Three months ago I found myself in a hectic situation and had to find someone to cat-sit my youngest cats named Chloe and Leo only to my horror to hear that they BOTH escaped. Chloe was found after two weeks of hard searching. Facebook posts, lost posters, even Craigslist. The lady whose children found her wanted to keep her however since Chloe was wearing her tag, the lady was kind enough to call first. (Thank goodness she did!) After I brought home Chloe I continued to search for Leo for a month before family began telling me to give up and perhaps come to terms that Leo was either dead or, similar to Chloe, someone kept him.
Well THREE months later, after some of the coldest weather this year an unknown number called me stating this "fuzzy wild cat" had been staying outside their thrift store for a month but never got close enough to pet. However today he was sitting close enough to the owner of the store for her to just barely read the big white numbers on his tag. Surely enough it was Leo! Matted and dirty but it was him. I immediately brought him home but he definitely been through a lot, including dogs, wild cat, and foster kids that lived across the street. The woman stated he used to be friendlier but the children used to "drag him by his tail". Poor Leo! I'm guessing this is the reason he meows and tenses when I pet him. He seems to recognize his sister Chloe and his friend Amira but he just acts very fearful when I pick him up. He even nipped at me, not hard at all, but still. He never did that before.
How can I help him transition back into being a house cat again?
Well THREE months later, after some of the coldest weather this year an unknown number called me stating this "fuzzy wild cat" had been staying outside their thrift store for a month but never got close enough to pet. However today he was sitting close enough to the owner of the store for her to just barely read the big white numbers on his tag. Surely enough it was Leo! Matted and dirty but it was him. I immediately brought him home but he definitely been through a lot, including dogs, wild cat, and foster kids that lived across the street. The woman stated he used to be friendlier but the children used to "drag him by his tail". Poor Leo! I'm guessing this is the reason he meows and tenses when I pet him. He seems to recognize his sister Chloe and his friend Amira but he just acts very fearful when I pick him up. He even nipped at me, not hard at all, but still. He never did that before.
How can I help him transition back into being a house cat again?