DEAR JOAN: I have a 6-year-old cat. We need some advice.
CeeCee is a feral cat we got from the ARF Foundation. When we first got her she had a broken tail that ARF fixed — they had to amputate it.
Ever since we got her, she hides all day long. We have never been able to pet her, other than the first day we brought her home. She hides and runs if we get close to her, and she looks so scared of us.
She comes out at night, when she takes, very carefully, a treat from me. After she is done, she might lay on our rug for a while or play with her brother, Toto, who is the same age.
She has a cat tree in the bedroom and she stays there most of the day. We are an elderly couple and would love to hold her, give her lots of love and just pet her. We do not want to harm her, just love her.
Should we try and get her out of her cat tree, so we can pet and give her love? I’m afraid it will frighten her more.
What can we do if anything? I wanted to see a cat therapist, but my husband said I was nuts.
— Christine, Brentwood
DEAR CHRISTINE: CeeCee has been through some stuff.
Kittens need to have interaction with humans early in their lives to be comfortable with humans, and CeeCee probably missed out on that, making her wary of us two-legged, furless critters.
Her broken tail might also have created a negative association with people. Whether a human was responsible for the break or not, it was humans that put her through surgery and lots of handling, and she might associate people with pain.
You can overcome these beliefs, but it will take time and a whole lot of patience on your part. The first thing to know is that you should never try to force interaction with CeeCee. It’s important that she directs the show.
You can start by sitting quietly near her when she’s in her tree. Look her in the eye and blink slowly. Close your eyes for a couple of seconds, then open them and close again. If she blinks back slowly, too, you’ll know that you’re making progress. The slow blink is a signal that you mean her no harm.
Do this every day, several times a day. Once she seems more comfortable, you can offer her a treat. Put it in the palm of your hand and extend it near her. Let her come to you, not the other way around.
At night when she comes out, offer another treat, then engage in play with CeeCee and Toto. Dangle toys for them to bat at or use other favorites. Cats usually tire themselves out and will be more amenable to being touched or petted.
By doing this every day, she should warm up to you, but some cats just don’t like to cuddle. You’ll eventually figure out which kind CeeCee is.
For more advice, I recommend you check out this video from the Purring Journal.
The Animal Life column runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.