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The Tweetie Chronicles: Chapter Six

This chapter is a difficult one to write both physically and emotionally. Last night I wrestled with whether or not I should leave out what happened and just keep this as a positive, uplifting story, but that's not how life goes some times.

The truth is, socializing feral kittens can be difficult, frustrating and painful. It's part of the process. Some times all the work is for naught. Some times we have to accept the results we get, knowing we did our best. Some times things go beautifully and without a hitch and it's just another notch on our belt of success.

Yesterday, though Tweetie was mellow and friendly, the three kittens I introduced him to, didn't care for him one bit. Poor Tweetie wanted to fit in and play, but they just hissed and arched their tiny backs. Eventually, Tweetie hissed back and ran off to hide in his carrier. I got them all to play together and eat in close proximity, but clearly the kittens were all stressed.

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Tweetie putting up with hisses from Sprinkles

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Pixie, is not thrilled, while Tweetie looks to make friends elsewhere.

At 6pm Sprinkles' adoptive family come to see her again. Since they also wanted to see Tweetie, I left him in the room, instead of moving him to his private quarters.

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Still hoping to make friends. Tweetie tries his luck with Twinkles.

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Friend or Foe? Who's that knocking upon my door?

It was clear, fairly quickly, that all the kittens were stressed during the visit. Because it was important that Sprinkles show well, I realized I needed to move Tweetie to his room. Tweetie was upset. I reached to scruff him and he went down right away. A good, submissive move.

Because I was distracted by the visitors, I missed scruffing Tweetie properly and grabbed his shoulder. He flipped out and bit me. Instead of moving my hand, which I SHOULD HAVE DONE, I tried to adjust my grip, but it was too late. Tweetie's teeth sunk deeply into my index finger-the same one he bit a week ago.

Instead of screaming, I calmly let him go, stood up and told him to "go to your carrier." As I walked behind him, he ran into his carrier. I shut the door, preparing to return him to his room. My finger was throbbing painfully and starting to gush blood. Sprinkles' family thought I had magic powers over cats, by getting Tweetie to obey me so quickly, but I just knew he'd run to the first, small, dark place he could find.

I summoned up the courage to be calm and excused myself from the room, bringing Tweetie with me. I put him back in his room and quietly left him to calm down while I took care of my wounds.

I have five bite marks on my finger. It hurts like Hell. I furiously cleaned my finger, fearing infection. I've been down this road before with my very own formerly feral cat, Cricket. He sent me to the hospital once when he didn't want to go to the Vet. He sunk his teeth into my hand. It swelled up like a balloon, even though I cleaned it out. I got a few shots, one in the ass, for my troubles. I wasn't sure this wound was that serious. I sure hoped it wasn't.

The family finally left and I basically fell apart. I haven't slept well for a long while and I was very upset, thinking about Tweetie. He'd made all this great progress. Would his chances of being adopted end because he bit me? Would anyone see past that and feel safe around him?

I know it was MY FAULT that Tweetie bit me. He told me, most clearly, that he was upset and I did not heed his warning signs, so the warnings became more explosive. I never should have touched a cat in the "red zone." I should have re-directed him with a toy and got him into his carrier. My fear was how would he behave now that we've had this "incident?"

I went to bed at 10pm after getting everyone fed. Normally I'm up much later, but my body was aching. I laid in bed and couldn't get comfortable. I tossed and turned, worrying about Tweetie. In my heart, even though he hurt me, I know he didn't mean it.

I got up an hour later and made some chamomile tea. It tastes like ass (actually, I never tasted an ass, so this is just a guess). I brought it into Tweetie's room, not knowing what his state of mind would be.

He was sitting on the cat condo, so I sat on the floor next to it. I didn't reach out to give him a pet, I just looked over at him. He looked at me and burbled, then cocked his head, curious as to why I wasn't petting him. He jumped off the condo and nervously ran past me. He sat on the floor and looked at me as I sipped my tea.

He got up and jumped onto my leg. As I lifted the teacup to my lips, he head-butted my elbow and burbled another greeting. I touched his back and he melted into my lap, looking up at me as if nothing tragic had happened and that everything, as far as he was concerned was just fine...and oh, could I pet him some more so he could purr louder??

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So this, my friends, is part of my difficult journey with a cat who has literally gotten under my skin in so many ways. He's a good egg, I promise. I take all the blame for what happened. I'm not sure what this means for him or if it's just another bump in the road? I just hope beyond hope's limits that I can find Tweetie the loving home he so deserves and a band-aid for my finger. I seem to be out.

