Orion was a neighborhood feral I'd fed daily for months. After six months I realized how much I'd miss her if she didn't show up and took responsibility for her. Through a local non-profit Trap-Neuter-Release agency, she was neutered, vaccinated, and flea-treated. Our relationship began.
I was uncertain if she'd adapt to indoor living and was resigned to resuming our "old" relationship if necessary.
At this time last year she was hiding in the back of a small drawer most of the time. She was frightened, I couldn't touch her.
We built our relationship at her pace. I never tried to grab her. It took months before she initiated contact, longer before I could pet her, and look at her now, cuddling on my lap!
Silly kitty's favorite food: raw kale. She asks for it, steals it, jumps into the fridge to nab it, and prefers it over cheese.
Although she's still timid, she's also affectionate, playful, and delightful!
Color photo of a black cat with green eyes. The cat is lying on her back, looking up and back at me as I take her picture while she's on my lap. Her forehead and eyes are closest to the camera. One paw has claws fully extended as in kneading.
With an apartment move on the horizon, I have... this furry... issue. After #TNR, I've continued to feed #CasperCat outside for three years, but he's never become friendly. On advice from the Japan Cat Network, I'm going to try him for a short stint inside to see if he is game to become a pet moggy.
I suspect no one is going to initially enjoy the next sequence of events!
A nighttime image captured by an outdoor webcam of a black and white cat eating from a food bowl on a balcony.
Spring is here in some parts of the world, which means #kittens. Itβs the perfect time to get into TNR: Trap-Neuter-Release, which (in many communities) is the only humane and effective approach to coexisting with community #cats who live outside.
Update: Orion, a neighborhood stray I'd been feeding for months, was trapped and spayed on Nov 4, 2024 thanks to Casper's Legacy, a local TNR agency.
Now inside, she's doing well. She and the two resident cats get along, mostly, with only a couple of skirmishes.
She's still scared, spends a lot of time in a closed drawer of her choosing. But she doesn't hiss at me as much and will approach me to get treats from my hand. She likes the regularity of meals, there's a chorus of meows at mealtimes. She and the other cats are on a homemade raw meat diet. Fortunately, she knew what a litterbox was for from the beginning.
She learned some hard lessons in her life on the street, trust must be earned. Although she now gets close enough for me to touch her I don't--it would scare her. She'll come to me when she's ready.