Little shoutout to my favorite originally feral baby, Teaks. I’ve never had a feral cat before, or really interacted with them until I brought her home. And I know what you’re thinking “oh she couldn’t have been truly feral if she’s living in your one bedroom apartment” and boy howdy would you be wrong! Her mother was 100% feral and the lady who took them in just kind of left her back patio door open for whatever creature decided to come in out of the cold. Raccoons, possums, cats, whatever! She had noticed momma got real big, then suddenly skinny, and knew it meant kittens. She never tried to interact with momma, just left out food and kept the heater running, and one day momma trotted in her litter of five. The lady tried to interact with the babies as much as possible so she could give them homes, but the most that happened was her trapping them all, getting them neutered/spayed, and all their baby shots. They’d all sleep at the foot of her bed to stay warm, but that was the extent of human touch. She advertised the kittens on Craigslist, stating they were free with all health things taken care of already, but failed to mention they were feral. It took us over an hour to trap Teaks and take her home, and she just happened to be the kitten we managed to grab. Even though it took about three years before I could pet her, she has come leaps and bounds and now is absolutely glued to me. Anytime I sit down, she is in my lap, under the blanket. She demands to be under the covers every night when I go to sleep. Demands pets and love as soon as I get home from errands or work. She’s one of the sweetest babies I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know, and anyone who is patient enough (and comes around enough) is blessed with head bonks and purrs. It takes her a LONG time to warm up to people, and unless you’re at my house for more than a couple hours, chances are you wouldn’t even know I have a second cat. But if you sit quietly on the couch, she just may wander out and try to make friends. And once she has decided she likes you, she LOVES you.
It’s been such a delight to watch my terrified-of-the-world kitten become a much more confident cat. 8 years of love and patience has really made her bloom. Even when meeting someone new, you can tell she wants to be friends but is just painfully shy. Her ears are no longer pinned back when looking at strangers. Her posture a little less scrunched up and stiff. Tail is low until I call out to her and then it’s straight in the air with more confidence.
As much as I love confident, kind, cats that love anyone and everyone, there is something so intensely special about gaining the trust of a skittish cat. She and her sister are just the lights of my life. They help me get up in the morning and actually function. She really does make my life better, even when screaming at the top of her little kitty lungs or stepping on my tiddy.
