As predicted, Durango has started asking for pettings. Well... in a manner of speaking. He still hasn't quite figured out how to actively ask, so he does it passively.
He waits until Jasper comes over to be pet, and while I'm petting him, Durango rubs up against Jasper on the opposite side. Then when Jasper moves away, Durango just kind of stands there, as if he's waiting for me to pet him. He lets me run my hand along his back a few times before his nerve wears out and he scoots off again. It may not sound like much, but considering how timid he is, I am pleased with his progress.
He did get up on the bed and snuggle down against my leg the other night, but I'm still not 100% sure he realized I was there. I have a tendency to bury completely under the blankets when I sleep, and my comforter is quite fluffy, so its entirely possible he was just oblivious. Either way, we were both comfortable, and I didn't want to startle him away, so I simply enjoyed the moment until sleep took me.
Jasper is his usual, amazing self. He's started to demand pettings now, often coming over and dipping his head as if he was headbutting me until I sit on the floor with him to give him scritches. He's becoming more and more comfortable with me petting his sides, which is fantastic news. Given that he is such a long haired beauty, I really want him to enjoy being groomed in the sensitive areas as well.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Durango and Jasper - fast friends and boon companions
Durango and Jasper have become best buddies, and it constantly makes me smile to watch the two of them together. Both are coming out of their shells at lightning speed now, and there is very little, if any, diving under the bed if I enter the room unexpectedly.
Jasper worked out another big knot throughout the night and true to form, ran over to the mirror to check himself out after I snipped the last little part that was keeping it connected to him. I am totally going to have to try to catch a video of him doing this. It's utterly hilarious.
Durango has quite obviously adopted Jasper as his surrogate parent and comes to him frequently for affection and grooming. Even sweeter is that Jasper has just as obviously accepted this duty and takes very good care of him - though he does have a tendency to steal Durango's wet food if he is still eating by the time Jasper is done his. ;) Durango is still too shy to ask me for affection, but you can see him trying to work up the courage whenever Jasper comes over to be pet. It's so sweet to watch, it practically puts me in a diabetic coma. ;)
Jasper worked out another big knot throughout the night and true to form, ran over to the mirror to check himself out after I snipped the last little part that was keeping it connected to him. I am totally going to have to try to catch a video of him doing this. It's utterly hilarious.
Durango has quite obviously adopted Jasper as his surrogate parent and comes to him frequently for affection and grooming. Even sweeter is that Jasper has just as obviously accepted this duty and takes very good care of him - though he does have a tendency to steal Durango's wet food if he is still eating by the time Jasper is done his. ;) Durango is still too shy to ask me for affection, but you can see him trying to work up the courage whenever Jasper comes over to be pet. It's so sweet to watch, it practically puts me in a diabetic coma. ;)
Updates galore!
Whew! What a busy day today was. Sorry for cramming everyone's updates into a single post, but I'm wiped.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Durango makes an appearance
Earlier this morning, while the brood and little Joni were having a snore-fest in the living room, I opened the door to Durango's temporary sanctuary to see if he had any interest in coming out to explore his new environment. He was quite keen on the idea as it turns out, and within minutes, I found him quietly exploring Jasper's haven.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Kitten season - Durango's arrival & a surprise visit from Joni
Kitten season has gotten an early start this year, thanks to the somewhat mild winter we experienced here in Montreal. Coincidentally, it's also the time of year that C4P loses many of it's available fosters since many of them are university students, and the school year is ending.
I believe this is the text book definition of 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'.
So when the call went out for a foster for a timid little semi-feral kitten, who was trying to make his way in the world, seemingly without the benefit of a mom or siblings, I responded. Luckily, the concerned citizen who had contacted C4P about him was able to trap him within a relatively short time, and he arrived at the home for wayward cats this evening after being vetted. Although the founder of C4P and I were both set on calling him Clover, the vet asked if he could be named Durango. And given how invaluable her help has been for C4P, it was a no-brainer to agree to her request.
As is to be expected, he is quite overwhelmed by his experiences over the last 24 hours, and is thus far reluctant to leave his kennel when I'm in the room. He did come out when I was not in the room however, as is evidenced by his use of the litterbox and empty food bowl. I also managed to convince him to eat a bit more later in the evening while I was in the room, although I had to place the dish in his kennel before he was comfortable enough to do so. Still, it's a step in the right direction - the fastest and surest way to their hearts is through their tummies.
He is currently sequestered, at least until he's gotten a chance to catch his bearings. The last thing I want to do is overstress either him or the brood. And when you consider that the brood is already a little confused by the unexpected (and very temporary) presence of little Joni Mitchell, well, it's a bit much for poor Durango to absorb at once.
Little Joni is a rather unexpected foster for me, and will only be staying with us until her vaccination immunity has reached its peak - approx 2 weeks. Her previous fosters are moving to Vancouver tomorrow, and everything was all arranged to move her to another foster this evening. But it was discovered last minute that Joni was a teeny bit overdue for her 2nd set of vaccinations. Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem, but her new foster home previously had a case of FeLV, so of course it's extra vital that any new additions to that household are properly vaccinated, especially young kittens who are more susceptible than older cats.
Joni has settled in beautifully and is already fast friends with Mina. They spent most of the night playfighting, then curled up in my recliner, groomed each other and passed out in a cuddle-puddle of love and fur.
It's almost too bad that her stay here will be so temporary. She has fit in so well and so quickly, and she's such an adorable little girl. But considering that both Jasper and Durango require extra time and attention while we work through their trust issues, it's sadly just not feasible for me to foster her long term.
I believe this is the text book definition of 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'.