Comments

Okay, you know I've never worked with ferals, but I know kitties. Tweetie IS making progress. He had a big day: new freedoms, new "littermates" who wanted nothing to do with him, fairly new people in his home. He freaked and bit you. That was naughty and he knows it. Think about that for a sec - you've socialized him enough that he knows he was naughty. You have NOT had him for very long, even though it probably feels like he's been with you for months. When you went in with your tea, he apologized to you. Tweetie IS a good boy, but he's a good boy who didn't have a chance until he came to you. He's learning the rules, and he wants to please you. I know you're not giving up on Tweetie for a minute...make sure not to give up on yourself.

It means a lot to me that you understand, Anne. I worry about Tweetie's future, more than I worry about my own. I see his good heart and that he tries to make friends, who don't like him back. I worry about what other people will think of him and turn their backs on him.

I just left him back in "his room." I separated him again from the other kittens since the hissing festival is still going on after them all being together for most of the day. I just emailed our Director to ask if I can take back one of Tweetie's siblings since they are at her house. Maybe that will be a better playmate for him until he's ready to move on?

He is VERY responsive to me and seems to be quite smart. I also think he can fetch. Shhhh...don't tell anyone. I'm not sure yet. :-)

I'd adopt Tweetie in a heartbeat if I didn't already have a resident cat that hates all other felines with passion. :)

He looks like a sweetie; heck my Lynxie was a biting terror as a kitten and grew up to be an incredibly laid back, loving cat.

Keep up the great work and send Tweetie some headpets and scritches from me. He is so lucky to have you to care for him, socialize him and ready him for whoever chooses to adopt.

-Zorin (and Lynxie, napping on the desk)

when Malka was learning to crawl, she was ALL up in Juno's business. Juno, being an older cat, KNEW that malka was a baby, and instead, chose to bite me - to tell me to back the her the fuck off. Tweetie just did the same thing. It's how they communicate under stress.

And getting cats to know and hang out with one another takes way more than one visit - give it time, you're doing AWESOME - but you see it all as bad now, because of the sleep deprivation.

It WILL get better, you ARE doing awesome!

Shelli,

I can always count on you to be supportive! You're da best!!!!!

My Wallingford is a rescue and the first day I brought him home, he bit me. (I had unknowlingly touched a sore on his back leg.) For the first year or so, I looked like a human pin cushion, with scratches. Wallingford clearly loved me and headbutted and curled up with me to sleep and twined around my legs, purred when petted and so on. It was clearly a control issue with him - he was going to be the boss of me. The classic Wallingford story is that I tried to keep a newspaper between the girl cat who had been with me for several years and Wallingford who wanted to make her go upstairs as he did every night. Finally he got around the newspaper and chased HollyCat up the stairs. Then he came back down, now that she was in her "proper" place, and made sure he had eye contact with me, and then he bit me.

I couldn't even give him a treat because he took the hand as well! And then I tried clicker training. I had to direct his energy to good and not evil. LOL! He loved his training time and learned to sit, shake, High Five, Low Five, Twirlies (going around in a circle), sit up, wave bye-bye, jump through a hoop and bang on a toy piano. I stopped getting biten. HollyCat actually learned to sit on command too! He started being gentle when he took treats out of my fingers, too. He still bit on the rare occaision when I mis-behaved until we adopted my neighbor's Maine Coon after he died (my neighbor - not the cat). Sampson Thunderpaws modeled gentle behavior and Wallingford learned.

Wallingford is strong-willed not unlike Tweetie. And he is the most wonderful companion I could ever ask for and I am blessed with his company. Don't give up on Tweetie, he just needs to "be the boss" of someone special.

Sounds like Wallingford might have also had a lot of pent up aggression which got redirected when you clicker trained him. I can't imagine doing that with my cats! They just lie there and look at me. Luckily the residents here are mostly mellow dudes.

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! I'd love to see a photo of Wallingford! Why not post one or email me and I'll post it for you! Also, if you have training tips, please feel free to add them to the discussion boards. We would LOVE THAT!

Congrats to you and the stunning results of all your hard work!

Tweetie is doing *so* well. He reminds me so much of the little semi-feral boy who I couldn't keep. I live close enough to adopt Tweetie in a heartbeat, but the reason I couldn't keep my first boy is that the resident cat is a loner kitty. I hope you find him a good home. Getting him a sib back is a great idea - although the other kids might reject it, too. At least Tweetie would have a kitty friend.

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