Monty progress!

[givemushypeasachance]

You may have seen some of my earlier threads about two adopted boys, Monty & Rolo - where Monty was described by the shelter as being extremely timid and spent the first day hiding behind some shelves growling at me. He quickly gained confidence and particularly enjoys playing (stairs tennis with a ping pong ball being a favourite, plus the beloved flying frenzy toy) and accepts hand-fed treats but still has "personal space issues" and didn't want to be touched. If I offered my hand to him he'd sniff and back away or hiss.

Over the past seven weeks I've been persevering with him and gently touching him while he's distracted by toys or food, offering my hand to sniff regularly in as non-threatening a way as possible, and have discovered if he's half asleep I can get a couple of strokes in that he seems to enjoy before he wakes up enough to remember he's supposed to be suspicious of me! I've also encouraged him to have to come and half climb onto my lap if he wants the chicken treat on offer. Well now we've had a major milestone - yesterday for the first time he actually rubbed against my leg a bit. Nonchalantly, but it was definitely deliberate. Voluntary physical contact! He did think he was getting food (and he was right because he was rewarded with a bit of cheese...) but I'm more than happy to take it as self-serving give me food leg-rubbing. Bless 'im.

Both the boys have still been kept in these past few weeks since their initial forays outside led to Monty refusing to come back in for 36 hours, but it's helped me to have more intensive cat-bonding time with him I think. Going to revisit the outside world maybe in a couple more weeks, and hopefully they'll both be a bit more settled in their routine and less overwhelmed with the prospect of exciting outside adventures!

Here is a bonus photo of Monty. Anyone would think he doesn't have plenty of comfy places to sleep he actually fits into...

[cozietoesie]

Aw he looks happy as happy - contentedly asleep. It was probably always going to be a long slog - didn't you say they'd had a roughish ride before they came to you? - so you've done really well.

[givemushypeasachance]

Yeah they'd been at the shelter since they were kittens, so a good 8/9 months and that's all they'd really known. They seem to like domesticity though - Rolo has certainly discovered that beds are comfy and likes coming for cuddles with me there! (bonus photo of him so he doesn't feel left out)

Monty may not be a lap-cuddling cat yet, and he may never want to be, but it's still major progress from when he'd scuttle past me as quickly as possible and would only be coaxed over to have a treat that he'd then carry off to eat hidden under a chair.

[cozietoesie]

Give it time and he'll be a cuddler, I bet - especially when winter comes on and you have heaters inside and driving rain outside.

Well done anyway.