very nervous foster cats

[Hippykitty]

Sounds like he's on his way to being a confident cat around people.

Frederick, one of my cats, used to tear pieces out of my arm and was a hissing wild animal for the first few months he was here. Now he's so loveable and trusting, he rolls on his back so that I can tickle his belly! It's amazing how they can change. 

[nickynoo93]

Good luck with them. Hope they come around for you.
My Charlie was a wary one, he still is a scaredy cat at times, not so much nowdays. He started off coming into me at night and snuggling up or laying on me. I never let on I was awake. Now he jumps onto the bed if I so much as put My nightie on, very foward of him I think.
His sister is a little purrpot who loves a fuss at ALL times.

Nicky

[bramble]

bless him, he never hisses or tries to scratch, he is just so nervous. made a little breakthrough with him yesterday! i can gently stroke his head and his ear. he shuts his eyes and actually seems to like it! its a really big step for him, i am very proud of him. his little sister has really come on well. she loves to play and have a fuss.

[Hippykitty]

If you can stroke him and not get scratched, then he's definitely going to relax in the company of humans and eventually be ready for homing. It may take a month or so; just take things slowly. The more time you can spend in his company, doing nothing in particular, maybe reading, the sooner he'll relax with you.

There are some daft sounding tricks which work, such as falling asleep in his presence. Cats trust peeps who they watch sleeping for some odd reason.

[Teresa Pawcats]

Sure I bought last lot from Purrs shop

[bramble]

where on earth do you get peacock feathers?! CH is like cerebral palsy in cats so she wobbles and falls over sometimes. she is such abrave sweetheart. the two of them really come to life once it gets dark. the spare room they are in is next to our bedroom and i hear them banging around playing during the night! the brother loves to sit in the bedroom window when its dark, i see him from our garden. the little girl is sush an angel, she loves a fuss, wiggling around purring, its lovely to see. she loves to play with toys in her own way, sitting rather than jumping on them! keep going in sitting with them, talking to them. brother does close his eyes and seem slightly relaxed sometimes when i stroke him. it will probably just take a long time for him to come out of his shell, if he ever does that is.

[Teresa Pawcats]

Invest in some peacock feathers.

[Hippykitty]

Pinkbear, I'm not sure I agree. From what bramble has said, he just sounds a little wary. Personally, I believe only cats who are vicious and absolutely untameable belong as farm cats.

Bramble, you may be stressing too much about this. Just leave him alone, go about your daily business and let him learn that you aren't a threat to him. Approaching him or blowing strange bursting things may actually scare him.

Although he may not see his sister being fussed, he can hear her. Cats have much better senses than us. Sometimes just talking very quietly to yourself or the female cat will help him to calm as he hears your voice but sees no threat (leave him alone while you're chatting to yourself or the other cat). Don't worry, we all do it, and the guys in white coats haven't turned up yet!

Maybe try whispering, either just randomly or reading from a book. Read to the air, not at him. The sound seems to hypnotise them. For ideas check out the whisper vids on youtube.

By the way, what's CH? Is it some kind of cerebral palsy? Poor baby.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Have to say something has gone wrong there if they were born in rescue.  Two years in care is way too long! 

I suspect this cat may be happier as a stables cat. Somewhere he can be a cat and do cat like things but have minimal contact with people. Although it's the ideal that every cat be a house cat, some of them are happier having less contact and it's not a failure to admit that. It's about quality of life. He needs his freedom, bless him. 

[bramble]

poor little lad looks so sad just laying curled up in the corner. he doesnt always watch when i fuss his sister, i wish he would. thought i had got him interested in cat nip bubbles this morning but he was just scared of them and scurried off into an igloo bed! if i could just find something, anything that he was interested in i could perhaps get through to him but i dont know what else to try.it is so sad to see him like this.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I've found that if you have a confident cat and a nervous cat it helps a great deal if the shy cat sees the other being fussed and hears her purring.

That is very true.  When I used to take Jaffa and his brother Magpie to the cattery, Jaffa was very nervous and Magpie would get territorial.  Magpie would hiss at other cats or people but Jaffa would think he was being hissed out and get nervous about that.  One cattery actually separated them because of this (they were fine together at home).  Fast forward a few years and I have Jaffa and Mosi.  I took them to the same cattery a few years ago and when I collected them I was told that Jaffa had been more relaxed than usual.  They attributed this to the fact that Mosi was chilled out and happy to be fussed by the staff.  This seemed to relax Jaffa who obviously thought that if Mosi enjoyed the attention of these people, then maybe they weren't so bad after all.

[Dawn F]

one of mine still hates being fussed 5 years later, only time I can stroke him is when I'm feeding him and he goes on two legs then!  he also lets oh comb him but not me, suppose that is just they way some of them are

[bramble]

he does peep round the corner of some   drawers sometimes when i am fussing her, bless him. he just seems so shut down and not interested in much at all, so sad to see. looks like the little girl has CH but she really loves a fuss, shes wobbling around purring her head off! if i could just find something he was interested in it would help. they only eat dry food, not bothered about chicken or cat food.

[Hippykitty]

I've found that if you have a confident cat and a nervous cat it helps a great deal if the shy cat sees the other being fussed and hears her purring.

I had a situation like this many years ago when I adopted two cats: minnie and bella. Minnie was full of beans and loved being tickled, whereas Bella hid behind the furniture and even had to be fed there. One afternoon, I was making a fuss of Minnie, and Bella was peeping from behind the sofa. Minnie was purring like a good 'un. Out came Bella, also wanting to know what all this tickling and purring was about. She let me stroke her and make a fuss.

From that point she started to gain confidence until she became a cheeky little monster. 

It might help if you make a fuss of the female within view of the male. He might get the general idea that people can be nice.

[bramble]

i am fostering 2 cats at the mo, brother and sister. they were born in rescue and were 2 in april. poor babes had never been out of rescue or in a home. the little girl has come on brilliantly, loves a brush and a good fuss. she purrs her little heart out! her brother is not doing well at all. he is so scared when i try to fuss him. i can tickle his cheek but i am sure he doesnt enjoy it! he just sits around looking sad. i can hear them playing during the night but he hardly moves apart from that. i think he trusts me a tiny bit. wondered if anyone has any ideas that might help him to gain confidence? have tried hand feeding him, gently brushing him and tried to get him to play but hes not interested. really wish i could make a breakthrough with him. i know it will take time, i just want to make him happy! any ideas?!