# Has your cat come a long way?



## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

If you think back to when you first met?


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## Salemcat2 (Dec 28, 2010)

Oh yes! Dagny was a 5 month old skinny little thing. Now he's a grown up, muscular 16 pound mouser boy!!


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Yes, Evie is the naughtiest cat I have ever met. She is a stealer, and not just food. She stole a piece of plastic and ATE it last week. She was so angelic when we first brought her home. Now she's settled, she knows that she can misbehave! My OH thinks she wasn't allowed/able to play as a kitten, so she's going through that phase now. I'd have to agree!

Mitzi was a shy little thing, who hated being loved on or picked up. Now she lies on my chest and kneads me for snuggles.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I always wondered if he was previously owned by a very elderly person as a companion because he never DID anything. When I brought MowMow home he had no....instincts. Fingers under a blanket or toy mice were just stared at blankly. All he ever wanted was to just sit on me and look out the windows or stare at the wall.

Now he's a maniac. He's constantly chasing toys and attacking me and running laps around the apartment.


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

I love Mow. If you ever need a Mow Holiday- I'll take him (and keep him...)


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

Rochelle has changed SO much in the past (almost) year we've had her. She used to be super skittish, would hide all the time, never made a peep, and it was a rare occurrence when she'd let someone pet her or even rarer pick her up. Now, she's full of confidence, talks all the time, lets us cuddle her whenever we want, and she approaches us when she wants love. She even sleeps in between the boyfriend and I at night. She's come so far, and I am so incredibly proud of her.

Alice has changed too, but I think her situation is simply growing up...leaving kittenhood for the adult life. She's still super spunky, full of spirit, and excessively naughty, (she is a tortie after all ) but she's toned it down a bit. She even enjoys being picked up and cuddled now, whereas she used to flail around and cry as soon as her paws left the floor.

Samantha has always been Samantha. She takes every situation life throws at her, and makes the best of it. I hope she never changes.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Yup, Blacky sure did... http://www.catforum.com/forum/56-feral-cats/137714-taming-cat-success-story.html ... that says it all.

Blaze has come along way too, he was a feral kitten. So for the first month or so he just curled up on the couch afraid of the world. It took a few years to see his full loving personality... but he's still a crazy cat even 15 years later... and totally terrified of strangers.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Abbie said:


> I love Mow. If you ever need a Mow Holiday- I'll take him (and keep him...)


You'll have to fight me for him! 

Nutmeg was a sweet little girl until she realized that we weren't bringing her back to the shelter. Now she is literally the naughtiest cat in the whole world. She wrecks everything and stalks and chases Sinatra every twenty minutes!! We still love her anyway.

Sinatra was a sweet and shy boy who was scared the first few weeks we had him. Now he is my loving boy who is probably the most spoiled and demanding cat in the world!


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

I can pick up Midnight, the wild cat, now and he hasn't bitten me in almost a year!


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## cooncatbob (May 27, 2011)

Samantha was indifferent to me when I brought her home from the breeder, they had 2 litters of kitten at the same time and I don't think she got all the attention she deserved.
She was gorgeous so I fell in love with her and felt confident I would wine her little kitty heart.
Lots of attention and praise soon won her over, I think she really liked being a spoiled only child when I moved to Sacramento when she was 5 and my ex tamed a stray Chiquita they were never friends in spite of our best efforts.
Chiquita was a little stray hanging around our home, you could tell she wanted human contact but she was afraid.
My ex hung out on the front porch and eventually got her to come to her, I didn't interfere and eventually she got used to me too.
When my ex left she left Chiquita behind so I became her Papa too, she was always jealous because I loved Samantha more, now that Samantha is gone she's thriving being Alpha Kitty.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

One of my strays looked so horribly jaded when I first met her that I made her my project. She seemed like she couldn't be surprised by anything bad anymore, didn't expect anything good out of life and didn't have any hope. She never lifted her neck, always had it tucked between her shoulders, and had the most bitter eyes I'd ever seen in a cat. She never ever, even for a second, looked me in the eye. She was past bothering to complain. I decided I'd change that hard look in her eyes, whatever it took and however long it took. 

Now about 6 months later, she has not only lost the bitter look but she's almost recovered the innocent one! She stands on the side when she arrives at the feeding station, waiting for me to arrange the scene for her: her cushion on the park bench; her food bowl on the cushion; her water dish beside the food bowl because she doesn't really care to drink from the communal water bowl. She elevates a shrieking complaint about the service if all is not set before her within a few seconds. She used to remain silent even in the face of a dangerous dog coming her way. Now she whines if I God forbid pet her in the wrong place she's not feeling like being petted, or too much or too little. She was indignant one night that, like every night, I wrapped her in a fluffy, soft blanket on her velvety cushion because the night was too balmy for the blanket, how didn't I think of it without her having to tell me. She also acts all offended if I dare get up from the bench beside her and go give some attention to another cat or human. In short, she expects a lot out of life - and that was my goal with her, as nothing is as painful to see in a stray cat than the loss of all hope. I've bought a cat carrier and I plan to trap her and bring her home for the night on cold nights next winter. She'll probably be indignant because her bed at my place won't have her name embroidered in golden letters on it. 

