When I started fostering this past June I thought the same would hold true. What I didn't realize was that the kittens that I would get to foster, for the most part, had a bad start in life. Most were born in a colony of cats at a trailer park in a nearby city and have been very skittish and very wary of humans.
Two of the kittens have been a real challenge. Merlin, my first "hard nut to crack" took around four weeks before he would trust me to pick him up. But then he would turn into a purring machine and enjoy one-on-one time with me. He wouldn't let me pick him up if he was running around the house but after each meal he would turn into my buddy and we'd spend some time cuddling. He has been adopted and the two ladies love him to bits.
My second "hard nut" is Cooper. I feed him, Violet and Poppy together in the tent so that the other cats won't eat their food, but it also allows me to pick Cooper up after he's eaten as the tent is zipped up tight.
It has taken two full months to get to the point where I can pick him up and he doesn't fight me. This past week I was able to pick him up and he would be limp and I could take him into the living room and pet him for around fifteen minutes before he wanted down. Once he is on the floor, he's next to impossible to catch. That might not seem like much but it was our first breakthrough.
This afternoon I was sitting on the couch and I reached out my hand to Winston who was across the room and called him to come and see me. He came right over and Cooper came with him. Cooper came over and sniffed my fingers and then looked up at me for the first time without fear or wariness in his eyes. My heart melted and I saw the cat he would become....a cat who is trusting of humans.
It was a little thing and I know I have miles to go to fully socialize him but I realized that these baby steps are why I am fostering.
Cooper and Violet
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