I Adopted Neighbours Cat After They Moved Out, But She Won't Accept Me.

rubysmama said:

Sounds like Storm's doing well training you.

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Yes, probably, but then that's OK. Queen Storm is a benign ruler, and cannot fully hide her displeasure with the winter weather. She's discovered the old couch in a north facing room that gets the morning sun. Liked one type of fish based cat food but not another. The pet food industry grinds up what humans won't eat, adds preservative, and goodness knows what else, but queens are likely to turn their noses up at this muck, and eat pellet food made from animal waste. It seems its maybe what the previous owners fed her, seems like junk food to me. I'll try some real meat soon. She now comes when I call her from a bed under carport, and I feed her inside where other cats can't eat her food. So in at least this aspect, I am training this queen OK. Shhh, don't tell her.

Sounds like the two of you are begining to share a special bond.

I like dogs, alot. But there is something extra special about earning a cats trust and it deciding to share its life with you.

Now we need some pictures of this tough old gal, so see what you can do.

I third the need for a photo

Did you try putting catnip in places you want her to be?

Purr-fect said:

Sounds like the two of you are begining to share a special bond.

I like dogs, alot. But there is something extra special about earning a cats trust and it deciding to share its life with you.

Now we need some pictures of this tough old gal, so see what you can do.

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I'll try to get around to rigging up my old Cannon with USB for card to the lap top for a picture. But really, she's a plain grey cat with a sight dash of white under her chin.
She has now officially moved in, preferring to sleep inside rather than outside under the carport roof. Not so unhappy. BTW, she's not old, about 6 or 7 maybe. Spends 4 hours+ after dark roaming, which is why some cats tend to sleep all day - they get exercise this way, and are tired of the nightly efforts. Cats are good company, but for any animal that finds itself in a world full of humans there can be a special bond, as opposed to a world full of its own kind, where they are under far higher stress to eat and breed. I doubt the bond with a cat is any more special than with a dog or a horse, there have been plenty of stories about a dog's bravery or horse carrying a wounded person to safety. When I was young, after a wife left, ppl told me to get a dog. No, I wanted a lady thanks. I was a builder, and could take a dog to work, but need so much attention they can be a distraction, and a nuisance at times. But you can walk a dog, explore with it, run with it, and meet other ppl walking their dog. This can't happen with a cat. For me to have a dog I'd have to have spent a fortune on fencing stop it running out on roads. My dad was a vet, and at dinner time on Saturday night the phone would ring, "my dog's just been hit by a car..." and he'd have to put dinner aside and head off for an hour, and often euthanase a broken animal which he carried back in his station wagon to be disposed of later in the process of his business. Mum had a Labrador after my dad died, but this wandering dog was killed by a car within 6 years. So I never yearned to have a dog.
In our suburban existence, there are the least challenges to our existence, and although it is not a good place for a horse, there's room for a cat or a dog ( needing good fences ) to have a blend of inside and outside and then there are vets and free food without the dangers of hunting, so they tend to tolerate us humans well. In many cases, they tolerate us better than other humans do, so I have found. We find animals are special because they'll stay and they are just there, in our own little personal world which will never attract anyone else unless we have had very good luck.
Now Storm roams at night, just after nightfall, when its not too cold, and goodness knows what she finds but its at a time when car traffic has calmed, so she'd most likely get across a road without a risk, then free to sneak around a number of other folks' back yards, seeing what cat food was left out on back porches,
and in general enjoying the wonderment of freedom, equipped with a enough night vision, smell, hearing, and maybe score a mouse.
And of course they are relieved of the struggles to breed. They may not figure out why though, or know what they are missing, but our cats have some idea of how to adapt in what is an existence that is very different to cats in the wild. Storm watched a small bird land to drink from my pool yesterday, fascinated, but made no move to chase it. But a wild hungry cat would have moved in close, motionless, until the deadly pounce. Might have landed in the cold water, bird in mouth, but the wild cat won't mind getting wet. Us humans had to do the same thing until we began farming, then we built housing, and later, supermarkets mainly filled with junk foods.
Cold grey wet day here,
Patrick Turner.

Patrick Turner said:

I'll try to get around to rigging up my old Cannon with USB for card to the lap top for a picture. But really, she's a plain grey cat with a sight dash of white under her chin.

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You know, there's NO SUCH THING as a plain grey cat.

Patrick Turner said:

She has now officially moved in, preferring to sleep inside rather than outside under the carport roof.

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Great news!

