Closed the one door, so I only need to focus on one.
Just spotted her lazing in the sun, just meters from the other open door where I feed her.
It is definitely treats time. “Treats” time. That seems a bit mean, but I need her to understand 2 important things. Her brother figured it out pretty quickly:
Number 1 is the most important for her, number 2 is the most important for me.
“Lazing in the sun” is a definite improvement over “cat has disappeared.” She’s starting to relax about the situation.
Now you just need to catch her relaxed when she, the door, and you are in the right relationship to each other.
– can you sneak out the other door and get around behind her, in the hope that in order to avoid you she’ll run into the house? Don’t chase, though; move slowly, and not looking directly at her or moving directly toward her. If she goes somewhere else, pretend you were just out there doing something else entirely, and never had any intention of trying to catch her – go somewhere else in the yard that’s more or less on your original route and do something over there for a couple of minutes. Don’t try it again for a while even if she comes right back out.
Cat is caught!
She popped into my bedroom, probably for food and company and I closed the door. It is 21:18, so kind of normal times for cats to explore
There will still be a lot of negotiation and bribery, but she is back, safe, with her brother.
What a roller coaster. She and her brither are getting a lot of treats this evening
I was trying to articulate to myself “what makes anyone think that this cat is anything other than an untamed feral?”
There’s the answer. If she likes @scudsucker enough to seek proximity, there’s hope.
Yeeehah!
(Resist temptation to yell loudly while in immediate presence of cat. – I’m also in immediate presence of cat, and of a dog. While neither of them is anywhere near as easily spooked as the cat who finally came in, they’d both be pretty startled and possibly upset.)
Even if she is a feral, there’s hope. I had friends who succeeded in making friends with an adult feral, once; eventually to the point at which he would even come to me for lapsitting and pats, though he saw me only a couple of times a year.
It took them several years, though.
– she may also have been after the company of her brother. Feral cats live in colonies, if they have a chance; not on their own.
Thanks, to you, and eveyone who gave me advice.
It is an incredibly stressful situation to be in, and I really appreciate the support.
The cats, are, as cats do, completely ignoring me and playing games with each other inside brown paper delivery bags.
Good, I have been worried.
I’ve been holding my breath every time I’ve opened this thread these past several days, hoping for good news. This is awesome to hear!
Hooray!!!
It would kind of cool if she were grateful for easy access to food and water, a dry and soft place to sleep…
…but no. She is a cat.
I am delighted, so is her brother, and maybe even she cares a tiny bit.
ETA: that is playing into sterotypes of cat. My previous cat St. George was totally devoted to me, more loyal than a dog.
I’m being cynical because I can; she’s home
In the same room that you’re in at the time?
She may still be shy of being handled; but that cat is not afraid of you.
Yes, same room I try to be an as much as possible.
She’s not scared, but she is extremely reticent. Like right now she is lounging on the floor abot 2m from me. But if I get up from my chair she will bolt.
Speaking of that, it may be treat time again. Her current hiding place is a large cardboard box in which my (erm, slightly deranged, but very imaginative) 6 yeat old son cut a hole as part of a magic trick. The magic (switching from one box to another) failed, but has set up a safe cat space. And there must be something in cardboard that appeals to cats.
Excuse the mess of lego and stuffed toys in the background, this is her, the white / tabby, and her unphotographable black brother.
I agree with those who say cats should be kept indoors. All 5 of my cats are indoor-only cats. But, boy howdy, they sure love bird watching through the windows!
Better still, make them indoor/outdoor in a cat tunnel cats. Tunnels or enclosures give the cat an outdoor experience, while keeping them safe.
That is amazing!
I’m just going to keep home security for a while but I love the idea.
Both of them photographed very nicely!
And she looks very glad to be with him again.
An update.
Great news. The male cat, Moonlight, is growing up into a normal cat. He is even showing signs of studied indifference when he misses a jump or can’t climb the entire curtain. Up until now he seemed somewhat embarrassed. Cat maturity!
But the great news is his sister, SpotDot, even as she will not let me approach her, she is approaching me. She licks my toes, especially if I twitch them, obviously with her claws all aound. She is gentle but claws hurt! She’s relaxing on my bed right now, and I am in the bed.
So this evening she attacked (gently) my left hand fingers, and did the kitten thing, wrap all your paws around, play bite, then lick to show it was all for fun.
I think she is coming around. She certainly has put two and two together about who feeds her - at least a month or two after her brother.
Totally willing to bribe for cat friendship!
That’s often the trick: to let the shy cat do all the approaching.
And she’ll relax on the bed with you in it? That cat says you’re her human.
– Just looked back. You got them around 4 months? That’s right around the time when the window closes for easy socialization to humans. It may have been closing a little faster for her than for her brother.
Yes, I wanted younger kittens, but my kids chose these two.
They wake me at night with their hilariously loud games (I thought cats were stealthy, but they thunder around), but their play is fun to watch, once I get my eyes open. It is worth it to be awoken at 3 am, just to see them having fun.
They are now about 7 months old.
Cats can be either stealthily silent, or Herd Of Large Horses loud.
They can also change their weight depending on whether they want to be picked up.
If there is such a thing as magic, the cats, they’ve got it.
I am curently working on her brother to accept a 50/50 share in ownership. He’s dominant and something of a bully towards her, but things are improving.
When she (and he) lets me stroke her on my lap, I will have won.