A question for those who foster

[kimlovescats]

Jen, I bet I know what it is .... same thing with me!!! My kitties are soooo very loving, but whenever the rare visitor comes, some of them freak out! I think the problem is that my husband and I are very private people, we just really don't like having alot of house guests .... unfortunately that makes the kitties too accustomed to just us, and not to being around a variety of people!

[Prairie Purrs]

Jen, look at it this way--if your social calendar was booked with people constantly coming to visit, or if you were raising kids who could interact with the cats . . . when would you have time to take care of the cats?

If you can find a way to get them some additional social contact, fine. But please, don't feel like you're doing anything less than a wonderful thing by fostering kitties.

[AvaJoy]

Originally posted by kimlovescats
. . . my husband and I are very private people, we just really don't like having alot of house guests .... unfortunately that makes the kitties too accustomed to just us, and not to being around a variety of people!

Same here. In fact, the last visitor to my house was a man doing work in our bathroom. My husband was not home, and when the workman came in the door carrying his tools, my macho-cat Schuyler sat upright, chest out, right in front of his path, STARING at the guy! The guy stopped dead in his tracks! I had to reassure Schuyler and scoot him aside or else the man would not have crossed his path. I know Schuyler would not have attacked him, but I let the man be afraid if he got those vibes . . . besides, I felt so safe and proud of my protective stud-muffin!

[pit chic]

A new line in home security: the Cattweiler

[QueenScoopalot]

I have done big time rescuing & fostering over many years, and I have to say that there will be some cats who will bond to particular people, and some who won't ever socialize. It depends a lot on the age, and how much outdoor human contact they've had. I have had great luck with some who (I thought were 4 months old) and found out after the vet visit they were all over six months. I now know to check teeth for age gauge! I still have my Sweet Pea, and misc. others from this particular colony that I worked on in 1995. Sweet Pea is a social butterfly! I'm glad she did the shy act when out for adoptions at the local Petco, as she has been one of the most animated charming cats I've ever had! I ask her if she "wants to stretch", and she puts her little legs up and I stretch her, and call her the longest kitty in Lynn! I read in a "Catnip" newletter a while back that kittens that are sired by a friendly tom cat tend to socialize fine, whereas kittens sired by a feral tom will be wild. As many of us know, a female in heat attracks toms galore, and a litter can have several fathers. I have noticed that in some litters I've rescued, that some will be sweethearts, and others untouchable. Go figure! I had no idea sperm cells from cats would pass on such genetics, but it was a long term study. I know I'm posting this long after the initial question, but maybe someone will gain some insight, as I have!

[jenluckenbach]

That is VERY interesting about the tom cat possibly being the link to whether the cat is fearful or not.

By the way......welcome to pet talk......I LOVE your user name

[AvaJoy]

Interesting . . . a study that indicates kittens are more likely to inherit their fathers' personality/temperment rather than their mothers' . . .
I have often thought that Schuyler's genes should be passed on, but it's too late now . . . I'm sure he sowed his wild oats prior to winding up in my trap, and I would love to encounter and am so curious about his offspring, as I bet they are as wonderful as cats can be, just like their daddy. I hope they, too, found appreciative and loving guardians.

[QueenScoopalot]

Well, thank you for altering your kitty, (that's the impression I got). Genetics are so complex with cats, especially ferals! I have seen, and rescued so many different kittens, and many could have passed for full breeds. My most peculiar rescue was a blue point siamese X that turned out to be a hermaphrodite. He/She went through hell with a pneumonia, and ended up going through a condition called "blue eye" where the retina separates from the cornea. I went through so much to bring this kittens eyesight back. He/ She had a happy ending, having almost totally normal eyesight, a spay, and neuter. Shroomie also got a wonderful home when the owners p their hackles when vet # 1 said PTS! A followup call a year later made my heart swell when they said that this very special gorgeous kitten was the love of their lives! Jan (with oooooh so many more tales to tell)!

[AvaJoy]

Wow . . . I wonder how uncommon a hermaphrodite cat is! Glad he/she found a good home.

I do TNR and Schuyler was just too docile (AND gorgeous!) to release!

Welcome to Pet Talk and look forward to hearing more about your rescues.

[catnapper]

Jen, I'm a lonely little cat person, I'd love to come over a help socialize the little fellas! Also, just so you know, Pouncer was a sweet, friendly little doll baby the day I met him! I wouldn't have taken him home with me if he wasn't. i've been to a few of the events where you had kittens- - I saw one of your kittens get adopted at the one right before Christmas. You're a wonderful foster mother! Don't ever forget it!

[jenluckenbach]

Thanks, but I held Pouncer from the time he was 3 days old. I don't have that advantage with them all.
My toughest one is Annie. She's going to Petco this Sunday hoping someone will not be able to resist her lovely self and will give her a chance to love someone but me.
BUT............
I could always use someone to just sit with the scaredy cats and show them that people CAN be good!!!!! We'll talk!

[leslie flenner]

Yes, the scaredy cats need a lot of immersion therapy (or so they call it with us humans and our phobias!). If you could get someone to come over and carry the scared ones around as much as possible.. it would help. and just blab at them. There are these things you can buy in catalogues that hold feral kittens at your stomach so you can go about your regular house buisness with them. Kinda like a baby sling thing in the front but for the kittens. My friend, Queenscoopalot, says pooh pooh on these contraptions; save money by making one yourself by putting on a large t-shirt and pinning it up around the kitten. It forces them to get familiar with people smells and sounds and motions while keeping them in a dark, secure "womb". Me, I just bug them in the cage and force them to hours of talk. But, then, I haven't been able to engage in any real socializing in a couple of years because of my job hours (and commute into Boston every day). I no longer have the time for what they need. There's a foster mother here on the North Shore, who, from what I've been told, has been extremely successul in desensitizing ferals to sounds and people because she is wheelchair bound and somehow has the feral strapped to her lap all day (maybe same concept as t-shirt, I don't know her). Unfortunatly, it mostly boils down to time... and there is so little...keep up the good work and use your resources! (above volunteer!)