Suru suggested "Did you try putting catnip in places you want her to be?"
I think she's found where she wants to be at her own pace. The one thing I have always tried to do in my life is to ensure all females around me had the freedom they wanted. I found that if I wanted a cat or a lady to be where I wanted, I was wasting my time, and I grew up in the age of Germaine Greer and the many feminists who were fed up with men expecting women to be where they wanted women to be, maybe chained to the kitchen sink or stove. No, not for me, and not even for a cat. Of course with the complete freedom I gave to all women I knew, it was up to them whether they stay or not, and if they did, then there were duties of care and loyalty to the two of us, and Germaine had no good advice about that. All the women I knew wanted to roam without loyalty, and they formed no bond, even after declaring a state of love was established. but they then suffered the self imposed repeated agony of sadness when breaking up with yet another man, and I just found having a cat was somewhat far less trouble, expense, heartache, and so I never had kids. I'm 72 now, and health is failing, so a cat will do.
Patrick Turner.

Patrick Turner said:

All the women I knew wanted to roam without loyalty, and they formed no bond, even after declaring a state of love was established. but they then suffered the self imposed repeated agony of sadness when breaking up with yet another man, and I just found having a cat was somewhat far less trouble, expense, heartache, and so I never had kids. I'm 72 now, and health is failing, so a cat will do.

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~ Yes a relationship with our pets is always far more simple ( and often more rewarding ) than with our fellow humans . As my dear Mom used to say : "Animals are here to be our companions"

I love reading this, feels like I am reading a good book on a calm day. This is how I really feel with this post.

Good to know that she has settled in, even though it was quite slow. I hope she does stay permanently inside. I have had cases of feral cats/kittens before that have become strictly indoor cats, and not only that, have turned out to be the sweetest cats that preferred to cuddle and be constantly close by.

You take care of yourself. And I pray for the best for you and Storm.

Patrick Turner said:

She has now officially moved in, preferring to sleep inside rather than outside under the carport roof.

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Excellent news !!!

JamesCalifornia said:

~ Yes a relationship with our pets is always far more simple ( and often more rewarding ) than with our fellow humans . As my dear Mom used to say : "Animals are here to be our companions"

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Us humans are all animals, and mammals, and IMHO, the evolution model of life over millions of years seems like maybe the best way to have all things evolve as they are, with a daunting level of mainly incomprehensible complexity. If you just think about a cat, then its hard to imagine any God imagining a cat, then saying "let there be lots of cats", and after a week, there were many. There are millions of species of so many things, and all seem related over time, so for me cats are a result of Nature, not a God, and so am I. Not all animals are here to be companions. Lions don't make very good house cats. Cattle are darn sick of us killing them. No companionship there. I guess one reason I probably has such outstanding failure with so many ladies I met was because I'd question the statement "Animals are here to be our companions" because the person saying is immediately ill at ease and wonders why men are so complicated. If in doubt, ask the cat. Cat would meow back with "of course I was put here to be your companion, don't you forget that, and where's my dinner?" The alternative of not being a companion cat is a horrendous experience, maybe meat on the table, being shot at by an angry farmer with chickens, or protectionists of our native species, many of which have been wiped out by wild cats and foxes and wild dogs.
Anyway, I've adopted a meat-eater animal, and at 5:50pm today, darkness fell, Storm smelt the meat from outside the house somewhere, then bounded in, meowed "I know youse have some meat there man, so don't you go feeding me pellets or canned fish, now gimme some or I'll bite your leg off" OK, Storm, here is some Real Food, and she ravished a small bowl of real lean meat.
Just as well she's not a lion. Went straight outside after without a thank you to roam though, and no doubt might arrive back in later tonight, and this is pretty simple stuff to relate to no?
Certainly simpler than having an evening with a lady, but fact is that when we are 30, love is food, or food is love, and we are trapped and made a fool of by seeking love, because the number of books written about love is huge, and full of disagreeing ideas between authors that I can only conclude I know nothing about it, and its no use trying to learn much about ladies. Most certainly not at my age. The only live entities that need me are the hospital staffers and my cat. Hospital staff get paid well to get old ppl to last longer, and cats just want dinner. They must wonder why we stroke them, and some think "what's this human doing, is it making a pass at me?..... but feels OK, I'll go along, and dinner is very likely...." Pretty simple eh?
Now to get ready for a big scan tomorrow, then talk to docs...
Its all OK, just nature happening....
But I was cheered up when I saw Ashleigh Barty win the French Open on the clay.
Patrick Turner.

