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- Apr 8, 2016
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I had a very odd foster dog once. It took weeks for me to get near him, and literally month for me to get him comfortable with eating out of my hand.I think you're right. I was getting pretty freaked out at the thought of not being able to help her if she was sick or hurt - I genuinely wouldn't put a cat on medication just because she wasn't cuddly! But I'm realizing that I'm borrowing trouble before I need to, and I can cross that bridge if it comes to that. Right now she's doing fine.
I do talk to her a lot, but generally not for praise or just randomly - more to get her used to my voice (I read to her a lot in the first few weeks I had her) and because it's funny to pretend to have conversations with my cat. Uhhh... I'm not crazy, I promise! lol. We're definitely doing the blinking and I 'check in' with her whenever I can - sitting at a safe distance away of course!
Trying to touch her on Sunday was actually the first time I've done that since I got her, and I've learned my lesson that this will all happen on her timeline, not mine! The closest I've gotten is giving her treats - she 'allows' my hand to get quite close when she's in the window (I'm stretching my arm from the bed, so she feels secure that I can't get her easily), and I put treats on the edge of the bed not too far from her tonight and only got one hiss that I was too close. (With her, one hiss is the equivalent of a mild side-eye on the subway.) Which is a lot closer than I'd have gotten a month ago without her fleeing!
(If your username is a Sweet Valley High reference, you are great!)
I'm right handed, so I used my right hand. Then I thought of the old horseman's way of making sure you do everything with symmetry so I used my left hand. The dog approached my hand, froze, turned his head, lifted his lip and growled and ran off.
The band on my left ring finger is what I am assuming upset him. It is sometimes bright and throws light off, and for whatever reason he hated it.