News from the farm

[ldg]

Oh I'm so sorry about the move... and the reason for it. I'm glad you're not moving far. I think the girls will adapt just fine, and lovely there's an outbuilding for them! BUT.... if for any reason they decide to go looking for their old home territory, at least it's not far. Don't expect they will though. :cross:

...and that's a BIG advantage of feeding the cats right outside the door, under our home, and right in the back of our home. No mice IN our home. You know, that's something to consider when you move... building a little "shelter" for their food right by your home. Let them use the outbuilding for shelter, but work on moving where they eat to right around the house. :dk: I love this idea (wouldn't ever pay this price for it - but would be easy to make on your own:
I totally forgot to mention - Baloo is the only kitty we can approach that won't run. All of the others, we have to stand still or squat down, and wait for them to come to us. I can call Smokey, and he'll run over (if he's around and not out hunting). If we move toward them, just like your girls, they dart away. :lol3: The ONLY place this doesn't apply is around the deck. On and in front of the deck is, I guess, the "safe zone."

Tricks to consider: put a little bit of the yummy wet food on your fingertips and hold it out to them before you put the bowls down. Let them lick it off (though sometimes that method is prone to a good chomp).

When they're eating, instead of reaching out with your hand out, form your hand into a fist. At first just hold it there while they eat. The hand in a fist is more the shape of a cat head, and less "threatening." It's a familiar shape. They may take more readily to the first pet if you're not reaching over them or at them, and not with your hand open, but just - a cheek brush with your fist, as if another kitty were face-rubbing them.

For the last two ferals we rescued (brought inside full time to socialize and become pets), I took to putting my head near them when they ate, and then progressed to rubbing their cheeks with my head. Over 2.5 years later, and Chumley still isn't quite comfortable with hands, but loves being petted with my head.

OH - and all the ferals outside LOVE the brush. They love catnip too. So I started with a catnip toy, and they went bonkers. :lol3: Then I sprinkled catnip on a brush, and they naturally started rubbing their cheeks on it - and decided they really enjoyed the brush. At first I didn't move it, I just held it there for them to rub. Now I get the brush out, call "brushies," and they come running. :lol3:

 

[ldg]

Posted pictures of the kitties for you. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/252410/most-of-the-current-feral-crew

Tag - you're it! With Christmas upon us, I'm SURE you have PLENTY of time to take pictures!

 

[dunnyboy69]

Hello all..a belated happy new year and my apologies for the tardy response. Moving house is terribly time-consuming.

Latest news is that we have finally completed the move. One of the final things I did was move Bubble (black, about 18 months; on the feral scale I'd say 30%) and Squeak (b/w, about 10-12 months, 50%). Lots of preparation at both ends. At the new house, I prepped their new quarters, which is a large, secure shed totally for them. About 20x the size of the confined area they had when they came to me in September - a barn in miniature, in effect, now replete with a wooden cat house, some cat beds, some litter trays and a couple of straw bales. And a lovely raised area/ ledge with a window where I am putting their food. Back at the farm, their feeding had been gradually adjusted over the past fortnight; step 1 was moving their bowls from the rickety barn to the floor of the 'straw barn' (where they'd acclimatised), step 2 - a few days later - was then moving their bowls into a dog crate. Both steps were surprisingly painless for the kitties and they adjusted pretty quickly. At this juncture I should say that we have bonded splendidly over the 4 months they've been with me, to the extent that they can running, tails aloft at mealtimes and, when in the rickety barn, had even allowed a little petting. Moreover they clearly like one another; they don't hang out together all the time, but they run up against one another when they meet and are very happy cats.

I quickly and simply closed the door behind them yesterday. They went crazy, particularly Squeak! Covering the cage helped loads and they were transported to their new home, which - rather than being a farm, is a largeish rural house in a small village. Nice big garden and fields and woods right behind the garden.

They've now been at the new place and are hiding in the straw-filled wooden cat house. Poor things. Very little food has been eaten and I wouldn't have known they were there if it wasn't for the fact that one of them had had a poo overnight! I put in some treats and some cat milk (which is Bubbsy's absolute favourite) at 9 o'clock this morning; come 3pm, when I last checked through their window, it hadn't been touched.