Patrick Turner said:

and I just found having a cat was somewhat far less trouble, expense, heartache, and so I never had kids. I'm 72 now, and health is failing, so a cat will do.

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I'm sorry your health is failing, but I'm glad you have Storm to keep you company.

Patrick Turner said:

Now to get ready for a big scan tomorrow, then talk to docs...

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Sending healing vibes for good results.

Patrick Turner said:

Now to get ready for a big scan tomorrow, then talk to docs...
Its all OK, just nature happening....

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I admire your positivity in life in the face of uncertainties. I wish I could be that way at most times.

I do hope and pray all will be fine. I also hope, in her own ways, that Storm brings you the smiles and happiness that any animal-loving person deserves, especially you. I hope she continue to provide you companionship, friendship and love, even if she does not really show it.

Maria Bayote said:

I admire your positivity in life in the face of uncertainties. I wish I could be that way at most times.

I do hope and pray all will be fine. I also hope, in her own ways, that Storm brings you the smiles and happiness that any animal-loving person deserves, especially you. I hope she continue to provide you companionship, friendship and love, even if she does not really show it.

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Well what more could I desire than to have cattesque vibrations and miscellaneous prayers to various Gods, etc, all aimed in my direction I thought that when I came to this site there would be some of The Most Genteel Good People, and it seems to be true. I can only hope that Nature is kind to you all.
I'm sure Storm is a little reticent about showing feelings; some cats rub up against you which means "you're mine, MINE, and only mine, got it buster ? , OK, and I can run faster than youse can chase, OK." yeees, OK Storm, I get it, but I been around for awhile, heard every type of story from so many ppl and a few animals, but stick around Storm, you are OK, well, are you not?
Is there yet another complaint for the day?
:-/
Patrick Turner.

Patrick Turner said:

Now to get ready for a big scan tomorrow, then talk to docs...
Its all OK, just nature happening....

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Sending positive vibes your way.
And I asked Missy to keep her paws crossed

mama africa said:

Sending positive vibes your way.
And I asked Missy to keep her paws crossed


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Indeed Missy has paws crossed. Storm slept outside last night under the carport roof in the cold, and before I left at 7am to get my medical scan she's all upset, but I'd left a door open overnight and some food, but I think she had fight with another roaming cat and was quite unapproachable and growling etc, so I went for scan, back at 10:30am and she'd calmed down, and stroked gently, "how about coming inside?" and then she changed, followed me in, took a few bites of food, and I sat down to have a cup of tea, and for the first time she hoped up on my lap, and PURRED, so some more mutual acceptance is underway, and maybe now she realises I ain't the Big Bad Wolf and so all is well. I think Storm will always get pissed off by visiting cats in their invader-disrespect mode, something all us mammals have had to deal with over millions of years of evolution.
There will be ups and downs with this animal, but I'll be the constant thing in her life until perhaps Nature calls me.
Best Regards,
Patrick Turner.

Patrick Turner said:

I sat down to have a cup of tea, and for the first time she hoped up on my lap, and PURRED, so some more mutual acceptance is underway, and maybe now she realises I ain't the Big Bad Wolf and so all is well.

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That's really heartwarming

mama africa said:

That's really heartwarming

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Yees, but Storm is determined to roam for about 5 hours after nightfall. No doubt she'd be sneaking into other cats' territories. So far, she's gotten away with this, then sleeps outside before maybe coming inside and of course she brings it on herself to get all upset by cats who roam during early daylight and then brazenly swank past, maybe deliberately provoking a fight, pissing on a few things to mark territory, then continuing on thinking "youse ain't nuttin' babe, wha youse is even bin desexed." Don't think the un-desexed toms would not have noticed she's queer, frail, and easily upset.
But back before 2000, I had a "queer desexed female" who was far more fiesty and capable to scare the hell out of any kind of male, and all the dogs. Yet she was a great companion.
Cats vary, like ppl. So things are improving, but very slowly. She sure liked a bowl of real meat. Didn't much like tinned sardines, or any other tinned cat food which really is kind of awful, junk food, like the pellets. I can buy enough meat for $10 to feed her for about 7 days, and that's $1.40 day, and maybe far better nutrition. The cat I had before 2003 ate a handful of meat once a day, with a drink of milk, and didn't need to eat between meals.
Lived for 18 years, defended her ground well for about 15, when she began to get defeated by other cats. Became mainly an inside then.
Patrick Turner