pointer and hates the carrier. I will definitely use that in future. This is why I love TSC!
Glad I could help!!! It's definitely my new favorite "miracle trick"! 
Interesting on the laser pointer. It's very hard to tell how old Epidaurus' kitty is - but all of our ferals rescued at 3 or 4 months old or less love the laser pointer. Anyone that we brought inside older than that wonder what all the fuss is about. :lol3: Tuxedo (brought inside at about a year old) and Spooky (brought inside at about 9 months old) can SEE it: but have no interest in chasing it. Chumley (3 or 4 years old when rescued) and Billy (1.5 years old) act like they can't even see it. :dk: We've even tried purple, green, and white in addition to the red.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #65
Hi all! You guys have been so great, so I just wanted to sneak in here really quickly and show you this moment, easily one of the happiest of my life. He's progressed to eating with me present, but he'd never done anything like this before. It's about 40 seconds long. My goodness, this gave me so much joy, especially when recalling the days of closed window curtains, fasting and nonstop harp music!
I hope videos are allowed here. I've never seen one posted, so do flag me or delete me if this is against the rules!
I hope videos are allowed here. I've never seen one posted, so do flag me or delete me if this is against the rules!
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Wow and yay! Congrats at playtime!
If you really want to lure him but good now, get "Da Bird". No cat can resist it. Seriously. You have to lock it up out of view or they will beg you nonstop to play with it. Mine usually know where I hid it, and will sit and bore eyeballs at the location until I break down and get it out.
He really looks like he's grown too - his legs are really lanky. I bet he is a ball of energy; if not yet just waiting to explode shortly.
Good job - many of us can relate to the feeling you had while this was happening. We are now going on almost a year of having our rescue kitty in our home and we can't even believe she ever was as shy and afraid as she was - she's totally taken over in a BIG way!
If you really want to lure him but good now, get "Da Bird". No cat can resist it. Seriously. You have to lock it up out of view or they will beg you nonstop to play with it. Mine usually know where I hid it, and will sit and bore eyeballs at the location until I break down and get it out.
He really looks like he's grown too - his legs are really lanky. I bet he is a ball of energy; if not yet just waiting to explode shortly.
Good job - many of us can relate to the feeling you had while this was happening. We are now going on almost a year of having our rescue kitty in our home and we can't even believe she ever was as shy and afraid as she was - she's totally taken over in a BIG way!
I had to keep watching him.
Congatulations! He is so cute, and his ears are so forward and in to wanting to play, he's like a different cat. Doesn't it look like he wants to jump out of that corner and run around after his toy? I'm sure it won't be long. And his ears are fantastic, they look huge!
Well done!
He sure is a pretty cat. So happy to see him gaining confidence and playing. Good job!
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What a wonderful video! Thanks for posting it. You guys have sure come a long way together ! Step back and marvel over your accomplishment. This whole adventure took patience, dedication, and empathy . If you can do this, you can do anything. Congratulations!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #70
Hi all! Today, for the first time ever, he sniffed my leg and then put his paw on my lap (and quickly removed it). It's the first time we've ever any contact. It's exactly 9 days shy of two months. Luckily, these days, I have a camera on me at all times. I just wanted to share some of the pictures from the last week with you guys.
sivyaleah -- I am DEFINITELY trying Da Bird! I looked at reviews and pictures and it looks amazing! So far, we've had a lot of luck with toys. If this can help anyone else out there, he's enjoyed all of these:
Kitty Kong
http://www.petco.com/product/119427...m_mmc=bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-119427-_-image_link
Tweet Thing
http://www.petco.com/product/114447...m_mmc=bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-114447-_-image_link
Wild Tails
http://www.petco.com/product/114473...m_mmc=bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-114473-_-image_link
This scratcher. This was the first thing he ever played with, although not, initially, in front of us. We'd walk into the bedroom and the ball would be strewn somewhere on the floor. I'd laugh, attach it, and come back a few minutes later. The ball would be missing again! It gave us a little glimmer of his personality even though it took weeks to ever see him do it in front of us:
http://www.petco.com/product/119674...bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-119674-_-productname_link
I can't believe this is the same kitten. The crying has completely stopped. To anyone else going through this, please listen to everyone else on this forum! They are lifesavers and they are sages. mini lowen, that means the world. Thank you!
sivyaleah -- I am DEFINITELY trying Da Bird! I looked at reviews and pictures and it looks amazing! So far, we've had a lot of luck with toys. If this can help anyone else out there, he's enjoyed all of these:
Kitty Kong
http://www.petco.com/product/119427...m_mmc=bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-119427-_-image_link
Tweet Thing
http://www.petco.com/product/114447...m_mmc=bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-114447-_-image_link
Wild Tails
http://www.petco.com/product/114473...m_mmc=bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-114473-_-image_link
This scratcher. This was the first thing he ever played with, although not, initially, in front of us. We'd walk into the bedroom and the ball would be strewn somewhere on the floor. I'd laugh, attach it, and come back a few minutes later. The ball would be missing again! It gave us a little glimmer of his personality even though it took weeks to ever see him do it in front of us:
http://www.petco.com/product/119674...bazaarvoice-_-RLP-_-119674-_-productname_link
I can't believe this is the same kitten. The crying has completely stopped. To anyone else going through this, please listen to everyone else on this forum! They are lifesavers and they are sages. mini lowen, that means the world. Thank you!
