Another success! My last barn kitten- the only one still "holding out,"
finally crossed over- as I like to say! SHE PURRED! We've hit all the other
milestones: no longer freaking out and hissing and swatting at me when I reach
for them: now playing/grooming/acting semi-normal IN FRONT of me; eating while
I watch them; licking food off my fingers; not freaking out while enduring
"forced face time"- which is me putting my face on theirs and touching nose to
nose- while telling them "I'm going to eat you!" b/c they are so cute! etc.
There's three of them and I had one hold out. The little black boy caved days
ago and he caved suddenly and all at once and very hard. Suddenly, he was my
love-bug-- all rolling around like a woolly worm getting his belly and butt
scratched and putting his butt up in the air (instead of curling up in a ball!)
and stretching out and kneading and going limp and talking to me (begging for
food) and napping on me and falling asleep while I stared at him, etc., etc.,
etc.!!!! And then, finally, the purring! I knew I had him beat when I heard
that. Little suckers! But I had a hold-out on the grey female. She was the
only one still curling like a ball and not going limp and she refused to purr!
I was so frustrated. I don't have as much time to devote to the barn kittens
now b/c of my sick 6 mo kitten and the other demanding little idiots! The good
thing is that they grey one has already been adopted by a wonderful man who
adopted from us a kitten about 2 months ago and he's totally on board with me
continuing to socialize her and "get her ready." So I talked to him tonight
about how if he has more time then me right now, it might be best for him to go
ahead and take her and he does the work on her- subject to my instructions.
He's so wonderful, he will pretty much do anything I recommend. So I told him
she was my one hold out and I can't get a purr out of her. Darn. Wouldn't you
know I go get her after I get off the phone with him and I just really gave it
to her-- scratching galore, and then it came-- the purr I'd been waiting for.
Once it started, everything else fell into place. Now she's all stretched out
on my lap while I type this email-- STILL PURRING-- all dopey eyed and cozy and
just in heaven. She finally stretched out COMPLETELY too and kneaded for the
first time. Now she's even looking right at me and then letting her eyes close
and fall asleep. She's crossed over! Now I have to call her new daddy back
tomorrow and tell him "no worries!" Whoo hoo! Ironically, these unsocialized
barn kittens have been my easiest foster-cat challenge yet!
caroline
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