All Tuckered Out...
Right now, little Cooper pants is sleeping underneath a pillow and blanket I kicked off during the night. That is where he's chosen to make his little kitty fort and that is where I'm going to leave him for right now. He's had a rough twenty-four hours.
So, After I caught him (but not his friend, Kingsley McQueen) I brought him into the house and not knowing quite what to do with him, I took him to the bathroom. Its small, its dark. There's a brand new litter box in it. Perfect, right? Well, he came out of the box and was cowering behind it and then I moved it. I wasn't graceful about the moving and it made a lot of noise sending Cooper to the other end of the bathtub where I had put a towel for him to be cozy on. (He's been getting cozy on my bath towels in the cat carrier for a day or so now.) Only, he didn't get cozy on the towel. He got cozy under the towel.
Great.
I had to go to class, so I went. Then, I went to the grocery store to pick up some more cat food (since I'll be feeding them in two separate places, I needed some more supplies.) I also bought some tasty, animal friendly people food (for coaxing.) When I got back, Cooper was still hiding. So, I made some chicken. I took my chicken near the bathroom, where I ate and talked. He meowed a little. I scootched closer. He was out from under the towel. He let me pet him. I hand fed him some chicken. He let me pet him some more.
Then, he purred.
It was amazing.
The things I've been reading about socializing feral kittens said that if you get purring, try holding them in your lap. So, I did. Except, I was a bit more ambitious than that. I thought maybe he'd want to sit in my lap while I was sitting on the couch. (Okay, I thought I'd like to sit on the couch while he sat in my lap since House was on. I was wrong. We were fine until we got a few steps away from the bathroom. Then, he crawled up my shoulder and dove off me, landing safely on the floor and immediately taking refuge behind the toilet.
Okay, My mistake. I accept this new toilet refuge, I thought. Then, E. called. My saviour. She has a dog crate that she has modified to be cozy for cats. She brought the crate over and we set it up. She got to meet Cooper. Cooper let her pet him and feed him some chicken. We talked for awhile and then she went home.
I sat down to do some work. I was happily typing away and then suddenly I hear a soft little meow. From right beside me. Cooper had made it out of the bathroom. He explored a little, very cautiously. He ran back to his crate whilst I was getting ready for bed. And, then he spent the night meowing and exploring. When I was awake enough to hear him, I meowed back, but mostly he just went out his thing. He found the recycling and played in that. (My apartment is really kitten proof. This may be a problem.) And, at about six in the morning he came wandering into the bedroom, meowing all the way.
I wasn't sure where exactly he was this morning, until after I'd made breakfast, updated my facebook status, and fed his friend outside (who still won't come anywhere near me. But, who was also waiting for food.) I sat down to do some reading and to eat my breakfast and while I was leaving a little bacon trail in hopes of enticing the little guy out, I looked under my bed and saw him. All tuckered out and curled up. Just too precious.
In other news, Feral Cat Focus has agreed to lend me a have-a-heart trap in exchange for spaying the cats once I have caught them, which I was going to do anyway. So, perhaps there will be less trauma in catching Kingsley now.
Perhaps.