I can't think of anything that makes me happier than a spoiled-rotten stray cat.


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

Tues eve Lily actually stretched out on my lap & legs (I was sitting on the couch with my feet up on the coffee table) and took at least a 1/2 hr nap! My knees were starting to hurt, but I didn't want to move.


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## D'Lynn (Jun 18, 2011)

Cinder has come a long way in only 10 weeks. Although that's forever with a kitten. She started as a 4 oz weak, malnourished, snotty nosed kitten and is now sleek, shiny, clear-eyed, energetic and mischievous at nearly 3 lbs. She goes on walks with me, the kid, and the dog to pet stores, the local baseball fields and just round and about. Strange children (as in we didn't know them) held her yesterday. She was kitty putty.


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## its.alice (Jun 15, 2011)

Honestly, I think for a 7 week old kitten, Alice has been admirable recently. It used to be she would poo and pee wherever, but tonight, I had her at a friend's house down the street and we were there for about 3 or 4 hours, and not once was there a mess made! The second we got home and her harness got taken off, she was in the litter box immediately. XD I'm so proud of my little munchkin!

Although she told me how she felt about that 3-4 hours with a sharp kitten teeth nip. XP


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

my ferrel tammi cat started as the most wild of wild, nearly beat herself bloody in the box trap, survived distemper, had almost every parasite possible, spent over a year in a large kennel in our family room because she had no plans of being tamed, now shes my evening lap magnet, and has to have petting session before I fall asleep, and last night she was actually playing race and chase with yeti(she was chasing him, he was nonstop trilling and chirping)


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

I'm loving the stories!!


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

crumb I dont see photos!


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

OK. Midnight, the wild cat, now thinks he is the guardian of the place that provides him food and shelter (on his terms of course)!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Snowball was a scared, defensive aggressive cat when I adopted her from a shelter 16 months ago, age 1. She was picked up as a stray or feral and was three weeks pregnant. She was not socialized with other cats, nor did she appear to know what any toys were. The first time I showed her a furry mouse, she bit its head off and tried to pull out its tail. For the first several weeks, if I fed her anything more than a teaspoonful of food, it came back up five minutes later. She lived behind baby gates for five months, while she learned to get along with my two, then three other newly adopted cats. 

While she has never gotten along with Blizzy, she is now a super-affectionate lady who loves to nuzzle my nose and ears and who regularly grooms both Hersh and Little Hersh, while making sure they keep their distance when she feels like it. She loves to play, alone or with me, though not with the other cats--except occasionally with Little Hersh. She still needs a safe room a couple of times a day, so she can safely use the litterbox and be assured Blizzy will not harass her, but she loves that time, including the petting sessions that accompany it. She is a real lap cat and will lie there contentedly as long as I let her. I still can't clip her nails, and I have gotten my fair share of scratches from her, including across my nose, because the is a klutz and still doesn't know all the social graces, but overall she is a sweetheart and a real love.

Here are her before and after pictures, when I first adopted her and now:

Then:









And now:


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

I don't see Midnight in the photo?

Wow, those 2 photos of Snowball are indeed what I mean by coming a long way!


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

Straysmommy said:


> I don't see Midnight in the photo?


Midnight is by the door. It's kind of hard to see since Goldtanker was standing at least 10 feet away to take the picture.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Oh I see now, thanks. He indeed looks like he's guarding HIS place!

Is your Midnight the same as GT's?


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

Straysmommy said:


> Oh I see now, thanks. He indeed looks like he's guarding HIS place!
> 
> Is your Midnight the same as GT's?



Nope. Two different Midnights. A closer view of the Guard Cat.


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

We kept disturbing him when we opened the screen door since it is now Summer, so I put a mat under the bench and now this is his new favorite spot ( in the evening too). When I was taking this photo, a chipmunk ran across the walk below him. He looked at it - and nothing more.


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## Leanne2112 (Aug 13, 2010)

Gordon especially has. He was found on the street, tiny and really sick with cat flu. He was fostered by the most amazing person ever, she was working in the vet's surgery where he was handed in. That night he slept in her bed, there were a few times that she thought he's died he was so still. I met him while he was still quite sick but even then he was a bundle of purrs and love. 

This is him after about 2 weeks of treatment, still pretty sorry looking









And this is him now, all big and lovely


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## Des_Esseintes (Nov 27, 2009)

Artemisia has actually regressed a bit since I got her, sad to say.

When I first brought her home from the shelter, she _loved_ people, and would go sit in the lap of a total stranger and fall asleep.

