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| Scaredy Cat, living outside | Scaredy Cat, tame housecat |
UPDATE! August 11, 1998 - Over the last few weeks, I have had another major breakthrough with Scaredy Cat, our pet feral. For some reason, possibly the influence of seeing us petting a tame cat that we adopted, Scaredy Cat decided that not only would he tolerate occasional petting, but that he liked it! Now this "untameable" cat rubs his head into my hands every morning, asking to have his head and cheeks petted, lets me stroke his whole body while he's eating, and will even roll over for tummy rubs. This is not a cat who was ever partially tame - of our four ferals, he was originally the shyest, too afraid to come up on the porch while we put out his food even though the other ferals would. I never expected any type of truly affectionate behavior from him; we were just feeding him and caring for him and talking to him because we felt like he deserved comfort and safety, feral or not. I know that there may be a reversal in his behavior if he feels threatened, for example, when we move him to our new apartment, but I still feel great satisfaction and excitement about this big step he's taken.
UPDATE! September 10, 1998 - Scaredy Cat has made the move with us to a new apartment with flying colors. I picked him up while he was eating breakfast and brought him inside our old place, where he stayed overnight. The day of the move, we loaded up Scaredy and the other two cats into cat carriers and drove them to the new place. We settled Scaredy Cat into the mud room at our new place, a small utility room which has a glass-panelled door separating it from the kitchen. We outfitted the room with Scaredy's food and water bowls, a litter box, and a piece of cat furniture which has a "privacy box" - a carpeted cylindrical box with a round hall that a small cat can crawl into and feel safe.
Scaredy Cat has made the transition well. The first couple of days he was very scared, and would hide in our arms with his face tucked into our elbows, but now he is acting more like his old self. He is still being friendly and accepting, make that demanding, pets. He is getting along well with the other cats and comes out to sit with them, or sometimes they go in the mud room and take a nap on a chair cushion near Scaredy in his hidey-hole. He loves Frankie, and will follow him around to touch noses or rub his body alongside Frankie's. Although at first he wasn't eating much, now he is crunching away at his food and drinking water. The major sign of distress is that he still cries frequently, and paces around unhappily, but can often be soothed with petting, quiet words, or a visit from one of the other cats. We never thought Scaredy would make it as an indoor cat, and we are thrilled.
UPDATE! February 25, 1999 - After 6 months as an indoor cat, Scaredy Cat has become a lap cat! At first he always wanted me to lean over and pet him if I was sitting down. Boy, did my arm get tired! After months of this, he became brave enough to hop on the coffee table and let me pet him while he was at my level. In the last few weeks he has begun climbing into my lap and settling down for a good old-fashioned cat-petting session. He has finally realized what cats have known for centuries - that sitting in laps is good! - and will purr happily in my lap for hours. This is especially gratifying since I had read so often that feral cats over the age of 3 or 4 months were untameable. Scaredy is still shy with my husband, but will now occasionally let my husband pet him, too. I think Scaredy and I are both enjoying his new incarnation as a tame lapcat!
UPDATE! November 21, 1999 - Scaredy Cat has remained a lap cat, although he prefers to sit in my lap when I am the only person home, because he remains very shy with my husband and any houseguests. But if I am watching TV while my husband is out, he will curl up in my lap and present his chin for rubbing, and often even his belly! And he relaxes comfortably on the living room floor near us when my husband is home. You've come a long way, Scaredy!
TRAPPING A FERAL CAT