My Feral And Rescued Cats

[Jcatbird]

catsknowme i agree with you about the bass resembling a storm coming at BJ. I know he understands that the neighbor is associated with the noise too. If that kid came here I don’t know if BJ would hide from him or go after him. Not a meeting I will ever allow. That kid can just start his car and BJ is on alert. Smart cat!

 

[Jcatbird]

@apparatchic I am so glad you are enjoying BJ. Me too! He is a kitty full of personality and surprises. He is calling to me now. Lol He seems to want me near him at all times. When he is better socialized he can be. First we have to conquer his fears. That neighbor kid is a little rat and I wish I could just turn BJ loose on his stereo speakers. Lol We will just have to hope he blows them out again and can’t repair them. I was so happy when he blew them out the first time. We can dream!
I am doing this update on BJ for you!

Tonight I was greeted by a BJ who was irritated that the music continues. He doesn’t understand why I don’t make it stop. I wish I could. It interferes with my progress with BJ. My greeting from him began with a slap to my pants leg. I am glad it wasn’t my hand this time. My hand has been quite painful today. Not so much from the claw marks as the bruising of a very powerful hit. When he hit my leg tonight he was immediately told, NO and I turned my back on him. He flopped down on the floor and acted aggravated but did not strike me again. He could easily have hurt me so it is obvious that this is not his intent. He simply wants me to fix the things he sees as a problem or frightening. He knows I stand between him and other humans. He likes for me to do this in a literal since by standing with my back against the outside door. I am always impressed at how a feral cat can grasp the usefulness of having their own human. This is one of the primary things that makes them agree to our social rules. The other things are love and trust. They love being fed but I see that as secondary to the other things and more of a tool to be used to get them to the primary goals. They are quite capable of finding plentiful food in the woods here.

This is the evening with BJ

This look says, Where have you been!

I’m verbalizing that I am angry and going to punish you with a swat!

After the swat he gave me the cold shoulder by turning his back to me.

This is not acceptable to me so I told him no. He flopped down on the floor but faced my back. His ears were back, showing his displeasure at me snubbing him.

After a few minutes he gave me closed eyes which told me he understood that hitting me had caused him to be snubbed. He accepted me response.( did not really like it but understood)

He rose to show he was ready to move on.

His facial expressions changed.

Calmer, he waited for his supper

A yawn from him told me I could approach him without a slap.

He waited for an okay from me to eat supper and I encouraged him to eat.

After supper we moved on to giving treats. Bonding time!

He gently took his treats off of my lap.

After treats he was very calm and content.

The next stage was my sweet boy being silly and checking out the camera.

I was then given a thank you and affection in a leg rubbing.

All that remained was to settle in for a comfortable night. BJ was ready for bed.

Snuggle down time

Good night everyone!

 

[Scat Man]

Scat Man Can any of us do anything to help? I know caring for a lot of cats can be really hard. I have certainly had my moments. I am glad you are helping that feral but If you need any info or if anyone can try to find a rescue group near you, we would all try to offer you a hand. I know it isn’t easy to find help but TCS is a great resource. People here care. This is a good spot to speak out. Wishing all the best.

Appreciate it...Had him caged for a week..Turned him loose in the house this morning..Most likely a bad idea but oh well. Sick of all this.

 

[rubysmama]

Awww... BJ. I think you've stolen my heart. And it was that look asking mom if it was ok to eat that did it. You're going to be a lovable lap cat someday soon, I know.

 

[maggiedemi]

That neighbor kid is a little rat and I wish I could just turn BJ loose on his stereo speakers.

Any chance you could reason with the kid, maybe get him interested in cats? You could show him the work you are doing, assuming he is safe to have around. How old is he? Young enough to send him down a different path?

 

[catsknowme]

I love, love, love how you interpret BJ's body language so fluently! I think that post would be valuable as a stand-alone article on how to read "cat language" for beginners. It would prevent many, many misunderstandings!!

 

[Jcatbird]

rubysmama If last night stole your heart, tonight will make you want to scoop him up.

