Gandalf, Katie & Ashley

~ Gandalf, Katie and Ashley. Siblings so very hungry that all three of them walked into a large cage to eat food placed there. The door was slammed behind them, they were put through the medical screenings, and began the socialization process. Two males and one female. After their spay/neuter surgery, they were placed and are currently living together in their new home in Champaign. All are wonderful pets. Gandalf loves to be held and Ashley waits at the head of his human's bed for attention each morning.

Gandalf at about eight months of age -- a dark gray and white male. When he was first captured, it was obvious he was very grateful to be out of the harsh environment and into a secure home. He would sit and watch you with such intensity, but he resisted getting close to anyone. After about four months of this, he wore down and decided to give physical closeness to humans a try. He is now an incredibly snuggly little cat.

He always looks a little crabby, but he is a real sweetheart. He absolutely loves to give little kisses. He stands at attention until you notice him. When you bend down to say hello, he puts his little nose up against your forehead and gives a kiss. His favorite method of play is to have someone hold him close with his head under your chin and then to have that person hold him out and gently throw him up over a mattress so that he can jump down and run from one end of the bed to another. He is a very quiet and gentle cat, but when he plays, it is with such energy and abandon that one cannot help but laugh.

In August of 1995, Gandalf and Ashley at about six months of age. This is them as they began the quarantine phase. This phase usually takes about two weeks. During this time, the cats or kittens are taken to our veterinarian, Dr. Neitzel, for a complete checkup and their first series of vaccinations.

When cats are first captured, they are usually very frightened. They have only seen humans at a distance and quite frequently their experiences with them have not been pleasant, as these cats learn to fear almost any sound or movement in an effort to survive. Humans are just one more of the unknown factor. As they get used to the regular feedings at their colony area, they begin to realize that humans aren't all bad, but close contact is still not the norm.
Keeping newly captured cats in confinement allows the caretaker to get close to them without them having a chance to run away. The first few days, all one can do is allow them to settle down, give them food and water, and make sure their cages stay clean and comfortable. Usually within a week, they are ready for a gentle touch on the neck or head as they eat their plate of moist food. Once they realize that the hand is not going to hurt them, but rather that it serves the reward of the food, they are very happy to have that contact. By the middle or end of the second week, they are usually ready to wander out of their secure cage into a play area. This is where the socialization process really takes place.

Here Gandalf begins the playtime/socialization process. Strings work wonders here. Almost all cats love to chase the end of a slowly moving string. In the beginning, these cats usually like to keep a safe distance between themselves and humans. The string slowly moves them closer to whoever is working with them. Once they are close, a friendly pat or ear rub here and there and soon they get to where they don't need the string any more, except for play. They have learned that the person working with them means them no harm and that more often than not, closeness makes for a very pleasant experience.

After they begin to trust you and will sit comfortably in our laps, we then work towards getting them to allow us to pick them up and hold them. Some never like the idea of being held, but most do. Those that do not usually become great lap cats, however, and sit with their new human companions whenever they can or snuggle by them at night on the bed. When we do get these cats to relax to the point that they love to be held, it is a wonderful experience. To feel them go from being stiff as a board to a relaxed, soft, purring cat...then you know you have definitely succeeded in the socialization process and the cats are ready to go to their new home.
All of the individuals adopting FLUFFY Cat Rescue cats have followed our leads in working with these cats from the colony and have been patient initially. This patience has paid off as both the humans and the cats have enjoyed each other from that point forward. The entire process from capture to placement rarely takes more than a month and can quite often be accomplished in three weeks. We have had only one cat that required a longer period and this one, with much patience by an understanding person willing to take her, finally tamed down to be a very happy and loving cat.

This is Katie, Gandalf and Ashley's sister. Gandalf and Ashley have short hair. Katie's was long and beautiful.

Unlike her brothers, Katie tamed down within a few days of capture. She does not like being held much, but she was not the least bit shy of anyone who came around her. She loves to sit on laps and sleep close to the warmth of her human all night. She has an adorable little yelp she lets out each time she first sees you. Everyone loves her.

Katie at approximately four months of age. She was so afraid that she wouldn't come out to eat until everyone had left. She was afraid of every sound, every movement, every shift in the wind. Now she can be frequently seen sitting comfortably in a window of her home with a gentle breeze blowing in, knowing that she is safe.

I have a nice photo of Katie and Gandalf together in their home which I will post here soon.

These three are living together in Champaign and love their new home. They have totally forgotten their past. We're all so glad that is the case. If only we had more space, time, funding. Even if we did, we could never begin to diminish noticeably the huge number of feral cats in the United States, the world. The Feral Cat Coalition estimates that there are approximately 50,000,000. Fortunately, they also estimate there are approximately 10,000,000 humans and organizations helping, so all are not suffering.

EVERYONE -- PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER TO HELP CONTROL THE EXPLODING PET POPULATION. BOTH DOGS AND CATS, PLEASE !!!!