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Siwsan

(27,257 posts)
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 09:26 AM Dec 2022

Carys is such a conundrum.

During the day, unless it's meal time, she still rarely lets me even pet her. She won't even come near when they boys are sharing one of those lickable treats. I have to toss her some regular cat treats, which she has to POUNCE on before Madoc steals it.

But at night, when she would be the MOST vulnerable, she snuggles up, purrs, gives me a good wash, and falls asleep on or next to me. Some nights, like last night, she hops up and patty paws me and rubs her face against mine to let me know she'd love some scritches. Then she tucked her head against my neck and headed off to dreamland. 🤔

I'm not complaining, though, because the time she does allow for snuggles is so precious. I keep hoping that, one of these days, she will hop up and occupy the one small area of my lap that the boys still don't fill.

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Carys is such a conundrum. (Original Post) Siwsan Dec 2022 OP
It sounds as if she loves you & trusts you. SheltieLover Dec 2022 #1
You are making such amazing progress with her. And it could be that she is niyad Dec 2022 #2
She's a real scamp while I fill the food bowls Siwsan Dec 2022 #3
I suspect that you are quite correct. Queen Carys RULES!! niyad Dec 2022 #4
We had one like her years ago Jilly_in_VA Dec 2022 #5
I think Rebl2 Dec 2022 #6
That might just be it!! Siwsan Dec 2022 #7

SheltieLover

(59,466 posts)
1. It sounds as if she loves you & trusts you.
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 09:40 AM
Dec 2022

I had to look up lickable treats. Lol

Thx for mentioning them!

Finally got cat tree assembled yesterday & Trixie is using it!

I bought it to encourage her to exercise as she is way overweight.

Hopefully, she will be willing to share with new kitty.

niyad

(119,564 posts)
2. You are making such amazing progress with her. And it could be that she is
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 09:42 AM
Dec 2022

going to be a nocturnal love bug only. Some babies are like that. One of mine years ago only liked to cuddle at night.

Siwsan

(27,257 posts)
3. She's a real scamp while I fill the food bowls
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 10:01 AM
Dec 2022

Sometimes she curls up around my ankle. Sometimes she tries to eat it. A few times I'm pretty sure she's thought about climbing up my leg. Fortunately she's thought the better of it.

But that's when, during daylight, she lets me pet her, pick her up and give her a cuddle. When I put her down she doesn't run off.

The important thing is she is safe, warm, seems every happy, and has 3 brothers who absolutely adore her. I suspect that, after she recovers from her spaying, she's going to be the Queen of the household.

Jilly_in_VA

(10,838 posts)
5. We had one like her years ago
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 10:46 AM
Dec 2022

She was born to a semi-feral mother who was more than likely FIV+ or Feline herpes+. The mother was nominally attached to our neighbors on the right who had cats and never spayed or neutered, so the cats ran loose and bred at will. The mom was a colorpoint shorthair, cream-colored and blue-eyed with lovely red points on her legs, face, ears, and tail. She was also untouchable. Her eyes ran constantly and she squinted all the time. We never knew how much she could see, and we called her Bartima, for the blind beggar Bartimaeus in the bible. We fed her on occasion.

Our kitten was one of two born to Bartima in the neighbor's carport (we think, but were never sure). At some point, she moved them into our carport, so I took pity on her and fed her, which was probably a mistake, but I hoped to trap the kittens and either keep them or take them to the shelter if (big if) I could get them away from Bartima. One afternoon my late ex accidentally ran over one of them. Bartima let out the most unearthly wail I've ever heard, picked up the kitten, and carried it off. Then she came back for the other and carried it away. Late ex felt absolutely horrible. She carried that dead kitten around for several days, grooming it when she laid it down, tucking it in beside the other--you can never tell me cats don't grieve. Finally she seemed to realize that it was never getting up again and left it behind. We picked it up and buried the poor little thing. By that time I felt responsible for the other one, so when I deemed it old enough I caught it and brought it in. It was a female, a blue-eyed little girl with a blue patch on her head that faded over time--a sure sign that she was a hybrid and wouldn't be deaf. We called her BT, short for Blue Top, and did our best to love the feral out of her, got her vaccinated and all that good stuff, but she was short of being spayed (they only did at 6 months+ back in the day) when she got out and got pregnant (sigh). Anyway. We got her spayed after that.She would curl up beside you but never on your lap, and she would sleep at the foot of someone's bed, never snuggled up, no matter how much we tried. She got along fine with the dog we had then, who was very good with cats, but when that dog died, several months later we brought home a foundling puppy. She took one horrified look at Annie, bolted out the door like shot from guns, and refused to come in ever again, no matter how hard we tried. She became a street cat like her mother and eventually moved around the corner and down that block, next door to a classmate of my daughter. When my daughter saw her and told her friend who she was, the friend asked her mother to buy cat food, so I guess BT was more or less taken care of after that.

Rebl2

(14,572 posts)
6. I think
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 11:08 AM
Dec 2022

she feels like she can take care of herself during the day. At night she feels more vulnerable and wants to be close to you for security and warmth as well.

Siwsan

(27,257 posts)
7. That might just be it!!
Mon Dec 19, 2022, 11:23 AM
Dec 2022

She does wander in to which ever room I'm in and finds a place to settle down and either observe or nap. Occasionally she will kick the whiffle ball towards me so that I can toss it for her to chase.

A couple of times, when the boys are on my lap, she has jumped up on the little round table that's next to the recliner. It's like she's sizing up the situation but still isn't QUITE sure about it, yet.

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