So when the call went out for a foster for a timid little semi-feral kitten, who was trying to make his way in the world, seemingly without the benefit of a mom or siblings, I responded. Luckily, the concerned citizen who had contacted C4P about him was able to trap him within a relatively short time, and he arrived at the home for wayward cats this evening after being vetted. Although the founder of C4P and I were both set on calling him Clover, the vet asked if he could be named Durango. And given how invaluable her help has been for C4P, it was a no-brainer to agree to her request.
He is an absolutely adorable, 4 month old golden tabby. Actual pic coming soon!
As is to be expected, he is quite overwhelmed by his experiences over the last 24 hours, and is thus far reluctant to leave his kennel when I'm in the room. He did come out when I was not in the room however, as is evidenced by his use of the litterbox and empty food bowl. I also managed to convince him to eat a bit more later in the evening while I was in the room, although I had to place the dish in his kennel before he was comfortable enough to do so. Still, it's a step in the right direction - the fastest and surest way to their hearts is through their tummies.
He is currently sequestered, at least until he's gotten a chance to catch his bearings. The last thing I want to do is overstress either him or the brood. And when you consider that the brood is already a little confused by the unexpected (and very temporary) presence of little Joni Mitchell, well, it's a bit much for poor Durango to absorb at once.
Little Joni is a rather unexpected foster for me, and will only be staying with us until her vaccination immunity has reached its peak - approx 2 weeks. Her previous fosters are moving to Vancouver tomorrow, and everything was all arranged to move her to another foster this evening. But it was discovered last minute that Joni was a teeny bit overdue for her 2nd set of vaccinations. Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem, but her new foster home previously had a case of FeLV, so of course it's extra vital that any new additions to that household are properly vaccinated, especially young kittens who are more susceptible than older cats.
Joni has settled in beautifully and is already fast friends with Mina. They spent most of the night playfighting, then curled up in my recliner, groomed each other and passed out in a cuddle-puddle of love and fur.
Please ignore my ugly recliner. It's ugly as sin but incredibly comfortable, and all of the cats love it.
It's almost too bad that her stay here will be so temporary. She has fit in so well and so quickly, and she's such an adorable little girl. But considering that both Jasper and Durango require extra time and attention while we work through their trust issues, it's sadly just not feasible for me to foster her long term.
Help fund food and care for rescued animals with just a simple click!
Every day is a chance to make a real difference in a rescued animal's life... what you do matters! Please click daily and please tell others about The Animal Rescue Site.
If you sign up for the daily click email reminder, they'll even donate an extra 3 bowls of food as a thank you for your support! How awesome is that?!
The Animal Rescue Site
If you sign up for the daily click email reminder, they'll even donate an extra 3 bowls of food as a thank you for your support! How awesome is that?!
The Animal Rescue Site
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Meeting the brood
Jasper has finally shown an interest in coming out of seclusion, and exploring the rest of the house. I wait until everyone is fed, and until the brood are a little sleepy, then open the door and let him go in and out at will. He's getting braver and braver with each excursion, and they're treating him very gently. They watch him closely, but allow him to wander about and quietly explore with no interference.
Sometimes, they turn the tables, and everyone will come into his room to explore, while he hangs out in his usual spot under the bed and watches. Everyone is well behaved during these times (even Mina!) and while they explore every other inch of the room, they respect his space under the bed and give it a wide berth.
There was a small incident yesterday where I hadn't realized he had come out and moved from one room to another, scaring the piss out of him in the process. He went barrelling down the hall to go back to his safe space. Kitty came running into the kitchen where I was, trying to determine what had happened, encountered Gypsy who had also run over from a different direction, and immediately assumed she was the cause. Thankfully I was right there to prevent it escalating into an actual fight, but tempers ran hot for several hours after that.
While it was a stressful experience for all involved, and it took some extraordinary efforts on my part to get everybody to unwind after the fact, it does give me hope oddly. It means that while Kitty may not precisely like Jasper, he has at least accepted him as part of the brood and is protective of him. This, of course, will bring it's own brand of issues that need to be untangled, but given his history of aggression with other males, this is a much more manageable outcome.
Jasper, otoh, thinks Kitty is the coolest thing since sliced bread and follows him around like a little puppy. He got a few warning hisses from Kitty for being too close when he first started doing this, but now maintains a respectful distance. He also adores Mina, and on the few occasions that she will hold still long enough, I have watched him tentatively begin to groom her. Gypsy alternates between being wary of him and being indifferent. But given that she is naturally aloof with other cats, this is to be expected.
Sometimes, they turn the tables, and everyone will come into his room to explore, while he hangs out in his usual spot under the bed and watches. Everyone is well behaved during these times (even Mina!) and while they explore every other inch of the room, they respect his space under the bed and give it a wide berth.
There was a small incident yesterday where I hadn't realized he had come out and moved from one room to another, scaring the piss out of him in the process. He went barrelling down the hall to go back to his safe space. Kitty came running into the kitchen where I was, trying to determine what had happened, encountered Gypsy who had also run over from a different direction, and immediately assumed she was the cause. Thankfully I was right there to prevent it escalating into an actual fight, but tempers ran hot for several hours after that.
While it was a stressful experience for all involved, and it took some extraordinary efforts on my part to get everybody to unwind after the fact, it does give me hope oddly. It means that while Kitty may not precisely like Jasper, he has at least accepted him as part of the brood and is protective of him. This, of course, will bring it's own brand of issues that need to be untangled, but given his history of aggression with other males, this is a much more manageable outcome.
Jasper, otoh, thinks Kitty is the coolest thing since sliced bread and follows him around like a little puppy. He got a few warning hisses from Kitty for being too close when he first started doing this, but now maintains a respectful distance. He also adores Mina, and on the few occasions that she will hold still long enough, I have watched him tentatively begin to groom her. Gypsy alternates between being wary of him and being indifferent. But given that she is naturally aloof with other cats, this is to be expected.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)