# I'm New!



## AmberG (Oct 17, 2013)

Hey Ya'll! I'm Amber, 24 and I live in Southern California. I just recently (about 2 months ago) adopted a tabby cat (she's refurred to as a blue smoke tabby) named Sara!  (I got her for a Birthday present) (I went to two different shelters in my area) before I found my kittie. I am also totally blind which means that I cannot see people/colors/etc etc but that really doesn't stop me from accomplishing anything. I'm a huge country music fan, my favorite artist is Chris Young. Outside of country music, my other favorite artists are Sara Bareilles, and Tori Amos just to name a few. We (my Mom, brother, and the rest of the family) all believe that Sara is a feral cat---as she doesn't like being picked up much (only by me) she lets me pet her/and she's getting way better about me holding her, too.. she purrs a lot, too.. but she is very skitish around other members of my family (my Mom mainly) she won't let me pick her up when other people are around-- don't exactly know why that is) but she does pur a lot though.. she lets other members of the family (including me) pet her but then she runs away from them. A few weeks ago, (very recently) Sara has been sitting on the couch with me, and now she sits inbetween my legs and just purrs, and lets me pet her. She's getting a lot better... she definitely isn't a lap cat by any means, although I'm trying to teach her that it's okay and that I love her to death lol.. she even sleeps with me all the time. She uses the litter box 100% of the time, thankfully! The shelter where we got her has this policy where if the cat doesn't use the litter box they take them off the adoption list.. but from day one Sara and I just had/have this connection... she was unlike any of the cats we saw... Sara doesn't like other cats, (appearantly) we don't have any others, so I don't really have to worry about that lol. She doesn't react to loud noises (we live really close to a very busy road) and so the traffic noise is 24-7 and she doesn't react. She's been eating/drinking really well---although she won't drink out of her bowl, she'll drink out of the toilet and/or from the fossit from the sink lol... and the other day she jumped into the shower (after I had turned off the fosit. (my point being she's not really afraid of water) I've spilt her water bowl on accident thousands of times and she just licks it up, and then shakes it off like a dog lol... I love her and would do anything for her, and am constently trying to make her life better, because I don't know what her life was like before I had adopted her. (the shelter said she was a stray and she's two) she's a very quiet cat, and comes out when she wants too lol.. but other then that, I don't know much about her.. that's why we think she was a feral cat... anyways, just thought I'd introduce myself. And I will definitely be making more posts here soon! Anyone else have a feral cat/cats who could provide me with any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I know it might take her a while to trust others in my family, and I get that... but still lol. anyways, thanks for reading, and I look forward to chatting with everyone soon!! 
Amber


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

Hi Amber! Welcome to the forum. I am glad that your cat is doing so well. She is still probably getting used to being in a house. It takes time but looks like she is coming along nicely. You may want to get her a few kitty toys to keep her entertained. As far as her personality she may just want to be petted or picked up on her own terms. Seems like she has bonded with you pretty good.


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## AmberG (Oct 17, 2013)

Hey there! Thanks for the welcome!!  Yeah she might just want to be picked up at her own terms.. I've got some kittie toys for her--we even got her one of those kittie condos (it's a scratching post, but she can lay on it, and there's a little tunnel that she can go into) and she has another scratching post where she can lay in (its very soft) and she can also scratch on the side, or on the bottom, too. She also has a bunch of toy mice that she loves to play with a long with cat nip lol. I've asked this question in another thread but I don't think my post was visable at the time, I was thinking about trying the spirit essents on her--more spacifically the feral cat rehab one, and the trauma free/stress stopper ones.. does anyone use these products and if so, how do they work for your kittie? thanks again for the welcome, and looking forward to getting to know more of ya'll and more about your kitties!!  
Amber


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Hi Amber, I just wanted to say welcome to the forum. 
I have 3 feral cats and only one has become completely socialized while the other two keep their distance even after 4 or 5 years. I really can’t remember how long it’s been, but they only let me pet them when I feed them and will never let me pick them up


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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

Welcome to the forum!


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## Catmamma (Apr 18, 2011)

I doubt that your cat is feral. She was a stray so she learned to be very careful and that is the behavior you have described. Give her some time and she will be a lap kitty I bet. I have a feral who took four years before she would sit on my lap. (She still won't go indoors.) My point is that if you are patient she will be even more attached to you.


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## AmberG (Oct 17, 2013)

Catmamma said:


> I doubt that your cat is feral. She was a stray so she learned to be very careful and that is the behavior you have described. Give her some time and she will be a lap kitty I bet. I have a feral who took four years before she would sit on my lap. (She still won't go indoors.) My point is that if you are patient she will be even more attached to you.


 
Hey! Thanks for the responces ya'll!!! The more that I'm looking into this, I'm beginning to think that she's not a feral cat because I read on (oh lord, can't remember the name of the site, something AllyCats??) the differents between a feral cat VS a stray cat.. and since I got my cat from a shelter (they spacifically told me that she was a stray) and hadn't been at the shelter for very long--I believe since only May or so... that she's really not a feral cat--based on this sites definition... according to the website, feral cats can't be adopted, they are ment to live out doors with some exceptions of feral kittens... and+ they said that most/if not all shelters won't take feral cats because they don't/won't go near humans.. she definitely isn't like that.. when I went to the shelter to pick her out, she came right to the front of the cage, and was rubbing up against the cage, and let me pet her through the cage... and when she came out, (so that they could show me to her) she let me pet her some more... and I think if she in fact was a feral cat, the people at the shelter would've told me that lol. (but I could be wrong though) lol... just tonight, Sara was meowing, and I was sitting at my computer, and I picked her up, and she let me hold her on my lap for about 30-40 seconds.. (she's getting better about letting me hold her/letting me pick her up, too) since I've been consistant with it for about the passed week now a few times per day picking her up, and holding her.. she just purs, so I'd assume she thinks it's okay, otherwise she'd bult. lol. she's only like this with me though, not any of my other family members.. but I'm hoping that she'll learn to trust them in time, just like she's learning to trust me.  Thanks for all your responces, ya'll, and if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to post them!!!  
Amber


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I think you and Sara are doing wonderfully. She is just starting to get used to her new place. She does not sound like a feral. You could have the other family members give her treats. Treats are powerful bribe items! In time she will associate them with nice things and won't be as standoffish with them.


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## AmberG (Oct 17, 2013)

Jetlaya67 said:


> I think you and Sara are doing wonderfully. She is just starting to get used to her new place. She does not sound like a feral. You could have the other family members give her treats. Treats are powerful bribe items! In time she will associate them with nice things and won't be as standoffish with them.


Hey! They give her treats, maybe I'll have to allow them to give her more treats so that like you said she'll associate them with nice things instead of being so standoffish with them.  Thanks for the suggestion.  
Amber


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## kittiesmom (Aug 27, 2013)

Hello and welcome Amber, hope you enjoy the forum. Look forward to pictures of Sara.


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