Here is a straightforward video (made on an iPhone 4s) showing Gabriel on my lap and letting me stroke him. He purrs. He is still nervous of being touched. He’ll forget I can be trusted and flinch sometimes if my hand is even slowly brought towards him to stroke him but, that said, this is progress…
He is becoming socialised to me. That does not mean he is socialised to anyone and everyone. It should be that way but it won’t. I have a feeling Gabriel will end up very trusting of me and totally relaxed around me but not with other people or perhaps with a small number of people.
He might well end up as one of those cats who run for cover when the door bell rings or someone else comes to the home.
His appearance has changed bit. He is more adult – unsurprisingly 😉 . He’s growing up physically and mentally.
Soon after I videotaped this, he ran for cover when the postman came. He saw the postman through the window and heard him. The sound of outside activity spooks him.
This video indicates a step in the right direction but he has a way to go.
This is a bit of info about Gabriel’s history:
I can tell you about where he came from – a old lady’s garden who called three weeks prior to us actually starting to trap them. Despite asking for help she wouldn’t answer calls or messages. I suspect she wanted to keep them for a while but it meant that they were three weeks older when we got them. Their [stray cat] mum was a black 8 month old or so kitten (the rescue organisation)
Thanks Babz. I do keep still and use my hands sparingly because movements spook him. It is the wild cat response. They are very sharp at detecting movement as they are attuned to hunting by detecting movements.
He is very nervous still but getting better. He shows signs of happiness too. He runs around the place for fun.
It was a good feeling.
Today, in the afternoon,I was in a complete panic because I thought he had escaped my apartment. Although everything is locked down and there is almost a zero possibility of escaping I thought he had because there was absolutely no sign of them in the flat.
Anyway, after much searching and gnashing of teeth I eventually found him hiding under furniture but in a position in which was very hard to to see him.
I will have to redouble my efforts to make sure that there is absolutely no possibility at any time them to get out.
I don’t know what I would do if I lost him like that. It would be devastating.
You’ve worked a miracle already Michael, it’s not even a week since he came to you and already he is starting to trust you. I think he has adopted you as his surrogate mum,licking nibbling and snuggling up to you, I could see you were just sitting quietly and calmly, stroking him when appropriate and letting him move around as he wanted to so he didn’t feel restricted, I can’t get over the change in him is so short a time.
This is major progress, Michael.
Celebration worthy.
Yes…my fostering days may well come to a quick end. I think it is emotionally impossible to raise a semi-feral kitten and then give him up. I couldn’t bear it. You can tell his size by my hand which looks enormous but it isn’t. It is a standard sized hand.
This is a bit of info about Gabriel’s history – he has two siblings with other foster carers/adopters:
He switches between accepting and really liking being close and touched to being jumpy and running off. This is a step on the journey.
What a lovely video! I see him giving you little licks and love bites, you must feel so good he is starting to trust you Michael. He does look a little bit jumpy, I wonder what happened to him, did he and his sister lose their mother?
Our Jozef is half feral and although he is the most loving cat ever with us he won’t be friendly with any other person, he’s very protective of me though and sometimes sits on my foot if someone comes he doesn’t know.
It’s looking very much as if your fostering days might be over already lol and you and Gabriel are to be a permanent team 😉