M maggiedemi I love the way you think. I too thought of trying to get through to that young man and I did try at first. He is in his early twenties but I am aftaid he was harmed by some things as a kid that affected the way he sees the world. I am aware of some of the things and while many people overcome hardships, some don’t seem to be able to do that. I have spoken to him and his family about the animals. His Grandparents understand. They try to control the Grandson but if he shows up when they are not there, he does stuff he shouldn’t. ( He is not supposed to be there when they are away but he shows up anyway.) I have witnessed him doing things that make me understand that he is not the kind of person I want to be around. I would never trust him anywhere near the cats or my property. BJ has made it clear that he mistrusts the boy and perhaps fears him. That alone tells me all I need to know. It’s sad because the love of a cat can heal many things.

catsknowme Isn’t it great how cats have their own language? I have been speaking frankly to my cats since I was a kid! In all seriousness, they do communicate with other cats and if we observe how they do it then we can understand them pretty well. Many people understand communicating with dogs, that a wagging tail is probably attached to a happy dog, that barred teeth are a warning and that they understand many words or commands but it isn’t commonly talked about with respect to cats. I think everyone knows to back off if a cat hisses at you but the more subtle ways they speak to us are not as widely known. I can tell from your post that you know catspeak. Lol I do hope that the photos of BJ demonstrating the language will help others to understand what cats are trying to say. I am glad you are enjoying the posts. BJ had plenty to say tonight!

Understanding our cats is sometimes like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. At first the whole picture is not clear to us. As each new piece is added we better understand what we are seeing. BJ is a perfect example of this. The more time I spend with him, the more he shows me what he is thinking and what he needs. Tonight he made it clear that he doesn’t want to be alone. I have known that something was scaring him, I knew that he decided it was safer to come inside, and I knew that socializing him would take time. I assumed that he swatted me the other night because he was nervous but what I didn’t know was that he really, really wants to be right beside me. He cleared that up tonight. Here are the photos. An awwww moment for me.

We started off with a gentle back scratching and BJ allowed it.

Then he began to turn towards my hand. Hmmmm. I was wary because of the swat he gave me the other night. (I had attributed that just to his fear but it was more than that)

This photo is a blur because he began to rear up on his hind legs and I started to pull back. With both front paws he knocked the camera out of my hands.

I immediately turned my back to him and he withdrew to the other side of the room.

He looked like was trying to tell me something.

He lifted his head as though alert.

The look in his eyes.....

Then he meowed loudly.....

Lowered his head......

and laid down to show me he was not pursuing me personally.

Once again he looked towards the exterior door as he has done each night.

I spoke softly to him and squatted down. I stayed still and he closed his eyes.

Then he got up and came to lay under my bent legs.

He placed his head right up against my body.

He stayed perfectly still underneath me.

Then he closed his eyes.....

and went to sleep for a very long time.

Although I did spend his first night inside sleeping in the room with him, this is the first time I have actually watched him go to sleep since he followed me home. I think he has slept but did so in fear. I stayed over him and let him rest, knowing that I was guarding him.

When I finally did stand up again he looked so intently at me, I could not walk away.

I just stood over him and guarded him to let him get some more deep sleep. He was exhausted.

After about an hour and a half I finally had to leave the room. He walked me to the door. He was much calmer acting so I attempted to pet him again. This time he not only allowed it, he purred. He has periodically called me back to the room. I go each time and he lays back down beside me. He wants me in the room with him. He has been swatting me because he was telling me not to leave him in a room alone when he was frightened and tired. Poor sweet BJ. As soon as I feel it is safe to handle him, I will be bringing him into the living room with me. For now I will be spending every possible moment with him. The other cats will just have to make time for me in between until BJ feels safe.

Awwwww! BJ! Now I understand. Mom will guard you so you can really get some rest.

 

[dustydiamond1]

I love, love, love how you interpret BJ's body language so fluently! I think that post would be valuable as a stand-alone article on how to read "cat language" for beginners. It would prevent many, many misunderstandings!!

 

[dustydiamond1]

rubysmama If last night stole your heart, tonight will make you want to scoop him up.

