Christmas foster arrived

[chemenger]

We have a new foster cat who will be with us over Christmas and new year. He’s a gorgeous ginger boy who has been a stray for about three years. A group of neighbours had been feeding him but couldn’t take him in. They decided it was too cold to leave him outside so we picked him up. They had called him Keith, but we have a family member called Keith (coincidentally also ginger) so we changed it. Unfortunately at his vet check they found a grade 3 heart murmur, which will need investigating. Our own last cat was a ginger boy who died of heart failure, so this is a worry. No picture yet, he’s hiding under the kitchen units, just nipping out to use the litter tray and eat. He did come to look at us from the living room door last night so it won’t be long till he comes out.

my 2 sat behind sofa for a month, emerging only 4 basic needs, of which following is not !

Last year’s Christmas foster, who was also a stray, came out of hiding on Christmas Day. He went from hissy, terrified hiding in a corner to purry and sitting on knees in one day. We’re hoping for another Christmas miracle this year.

I am doubting the Christmas miracle now. Foster cat is not happy and not coming round. He spent 4 days under the kitchen sink. Every time we got near there was a hiss. He is out of there now but still hiding in various places. He is the first cat I have known who actually spits, there’s an explosive “ppt” noise followed by a hiss every time we go near. He also thumps the floor with his front paw to reinforce the threat. I’ve read about wild cats doing that but never seen a domestic cat do it. He doesn’t like Dreamies or webexx sticks. I think we just have to wait it out but it’s awkward when he takes possession of the top of the stairs and dares anyone to pass! Such an unhappy boy, he’s obviously had a tough time as a stray.

Hi chemenger

I have no advice but your posts touched a chord with me. As you say, unhappy boy.

Wishing you all the best with him and I hope you get a breakthrough.

Oh dear. It doesn't sound as though you will get a breakthrough any time soon. What will happen to him if he can't be tamed?

Cat protection do rehome cats to live on farms or who prefer the feral life. I hope he settles down with you though and becomes a lovely pet.

I think he will come round eventually because when I was at the vet with him he was quite calm and easy to handle. He’s not really a problem, we can handle being threatened and he has not been actually violent. He does need to go back to the vet for a second vaccination and some investigation of his heart murmur so hopefully he will have calmed down by then.

He could be found a farm home, I would think, but hopefully he won’t need that.

Maybe he'd prefer something to kill, like a kickeroo, instead of treats?
Good luck with him

He’s now sleeping behind the Christmas tree in the living room, maybe this is progress.

Sounds like it!

I would limit his space to one room...too much space can make some cats nervous.

We used to use our spare room (pre kids) when taking feral or stray cats. But the living room could work too.

Hope you get another Christmas miracle

Crossing my fingers for you and your ginger boy! @lynmilne65 - what beautiful cats. It's lovely when two cats do the synchronising thing, same place and same pose!

I fully intended to keep him in one room, but he had other ideas and escaped! Then there was no easy way to get him back in there from under the sink. He was under the sofa last night when we came in and less spotty when people lay down on the floor to talk to him so maybe a tiny step in the right direction again. My MIL who disapproves of animals in general is going to love him .

He must like company if he escaped to the living room. That is a good sign.

We have two elderly cats atm, one was a tame friendly cat rescue kitten from a shelter and the other one was a spitting aggressive farm feral older kitten who was one of four we trapped and tamed.

Today they both curl up together or snuggle with us. You wouldn't know which one was the feral. Though my husband has a scar on his arm to remember how feral he was once !

Have you tried sitting on the floor avoiding eye contact but reading out loud to him ?

Or feeding him small pieces of cooked chicken. Starting by offering a piece on the end of a wooden spoon and bring spoon closer to you, each meal until you are hand feeding him. This works very well with kittens but not cheap, lol.

I miss taming stray/feral cats...maybe we will do it again when the kids are grown.

Christmas Eve miracle. He is under the sofa having his chin rubbed and purring. My brother turns out to be a cat whisperer.

OMG - a Christmas miracle !

He is a big softy, more or less... I got a hiss and a swipe when I stroked him , but I think it was just overstimulation. He didn’t actually scratch me so I assume he was not serious about it. Here he is thinking about peace and goodwill.

Aww, good for him :)

Looks slightly more "hellfire and damnation" than " peace and goodwill" to me

He looks very thoughtful - hopefully he's pondering and concluding that he likes you now!

He is gorgeous. When you say fostering do you mean he goes on from your home or will you keep him?

He will go on to a forever home from here, once he is ready and in his case once we have looked in to his heart murmur.

This has been a much longer haul than I anticipated. He did not take well to the inside world. Once my brother went home all contact stopped. After living behind the Christmas tree over the holidays he moved to the stairs where he sat for 6 weeks terrorising anyone who dared to pass him and barely moving. Hissing, spitting and thumping the ground with his paw in challenge was the standard greeting. However, over the last couple of weeks we have made huge progress, he is now very happy to accept stroking, tummy tickles and head rubs, I've combed a mountain of dead fur out of him, I can clean the sleep out of his eyes and he purrs. He has started sleeping in a bed by the radiator rather than the draughty stairs and I can hear him snoring happily in it now. He walks round the house with his tail up now and seeks out affection and attention. I'm slightly worried that he seems very stiff, but I think it's probably because he has hardly moved for nearly three months.

We're off to the vet to restart his vaccinations this afternoon, if all goes well he's ready to be adopted. I never though I would see this day!