You should be blogging. Your writing is wonderful and your sense of humour.
Out of the 8 cats I've had in the last 20 years or so 2 of them spat at themselves in the mirror. 5 of them didn't react and the baby tried to get him to play with him. It was so sweet to watch.
You 2 New Yorkers are a wonderful pair.
I'd also have rolled my eyes but I think Shakespeare would be excellent with the harp music. Keep up the good work and keep writing.
You 2 New Yorkers are a wonderful pair.
I'd also have rolled my eyes but I think Shakespeare would be excellent with the harp music. Keep up the good work and keep writing.
This is my face reading your post and looking at your photos. What an amazing transformation! And what a beautiful cat! Not only has his crying stopped as you say, he looks SO relaxed and healthy, inquisitive and confident in his new territory. What a joy to see. I like to think of you all lounging around in your home, relaxing together knowing that all your lives have been enriched beyond measure through the energy, worry, patience, effort, dedication, and love that you have put in to getting where you are now! Honestly, I hope you guys are celebrating with your new found fur friend and know what a wonderful thing you have done for this cat. Enjoy. You have achieved something amazing.
I can't even add more to that - I would have written that exactly. LOVE the photos. He was already a handsome cat but looks even more so now that he's comfortable in his surroundings. Great choice of toys too. There's a couple I'll have to try for our younger one. Thank you also for continuing to update us on all of your progress. I know I appreciate it, I did the same and I'm sure many others too as well. Your story has been a source of inspiration for others to come.
What a great update. I am so happy all is progressing. I think it is one of the most rewarding experiences. I wouldn't change my experience with all 5 of mine for anything. They are a complete joy and teach me so much about life.
Looking forward to more updates.
Looking forward to more updates.
I just caught myself up on your progress with him!!!That's fantastic!!!! And I apologize if I missed it (or forgot it) but what have you named him?
And speaking of names.....mini lohen..naming yours "Will Feral" made me almost wet my pants I laughed so hard!!! What a PERFECT name!!!!
I agree with ShadowsRescue---socializing an almost unsocializable kitten/cat has got to be one of the most rewarding experiences there is!! It's such hard work but every little corner turned is such an amazing feeling! Now if I could figure out how to dump my graphic design job & make a living socializing little fur balls my life would be complete!
And gotta put my two cents in on Da Bird. The three feral kittens I socialized this summer & an abused foster (Bowie-I've written about him elsewhere) went absolutely crazy for that thing! I swear it was a HUGE help in getting particularly Bowie to come out of his shell & truly interact with me. Bowie to this day will actually drag his Bird around the house until he finds me so I'll play it with him--which is hysterical to watch him lug a 3 foot wand/string up the stairs--/he actually even "fetches" it if I throw it across room!
Keep keeping us posted---this is one of my favorite stories I've been following since I joined this site!
And speaking of names.....mini lohen..naming yours "Will Feral" made me almost wet my pants I laughed so hard!!! What a PERFECT name!!!!
I agree with ShadowsRescue---socializing an almost unsocializable kitten/cat has got to be one of the most rewarding experiences there is!! It's such hard work but every little corner turned is such an amazing feeling! Now if I could figure out how to dump my graphic design job & make a living socializing little fur balls my life would be complete!
And gotta put my two cents in on Da Bird. The three feral kittens I socialized this summer & an abused foster (Bowie-I've written about him elsewhere) went absolutely crazy for that thing! I swear it was a HUGE help in getting particularly Bowie to come out of his shell & truly interact with me. Bowie to this day will actually drag his Bird around the house until he finds me so I'll play it with him--which is hysterical to watch him lug a 3 foot wand/string up the stairs--/he actually even "fetches" it if I throw it across room!
Keep keeping us posted---this is one of my favorite stories I've been following since I joined this site!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #78
My gosh. I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. To the wonderful people on this website that helped me night and day with my little feral nightmare in New York City: I want to share some pictures with you. And to the people that recommended Da Bird? He loves it! Thank you so much for that suggestion. We have ten torn up and useless birds in our coat closet.
PS -- His name is just plain kitty because he hid god knows where for so damn long that we could never figure out his sex. By the time we did, "kitty" was the only thing he'd respond to. I had dreams for a grand beautiful name. They will remain dreams.
This is where he sleeps every night -- between our legs.
He is the light of our lives.
PS -- His name is just plain kitty because he hid god knows where for so damn long that we could never figure out his sex. By the time we did, "kitty" was the only thing he'd respond to. I had dreams for a grand beautiful name. They will remain dreams.
This is where he sleeps every night -- between our legs.
He is the light of our lives.
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Thank you so much for coming back to update. He is just gorgeous!! You worked so hard with him and the reward paid off. Kitty is very lucky to have you.
It is always wonderful to read such heartwarming updates!!
It is always wonderful to read such heartwarming updates!!
Wow - thank you so much for updating us! He has such neat markings - what a lucky kitty!
