Me thinks our Billy may have had a feral Mom

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Rosella I understand when you talk about Billy, cos Sasa will never sit/lie anywhere where you can get behind her and if I put my hand over her head she would be gone. Her hearing and only snoozing tactics mean that she hears you coming, when I swear I am not making any noise at all, so she is very like billy cept I cant stroke her at all but she will sniff my fingers as long as I leave them near her for no more than 1-2 secs, any longer she is up and cringing and ready to run.

Its definately what has happened in their past and I dont know if her and Misa being friends make a difference cos both dislike the birmans with a passion!

We have no decent vets around here as they are all farm animal ones and not very good, so have to take all of mine on a 50mile round trip to vets and there is no chance they will come to me 

[goatboy]

I thought I was going to have issues with Ozzy when I took her to the vets for the first time. But I left the cat carrier out, put her favorite fleece in(one of mine that she has stolen and sleeps in) and she now uses it as a bed, so when I take her to the vets she just sleeps all the way there.

Or I might just be very lucky.

[Hippykitty]

Sounds like you are doing the best you can with Billy. At least he lets you scratch his back, even if it is on his own terms.

I'm very close to you, in Selly Oak, amongst all the bloomin students. Grrrrrr.......

[Rosella moggy]

Hiya HP. Sorry Billy ain't like other puddies. If you approach him slowly you stand no chance of stroking him, you wouldn't catch him lol.  More successful going straight up to him and stroking him firmly and, as I said, esp scratching his back but only if his eyes are slightly closed or his tail is up and he is turned away from us. I say us but it's only me really that he allows to do this altho he lots of play sessions with OH that don't involve touching. Billy has taught us all of his rules over last 15 months.

He simply will not be picked up in the way you suggest and I therefore have a devil of a job getting him to vets, cattery (only once but a nightmare) and flea treatment. I am not advocating for a minute that picking up cats by scruff of neck a good idea but I don't expect to do any damage if it's only for very short periods i.e. moving him only 4 feet quickly as practice for getting him into cat basket and supporting him fully. He goes limp you see when I hold him by the scruff which allows me to hold him. 

Must go as Freddie must have love and kisses NOW. Thank God for him as neither Billy nor Tom allow cuddles. Have I mentioned before, I'm in Harborne.  I gather form some of your posts that you are quite nearby?

[Hippykitty]

I agree that picking him up for short periods is a good idea, but not by the scruff, even if you are supporting him. Mother cats don't actually use the scruff, but place their jaws gently around a kits neck. This is possible because of the tinyness of a kitten. Would suggest you pick him up with one hand under his bum and the other holding his body.

Will he allow you to stroke him when he's sitting on his own? If so, do this little and often; if he won't allow this, play the following game:

hold your hand about 18 inches above his head; wriggle your fingers and say, in a quiet, silly tone of voice "he's coming, he's coming, he's coming" etc. While saying this, keep wriggling you fingers and move your hand slowly towards the top of his head. Initially, he'll cringe, but should be curious enough to stay put (keep your voice soft and playful). Eventually, when you get there, tickle the top of his head with your wriggling fingers and say, "he got you!"

If you play this every day, he'll learn that your approaching hand means that he's about to be tickled on top of the head and the cringe will change into him reaching his head towards your hand.

I've done this trick with feral and nervous cats when they've been ready for it. It works, and teaches them to accept stroking.

[Rosella moggy]

Oh Gill. How awful for you. I wish I could think of some way for you to trick her but if she is so wary of being locked in (Billy a bit similar like that) and not letting you near her, it's so very difficult.  Don't suppose it's an option for the vet to come to you?  I wonder of you might have made better progress with Sasa Gill if she and Misa were not such good pals?  Heaven forbid I hear you cry! Not nice I know but, it was really only after Aslan died that we started to make progress with Billy.

Desley. Picking Billy up last night seems to have gone down well with our little fella. He woke me about 3am for scratchy back and tummy time and again about an hour ago  . "Not liking being picked up" is not quite how I'd describe the situation with Billy as he goes mental! That's why I am so surprised at our achievement. I'm sure it reminds him of his mom to be picked up like that as do the "rough" combing sessions. Yes, I do worry sometimes about what could have happened to him to make him the way he is.

[Desley (booktigger)]

Rosella, it doesn't mean he had a feral mum, it could simply be what has happened to him in the past, not liking being picked up isn't that unusual for a cat. But picking him up for short periods of time like you are doing is a good way to get him more used to it.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I have a cage which came with the birmans in it and last year had her barracaded in one corner of the room where she also had an accident and I could not get her to rush in the cage as planned , so went to look for the broom to try to move her out of the corner.

When I came back she had her front feet on the edge of the barracade, the cheeky monkey and she rushed iinto the cage. It was all covered over except the door was open.

I dread to think how I will do it this year but it upsets her so much she always has an accident and she runs away when she gets home.

last year she crept back in during the night cos she likes her creature comforts and she was asleep on her sofa in the morning.

But each time it sets us back cos it takes another year for her to get a little bit brave again......................I would like just to not take her but I think thats too risky with Sasa. She is comimg up to about 10yrs old now and round LOL.

[Rosella moggy]

Billy's only a little fella Gill. Don't know but would guess he's only about 3.5kg if that and has always gone limp for the vet when vet lifted him that way. I was very careful to support him of course. Much as I adore our little boy, have to admit he's a bit of a strange one. He just loves being combed in a rough way with his metal comb when he's in the mood. Other times he just runs away looking very wary when you just go to walk past him.  Think I'm going to try and pick him up this way more frequently to reduce the fear factor and one day who knows might be able to pick him up properly.

No, don't think I'd care to attempt it with Sasa. Value my life too much. How will you get her into carrier Gill?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Wish I could get that close to Sasa. although no way would I be strong enough to lift her like that LOL, she has been with me for nearly 2 yrs.

Also my vet said never try and scruff her.

I need to catch her soon to go for her booster grrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Rosella moggy]

Billy has been with us for 15 months and we and he panics everytime we have to transport him anywhere and can only trick him out of a room, no way he will be picked up like a "normal" puddie.

I got a bee in my bonnet about it tonight and with the aid of a spot of alcohol to spur me on (promise I can still walk, hic) I grasped our little buddie by the back of the neck like the vet does and,supporting the top of his chest, moved him from his rampart to the poof about 4 feet away....... 3 TIMES with intervals of about 15 minutes each and he didn't panic at all. He just trotted back to his rampart each time. This is really going to help with all sorts of situations e.g. flea treatment, going to vets. One small step....