Now, though, if she hears an unfamiliar voice at the door, she zips under the bed and hides. *sigh* I guess that's what happens when a cat lives with one person and rarely sees anyone else.

I can't really complain, though, since she treats _me_ the same way she did from day one. It's kind of funny how assertive she is with me (if I ignore her for too long, she's likely to climb up on my chest and shove her face into mine) while being so timid with other people.


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## littlesushi (Jun 8, 2011)

aster and cody have only been with us for a little over a month, and they have slowly been warming up to us. aster was always social to us, and cody a bit more shy (the first night we brought them home he slept behind the bathroom door), however neither of them like sitting on our laps, BUT it looks like we are making progress. cody and aster sleep by my feet at night, but once a day aster will take the time to be super affectionate head butting me or even sleeping on my chest for a little bit. they have finally started sitting next to us on the couch. i'm hoping soon enough they will be on our laps  they seem to enjoy following us around the house though, and i can pick both of them up without too much wriggling.


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## konstargirl (Feb 4, 2011)

Misa went from a really quiet cat to now "she gets lonely too easy" cat.  She does love her pets and licks my clothes.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Awwww all the stories are so lovely!

Leanne, your cat looks very much like Prince. Would you say Gordon has one dominant breed in him? I wonder which one it would be?


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

And Gordon is a wonderful example of the "before" and "after" indeed!!! Congrats!!


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## DarkMonkey (May 31, 2011)

Yep Simba was really beat up when we found him...




























and Simba as he is today...










He always used to eat as if he had never seen food before...which he has grown out of but it's not completely gone, cant say I blame him, the state the poor might was found in


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Wow, those photos are amazing!

Does Tilly still bite?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I was thinking about this thread today. We were playing with Da Bird and I was admiring how agile and well muscled he is. I got to thinking back to when I brought him home. Ear infections in both ears, UTI and he was so scraggly looking. 

Like Rocky  This morning he had a spa treatment. I groomed him thoroughly, trimmed his nails and qtipped(very carefully, I don't dig in the canal. Just the top open top part) his ears a bit to make sure they were quite clean. 

I got a major warm fuzzy thinking how far he's come. His coat is so soft and shiny, eyes bright and alert and just so healthy looking. It gives me such a feeling of satisfaction!


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## Nellie's Mom (Dec 26, 2009)

Nellie was a stray and a very skittish one at that. In fact, she didn't make friends with me first, she made friends with our dog. I could not get near her. Anyway after a day or two of her making friends with the dog and her hanging around I felt sorry for her and gave her a can of tuna. Well you know what that means!! So she became a permanent fixture and I fed her everyday but she was still having a hard time because she was so afraid and being declawed on her front feet she had no protection from the other cats that came around once they found out that food was being provided. Sometimes I could stick around and protect her and her food but there were plenty of times when I couldn't. Eventually she got to where I could touch her and then later on I could pick her up for short periods. Later still she would come inside but only if I left the door open so she could go right back out. But the biggest change came when one day there were several other cats around and I wanted to feed her but I didn't have the time to stand over her outside so I picked her up and brought her inside and fed her on top of the dryer. She got to eat her entire meal undisturbed and that was the turning point! I put her right back out afterwards and I think that was the moment when she really started to trust me. 
Now we're best buds and I'm so grateful I have her....


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## KittieLover (May 2, 2011)

I remember when I got Kitty....
here's the story: http://www.catforum.com/forum/40-ca...got-my-darling-kitty-long-story-part-2-a.html

and here's part 1(do this one first): http://www.catforum.com/forum/40-ca...-i-got-darling-kitty-story-long-part-1-a.html

I love that story Brings back happy memories....


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

I can't remember the last time I got scratched or bitten. That's how far Peggy has come. She used to attack on a daily basis sometimes, and now she's great. Sure if you tease her, she'll go for you, but she's not randomly attacked me for a long time.

She still craps in the bath if we forget to shut the door though.


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

So this morning, Midnight the wild cat, is on the front step in his new favorite location. I go around and sit down next to him and scratch his ears. He then proceeds to crawl up into my lap - with his claws retracted! This was a definitely a first! I think I have gained his trust.


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## KittieLover (May 2, 2011)

Goldtanker said:


> He then proceeds to crawl up into my lap


Oh cool! He's a real cutie!:love2 Has he ever bonded with you like this?


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

KittieLover said:


> Oh cool! He's a real cutie!:love2 Has he ever bonded with you like this?


This is the first time for the lap thing. He has come a long way from the initial biting and scratching.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Goldtanker said:


> He then proceeds to crawl up into my lap


Midnight has denied the above statement, he's too much of a wild macho for that, he claims. He's planning to sue for damages to his reputation, same lawyer as for the faked car accident.


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

I knew that rascal was up to something!


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Yeah, it was too cute to be true. But don't blame Midnight; it's the company he keeps that influences his judgement - those are such foxes!


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