I'm assuming that they, quite understandably, are scared and in a bit of a huff. I do feel bad, as they were happy girls on the farm and were warming towards us. But I'm also thinking that they will adapt, probably initially through overnight exploration. Going forwards, I will continue to leave them in peace, food and litter trips aside, for 3-4 days and hope that they get their appetites back. Once this has happened, I'll start spending more time with them; initially, I'll watch them through the window and talk to them, then I'll sit myself on the floor. No rush. After 2-3 weeks I'll take a decision on when to let them run free. Back at the farm, neither of them showed an inclination for extravagant exploration (unlike 2 of their predecessors, Rudi and Paddy, who wandered everywhere), so I'm thinking that they won't go far. But I won't rush it; it might even need a month for them to properly settle in. I reckon Bubbsy will come around more quickly - she was actually running into the cage for food come the day of capture!

as ever, any and all suggestions welcomed

bests

 

[ldg]

Well, I'm glad you're all moved! I'm sorry you had to move, but.... at least it's behind you.

Sounds like the girls were really happy! I'm sure all of this has been a shock to them, but I can't think of anything else there is to do, other than just work to establish the new routine. I do think giving them more confined time this time around is a good idea - seems like they need the "reassurance" that this IS, in fact, their new home. :rub: Just keep telling them this is their new home, and hopefully it will be so for the rest of their lives. :cross: :lol3:

Poor things are probably feeling a bit betrayed right at the moment. They'll get over it. :nod:

they get their appetites back right quick!

 

[dunnyboy69]

thanks for the feedback. Appreciate IOU piccies (or a video) of the girls - will do soon, just need a quick tech crach course.

anyway, things are getting a little better. They've started eating well and I've seen them both; Squeaky, perched on her box through the door last night (thru the night vision), and Bubbsy came out and had a bit of milk while I was in the hut with them this morning - a big step, this, and I was pleasantly surprised. But trust will have to be rebuilt very slowly and I'm thinking increasingly that a full month might be needed to adapt them fully. In the interim, I need to buy/ build a few more areas around the garden where they can hide when they do come out!

 

[ldg]

Must have made you smile!

 

[feralvr]

WHAT!!!! YOU MOVED!!!! I certainly have missed much because we moved too and I am now just getting back to TCS! I am sorry you had to move and the reasons for that move but life never seems to stay the same for long, does it??! A new chapter in your life and the kitties lives. I agree with Laurie, of course , in that I would not let them run free tooooo soon this time around. That shed sounds just perfect for them!!! The girls being confined will not only be good for them but good for your peace of mind, at the moment anyway!!! Squeaky and Bubbsy are going to be just fine.

 

[feralvr]

Posted pictures of the kitties for you. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/252410/most-of-the-current-feral-crew

Oooooooo have to go see your updated pictures!!!!!!!!! :dash:

 

[dunnyboy69]

Quick update...

Slow but steady progress and plenty of good, solid poos (have also taken the chance to get some worming tablets in them while they are 'cooped up'). They also seem to be very rambunctious of an evening: toys everywhere come the morning!

Bubble: has come out of her box a couple of times and taken treats from my hand. Is also always the first out to get food - even while I'm in the barn - though often only has a couple of mouthfuls. But her general behaviour is a bit 'up and down', I'd say. I had probably bonded more with Bubble at the farm and I think she feels more betrayed than her sister. A few weeks before she left the farm, Bubbsy clearly got into a bit of a fight with something and ended up with two rather significant wounds on her forehead - they didn't seem to cause her any trouble but seemed to be taking a long time to heal up. However, now she's in the hut, they are definitely improving. I was reaching the stage of thinking she might need a vet visit (if I'd taken Rudi to the vet every time he had such a wound, I'd never have left the surgery!), which would have been complicated given the move, so all should be well. Actually, think the fight she got into on the farm changed her behaviour quite a bit: she used to be everywhere around the farm but seemed to temper her rambling somewhat.

Squeakycat: more consistent in her behaviour. Is always second out for food, following her big sister. But her real progress is at nighttime. It appears that, during the day, the girls snuggle together in their lovely wooden hut. However, when darkness descends it seems that they separate. While Bubble stays in the hut, Squeak comes out and plonks herself down on a cat bed on the straw bales, pretty much in full view of me. The last 2 evenings I have come in with some food and she has been sat there and not moved.