M maggiedemi I love the way you think. I too thought of trying to get through to that young man and I did try at first. He is in his early twenties but I am aftaid he was harmed by some things as a kid that affected the way he sees the world. I am aware of some of the things and while many people overcome hardships, some don’t seem to be able to do that. I have spoken to him and his family about the animals. His Grandparents understand. They try to control the Grandson but if he shows up when they are not there, he does stuff he shouldn’t. ( He is not supposed to be there when they are away but he shows up anyway.) I have witnessed him doing things that make me understand that he is not the kind of person I want to be around. I would never trust him anywhere near the cats or my property. BJ has made it clear that he mistrusts the boy and perhaps fears him. That alone tells me all I need to know. It’s sad because the love of a cat can heal many things.

catsknowme Isn’t it great how cats have their own language? I have been speaking frankly to my cats since I was a kid! In all seriousness, they do communicate with other cats and if we observe how they do it then we can understand them pretty well. Many people understand communicating with dogs, that a wagging tail is probably attached to a happy dog, that barred teeth are a warning and that they understand many words or commands but it isn’t commonly talked about with respect to cats. I think everyone knows to back off if a cat hisses at you but the more subtle ways they speak to us are not as widely known. I can tell from your post that you know catspeak. Lol I do hope that the photos of BJ demonstrating the language will help others to understand what cats are trying to say. I am glad you are enjoying the posts. BJ had plenty to say tonight!

Understanding our cats is sometimes like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. At first the whole picture is not clear to us. As each new piece is added we better understand what we are seeing. BJ is a perfect example of this. The more time I spend with him, the more he shows me what he is thinking and what he needs. Tonight he made it clear that he doesn’t want to be alone. I have known that something was scaring him, I knew that he decided it was safer to come inside, and I knew that socializing him would take time. I assumed that he swatted me the other night because he was nervous but what I didn’t know was that he really, really wants to be right beside me. He cleared that up tonight. Here are the photos. An awwww moment for me.

We started off with a gentle back scratching and BJ allowed it.
View attachment 260576
Then he began to turn towards my hand. Hmmmm. I was wary because of the swat he gave me the other night. (I had attributed that just to his fear but it was more than that)
View attachment 260577
This photo is a blur because he began to rear up on his hind legs and I started to pull back. With both front paws he knocked the camera out of my hands.
View attachment 260578
I immediately turned my back to him and he withdrew to the other side of the room.
View attachment 260579
He looked like was trying to tell me something.
View attachment 260580
He lifted his head as though alert.
View attachment 260581
The look in his eyes.....
View attachment 260582
Then he meowed loudly.....
View attachment 260583
Lowered his head......
View attachment 260584
and laid down to show me he was not pursuing me personally.
View attachment 260585
Once again he looked towards the exterior door as he has done each night.
View attachment 260586
I spoke softly to him and squatted down. I stayed still and he closed his eyes.
View attachment 260587
Then he got up and came to lay under my bent legs.
View attachment 260588
He placed his head right up against my body.
View attachment 260589
He stayed perfectly still underneath me.
View attachment 260590
Then he closed his eyes.....
View attachment 260591
and went to sleep for a very long time.
View attachment 260592
Although I did spend his first night inside sleeping in the room with him, this is the first time I have actually watched him go to sleep since he followed me home. I think he has slept but did so in fear. I stayed over him and let him rest, knowing that I was guarding him.
View attachment 260593
When I finally did stand up again he looked so intently at me, I could not walk away.
View attachment 260594
I just stood over him and guarded him to let him get some more deep sleep. He was exhausted.
View attachment 260595
After about an hour and a half I finally had to leave the room. He walked me to the door. He was much calmer acting so I attempted to pet him again. This time he not only allowed it, he purred. He has periodically called me back to the room. I go each time and he lays back down beside me. He wants me in the room with him. He has been swatting me because he was telling me not to leave him in a room alone when he was frightened and tired. Poor sweet BJ. As soon as I feel it is safe to handle him, I will be bringing him into the living room with me. For now I will be spending every possible moment with him. The other cats will just have to make time for me in between until BJ feels safe.
View attachment 260596
Awwwww! BJ! Now I understand. Mom will guard you so you can really get some rest.

Dear sweet baby

 

[rubysmama]

rubysmama If last night stole your heart, tonight will make you want to scoop him up.

