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- Feb 18, 2016
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We have had several ferals, strays, dumpees and like our own cats they love to play and one play toy I have found particularly effective is a long, skinny stick. I wiggle it just out of their sight and invariably they come to see what the light scritching sound is. I hide myself as much as I can. Once they are looking I draw the stick quickly back towards myself and usually they dart out after it, then realize, "Oh my heavens, what am I doing, I ran Towards the person" and they deke back into hiding but soon come out again. The magic stick brings them out.
Right now we have two ferals we see regularly. One is about to come in the house, I can pick him up and cuddle him. He's been outside in our yard for a year. The other one has been around for four years and is still very skittish but as of last Fall she is interested in the magic stick. Now, when I go outside to play with the friendly one the skittish one comes out of hiding and wants to play as well. She is coming much closer to me now. The two cats even have the occasional squabble over whose turn it is to play but on the whole get along very well.
The magic stick gets them playing with me at a distance. I can avoid looking at them with my big scary human face and terrifying eyes. My hands can move at a distance from them and they get used to my scary hands too. I can touch/pet them lightly with the stick after a while and not terrorize them. The stick is truly magic. Do you use a magic stick?
Right now we have two ferals we see regularly. One is about to come in the house, I can pick him up and cuddle him. He's been outside in our yard for a year. The other one has been around for four years and is still very skittish but as of last Fall she is interested in the magic stick. Now, when I go outside to play with the friendly one the skittish one comes out of hiding and wants to play as well. She is coming much closer to me now. The two cats even have the occasional squabble over whose turn it is to play but on the whole get along very well.
The magic stick gets them playing with me at a distance. I can avoid looking at them with my big scary human face and terrifying eyes. My hands can move at a distance from them and they get used to my scary hands too. I can touch/pet them lightly with the stick after a while and not terrorize them. The stick is truly magic. Do you use a magic stick?