The first day I fostered Strawberry she bit me right in the face! I had stupidly gotten too close while she was in the “burrito” hold and she lashed out and nipped me. It’s still a (very small) scar but a lesson I needed to learn I suppose, haha. I decided I wanted to start writing about my babies here on their birthdays, I hope someone enjoys!
For the main rescue I work with I do all the feral socialization and turning for our kittens and cats that we can’t return after TNR. Though we try to stick true to TNR, we mostly rescue from people living in section 8 or are homeless and reach out to us because they can’t take care of the cats, and/or high crime where it’s not always possible or safe enough to return them. The obviously feral cats that won’t “turn” get integrated to our colonies around our feeding stations but we try our best to work with cats that seem like they’ll “turn” and can be adopted.
Strawberry was a tiny, malnourished, shaking in fear ball when I got her. She had been captured march 1st and was already deemed exactly 3mos old, but was so small the APL wouldn’t spay or vaccinate her. I believe in the burrito wrap to just hold and spend time with ferals to get used to the house/move them into the den I make them. I had leaned over to grab something and BOOM she bit me and opened two huge holes in my lip. I felt so bad that she was so scared. I put her in her den and called it a night.
I am so lucky that my then youngest cat, chichi, loves fosters and is the main reason I have such luck with ferals. After two days my chichi had gotten strawberry to watch me pet him, and strawberry would allow me to touch her without covering my hand. We did a lot of food therapy and hours of burrito cuddles together the first month. By month two she had almost tripled in size, and though still a tiny babe, looked like a 5mo cat!
It came time when she had been with me for 4 months, was 7 months old, had been spayed, vaccinated and was ready for her new home. Due to her nature she was a Facebook post only, and unsurprisingly, we didn’t have any takers. Most people want lap cats, not shy, reserved, loners.
After 2 more months I had watched strawberry fall in love with my cats. She loved chichi dearly and was even successful with making friends with my other two cats. the oldest and least friendly who hates kittens would sleep with strawberry and my middle child who likes to be alpha bully was actually consistently playing nicely with her! I decided that strawberry should spend the rest of her life with us.
Strawberry is now 1, still a tiny baby from her early on malnourishment, but is so different. She has started coming up to me for pets, even sometimes cuddling at night. She seems so happy and at home and I love her so much. She is a very sweet mentor to the feral fosters we bring in, and with now two of my babies being great with fosters, I have successfully turned another 6 kittens! I am such a proud mom and wanted to brag about her on her special day! If anyone read this thank you(:
Happy New Year!
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/einfmp/my_feral_turned_cute_furball_foster_failure/
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