Yep, that's exactly how I feel. I want to give him a big hug and burrow my face in his fur, and hear him purr.


He's not neutered yet, or is he?

 

[catsknowme]

That latest post about BJ is so adorable! One of my happiest feelings is seeing a once-lost, scared cat relaxing in comfort and security. Only the Good Lord knows what dangers & threats they have faced alone; BJ obviously knows and remembers. And it is awesome that you are giving him that safety and security
You remind me of the "Cat Man of Aleppo " Alaa Alajeel. (He has some awesome uploads on Facebook under Mohammad Alaa Alajeel)

 

[Jcatbird]

Yep, that's exactly how I feel. I want to give him a big hug and burrow my face in his fur, and hear him purr.


He's not neutered yet, or is he?

His purr is so gratifying to hear. I want to snuggle him too. In time. He is not neutered yet. His fear levels are so high I wanted to calm him some and also he is terrified of any enclosure like a cage, trap or carrier. I have put a trap and a kitty house in the room with him to get him to understand that they are harmless. He will strike out at me if I even open the door to a carrier. I cannot actually handle him yet so this may take some patience. He will be quarantined inside until he is neutered and has a vet check. All my inside cats are fixed but his hormones make him fiesty. He has something on his head that I want to check when he will let me. I think it is a tick but I can’t even apply anything to him yet. This is a very large and powerful cat who has rarely let me touch him. I know that I cannot push him too far yet. We’ll get there though.

 

[Jcatbird]

This looks like a tick but I can’t be sure until I can really examine him a little. If I did it now he would react badly and it would set us back on the progress we have been making.

 

[dustydiamond1]

His purr is so gratifying to hear. I want to snuggle him too. In time. He is not neutered yet. His fear levels are so high I wanted to calm him some and also he is terrified of any enclosure like a cage, trap or carrier. I have put a trap and a kitty house in the room with him to get him to understand that they are harmless. He will strike out at me if I even open the door to a carrier. I cannot actually handle him yet so this may take some patience. He will be quarantined inside until he is neutered and has a vet check. All my inside cats are fixed but his hormones make him fiesty. He has something on his head that I want to check when he will let me. I think it is a tick but I can’t even apply anything to him yet. This is a very large and powerful cat who has rarely let me touch him. I know that I cannot push him too far yet. We’ll get there though.

 

[dustydiamond1]

This looks like a tick but I can’t be sure until I can really examine him a little. If I did it now he would react badly and it would set us back on the progress we have been making.View attachment 260662

Yup, sure looks like a tick....
You'll laugh at this. We all slept in (Scott & Miss G still are) I fed Gypsy her wet around 7am then she and I went back to sleep in the spare bedroom. Its windy and rainy outside, good weather to curl up with a cat and a book or the catsite. Well since Scott goes to work today at 2pm I've been keeping an eye on the time on the clock atop the tv and the one on the microwave.... I just now noticed the time on the phone.....and realized that time had "fallen back"

 

[maggiedemi]

He is in his early twenties but I am aftaid he was harmed by some things as a kid that affected the way he sees the world.

I have witnessed him doing things that make me understand that he is not the kind of person I want to be around. I would never trust him anywhere near the cats or my property.

Okay, I understand. So he is an adult then. I was thinking he was a younger kid who could maybe be reasoned with.

 

[rubysmama]

This looks like a tick but I can’t be sure until I can really examine him a little.

I'm freaked out by ticks, and thankfully haven't yet seen one in person, but that definitely looks like pictures I've seen.

 

[maggiedemi]

Does it look like a big watermelon seed? That's what ticks look like to me. I can't tell from the pic.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Does it look like a big watermelon seed? That's what ticks look like to me. I can't tell from the pic.

They look like watermelon seeds until they start filling with blood.

 

[Jcatbird]

Ticks are yucky! Sadly we see them around here. We have the little brown ones and the ones that are gray and get fat with feeding. Eeeeaaashhhh! BJ won’t really let me get to it yet but hopefully soon! I took the photo to be able to look at it more closely. Pretty sure it is one. I could remove it if BJ wouldn’t eat me. I will need to treat him either way in case there are more. That’s the trouble with wet wooded areas here.