r/formerlyferal • u/savvy-librarian • 19d ago
Cheddar's Big Breakthrough 🎉
I've been posting updates on the sibling pair my husband and I adopted at 6-7months old in March this year. When Cheddar (orange, m) and Wensleydale (dilute calico, f) came to us they were underweight, under social, and so scared of people that we could barely touch them. They had to be kept in my office for further socialization for almost 2 months before we could let them have access to the whole house.
Because they were not appropriately socialized prior to 6 months of age (their foster mom is amazing but they were adopted to a man that had no clue what he was doing and he caused them both to completely regress before he returned them to the shelter saying he didn't like them and didn't want them) their journey has been a bit odd and unusual.
They have just recently passed their first birthday and have been a part of our family for about 6 months. In that time Wensley has advanced along socially pretty steadily. She is still skittish and wary in some ways but she has become very cuddly and affectionate and enjoys snuggling and being held. She's come a lot further than we ever could have anticipated in such a short time.
Cheddar has had some odd roadblocks. He is quite friendly and loves to be petted but he's very wary of being handled, picked up, held, or even getting up close to a body. For several months we have been stalled out on him soliciting affection only when a human is sitting or standing and he is on the floor. He simply refused to join us on the couch despite a lot of gentle encouragement and he never, ever gets up in bed with us. He HATES being held and actively resists it the entire time though he is calm enough now that he doesn't panic and scratch to get away, he does lean away with his whole body and he never relaxes at all.
He also gets overstimulated very abruptly and he slaps at petting hands suddenly. He is also very grabby and excited when being petted and he often tries to grab my hand/arm if I try to pull away from him or even when I'm not pulling away and he is just anticipating that I might. Thankfully we're working on this and he grabs and slaps less now and he also has learned not to use his claws on us so it doesn't hurt when he has a moment of poor impulse control (thankfully that has been easy, he has such a sweet nature and he definitely isn't trying to hurt us, once he learned that I won't keep petting him if he scratches me he stopped using his claws really fast).
Suddenly in the last few weeks he has decided that he is now ok with getting up on the couch with people. He just started hopping up with us after months of being like absolutely not. In the last week he has also relaxed enough to lay down next to me (but not touching me) on the couch. He has begun rubbing up against my body in affection when he's up on the couch with me being petted. But he still hates being held and he won't willingly go onto a lap.
Then, today, he had a huge breakthrough! This morning he saw me laying in bed from his perch in the window and it was like something clicked. I said "Hi bud, did you want to come over here?" And he lept from the window to the bed and came charging across the bed (and my husband lol) right to me. He climbed right up onto my chest and proceeded to spend the rest of the morning being petted and congratulated for his courage while he climbed all over the bed, us, and our pillows. He eventually laid down curled up on my legs (pictured) and did a little bath time. He has never felt relaxed enough to lay up against me let alone groom while literally laying on me. He has never willingly climbed up on anyone in his life.
He was so happy he drooled a lot and purred even more and he made a lot of really enthusiastic biscuits and he smashed his face into my husband's face while he was asleep lol. We're so proud of our sweet not-so-little-anymore guy.
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u/Gold_Draw7642 19d ago
Happy for you and those little cuties. ❤️
Also, I do love a bit of Wensleydale and will forever think of your kitty. 😹
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u/savvy-librarian 11d ago
💕 My husband and I are big cheese lovers lol. We were set on Wensleydale for her the very moment we saw her. Cheddar almost ended up as Munster but "Ched" just fit him too well. Even his foster mom said "OMG Cheddar is perfect!"
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u/clemmie33 19d ago
So happy for you and Cheddar! You did a wonderful job socializing this sweet pair.
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u/notabackstagepass 19d ago
Good job, Cheddar! I had a skittish cat for 17 years who would only sit on me if I was lying down. No lap sitting, but be perched on top of me in bed every night. He was a quirky dude. He also didn’t figure out purring for the first year or so, and then he started silently vibrating, eventually starting to audibly purr.
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u/Icy_Yesterday8265 19d ago
Thank you for giving them a loving home and for being patient with them. Soon hell be sleeping right in your crotch so you cannot move while youre sleeping... speaking from experience with my 3 formerly feral orange cats...
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u/Future-Philosopher-7 19d ago
Amazing cats and their story is so heartwarming.Great job cheddar 🧡🧡🧡🧡
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u/FeralSweater 19d ago
Thank you for helping Cheddar relax and open up. He must be so much happier and less anxious.
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u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme 19d ago
The drooling is a fantastic sign! The epitome of joy for many cats, including my own orange-over-white boy!
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u/fish-n-kauba 16d ago
This is wonderful to hear.. we are working with a feral and he hasnt gotten up on the couch yet..been 6 month trying to socialize him. Your Cheddar update gives me hope!
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u/ResponsibleRain7761 19d ago
Thank you for ruining my mascara 😭 and for your kindness and patience with Cheddar. Reminds me of the joyful breakthroughs with my own cat, who was placed under my shed by the cat distribution system at 4 months old, totally unsocialized. Below is a pic of her fearsome, terrified self. She too was transformed.
You did good. Cheddar is a lucky boy.