Both boys are positively blooming now that they're back out of quarantine and with the brood full time. And it is entirely due to the influence of their foster sisters, little Mina and Joni. My two mini cats are both incredibly social and outgoing little bundles of love and the boys are now picking up their social cues from them.
When Jasper was first integrated with the brood (before Joni and Durango's arrival) he obviously enjoyed having the extra space and new companions, but was still very fearful and would often run back to his sanctuary to hide. And even though he felt very safe with me when we were in his sanctuary, often coming to me to ask for attention, he would run away from me if we were anywhere else in the house.
These days, his first instinct is still to run away. But he's becoming a bit braver each day, and I can often convince him to come over to me instead of running away. Both boys are now being fed in the kitchen with the rest of the brood, and Jasper has resumed his habit of rubbing up against me while I'm preparing their food.
He is absolutely amazing with the little ones, and can often be found in the thick of it as they chase each other around the house. It's so sweet to see, especially knowing that he was so territorial when he was living outside. But here, he knows that he need not compete for anything. Not for food, nor space nor affection. And the effect that has had on his personality is almost magical to watch. He truly is my gentle giant.
Durango is well on his way to becoming a cuddle buddy. He's still very very shy about being touched and more often than not, he cringes away from my hand when I extend it to him to sniff. But if the setting is right (read: I'm sitting on the floor petting Jasper or the girls) then he is often there asking for love in his shy little way. Earlier this week, I decided to see what he would do if I picked him up and put him in my lap. *** (please read footnote below) I started rubbing his chin and cheeks and he immediately settled down in my lap to enjoy. The whole moment lasted for maybe a minute or two before his nerves got the better of him and he ran away, but it was a start. And it's already starting to pay off. Just yesterday, I was once again sitting on the floor petting everyone that came over. At one point, everyone left except Durango. He started circling around me, and would rub his flank against my back in passing, purring his little face off the whole time. Eventually, he came around to my front and voluntarily walked onto my lap. He ran away again almost immediately, not even stopping long enough for me to pet him, but progress is all about little baby steps like these.
*** As an aside, I never recommend doing this with an older semi-feral during socialization. And even with semi-feral kittens, I only do it on a case by case basis. In general, kittens are used to being moved around and even held down by older cats during grooming. And although they may not enjoy being picked up by you initially, they do often at least give a moments pause to see what you're doing before running away. Which is the perfect time to sneak in a few chin scritches to reward them for being there. If you were to try this with an older semi-feral, your intentions are inevitably going to be misunderstood, and you'll most likely end up with a running wound from your eyebrow to your ankle. Not to mention the inevitable damage to the trust you've been working so hard on building. And please, even when working with a semi-feral kitten, always be sure of the personality of the kitten before attempting.
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