But I do long to see their happy tails again! The last month or two at the farm had seen such huge progress (a little petting, them always coming running when food was called/ served), but at the moment it's all about caution and taking things slowly and it'll stay like that for the rest of the month.

Pictures before too long, I promise

 

[feralvr]

Quick update...

But I do long to see their happy tails again! The last month or two at the farm had seen such huge progress (a little petting, them always coming running when food was called/ served), but at the moment it's all about caution and taking things slowly and it'll stay like that for the rest of the month.

Pictures before too long, I promise

Great, great update and I like your last statement!!!! Taking things caustiously and slowly. That is how it is done with these guys. The girls sound VERY happy to me. Bubbles leading the way for Squeaky. :rub: :bigthumb: Soon, you will see those wonderful, fluffly happy tails. :bigwink:

 

[ldg]

Great, great update and I like your last statement!!!! Taking things caustiously and slowly. That is how it is done with these guys. The girls sound VERY happy to me. Bubbles leading the way for Squeaky. :rub: :bigthumb: Soon, you will see those wonderful, fluffly happy tails. :bigwink:

They're definitely adjusting, slowly but surely! I agree, you'll see those happy tails soon! :rub:

 

[dunnyboy69]

Time for another progress report. My (semi?) feral girls, Bubble & Squeak are now almost 3 weeks into their new home.

..and it's good news. I have started seeing happy tails at mealtimes! Squeaky continues to be the most consistent of the two in her behaviour, while Bubbsy is much more erratic; one mealtime she'll hide in her box, the next she'll jump up onto the shelf in the shed and start eating from the bowls before I've finished scooping the food out of the tin. Squeaky does much less hiding and seems more comfortable with everything. Things started to get much better last weekend; for the first time since their move, I really had plenty of time to both spend with them and to observe them. In terms of observation, this is helped by the shed having two lovely big windows just above the shelf - these aren't glass windows, but plastic, and I've realised that the panes unclip. So rather than opening the door, the plan is to take a window out, run a (fixed) wooden plank from the window to the floor and make this the entrance/ exit for the girls. I think this arrangement will suit Squeaky in particular down to the ground; over the last few days, I've lost count of how many times I've seen her sat on the shelf looking out of the window at the big wide world! I noticed how she seemed to be watching the birds in particular so one evening I went into the shed just before sundown with a wand toy. Bubbs had made herself scarce but Squeaky and I had a lovely time; I was 'casting' the toy like a fishing rod onto the bale where she was sat and she had a blast playing with the green demon at the end of the string. I took it back in for another play two days later and it spooked Bubbs....which in turn spooked Squeaky. Funny girls!

So I think the countdown to freedom is on. It's going to be at 4 weeks, weather permitting, which is a full 10 days longer than the acclimitisation they had at the farm. It's funny; rebuilding trust has actually been more tricky, in a way, than the actual initial building process, particularly with Bubbs. More soon, hope all are well.

 

[dunnyboy69]

Day 31 - and I need some advice.
Bubble and squeak, my two semi-ferals, are continuing to acclimatise to their new home - they are in the lovely big shed at the back of the garden and have everything a feral could want (except freedom!)
Squeak is doing very well on the whole: even if she doesn't always come out to see me - though she usually does - her little pink nose always pops out of the box to say hello at food time.
Bubble, on the other hand, had regressed a lot. This is the girl who, at the farm, always led the way, meowed from time to time and was generally quite comfy around humans. In the past week - so that's 15-20 food trips (2 per day plus occasional treats), she has emerged from her box once. In the week preceding, she'd done it on 50% of occasions. She also 'growled' at me for the first time last week: I was sat on the floor playing with squeak with the wand toy (she is fascinated by this) and I heard her growling from deep within her box a few feet away.
It's all very disturbing. They have now been in 'captivity' twice as long as they were when they came to the farm originally; part of me thinks I've left it too long and they need their freedom, part of me thinks they'll benefit from more time. Or, more specifically, bubble will. Obviously what I'm trying to avoid is the girls running off to find their old home.
Any and all advice appreciated.