Tuesday, March 26, 2013

invitation only!

Rose has been with us for over two years now and I so rarely get to touch her. She remains very skittish and chooses to keep a lot of distance with the humans. I consider it a good day when she occasionally invites me to touch her. On those occasions, she's split, she clearly wants to be petted but her fear is high - I'm learning how to prolong the loves with slow movements, no eye-contact and always following her cue. If her fear starts to overtake the pleasure, I stop and slowly move away.


Rose really loves being brushed but it's very hard to ever get near her with the brush as she spooks as soon as she sees it. When she allows it, she leans into the brush and soaks it up.

Imagine my surprise recently, when while cautiously petting her on the ottoman in front of the fire, she flopped over to have her tummy rubbed! I couldn't believe it! I still can't believe it!! Over the years she's watched all the other cats get their tummy's rubbed and now she just had to try it for herself. She must have liked it because two days later she wanted her tummy rubbed again!

Rose has a serious case of the cutes for sure. Her fear is slowly losing out to her enjoyment of being touched. Hopefully in another few years she will be a cuddle bug! Ok, it might take more than a few years for that but I'm holding out hope.

I'll keep taking it slow, while always watching out for her subtle invitations for love.

18 comments:

  1. Tummy rubs are the best, Rose! Trusting your human has a lot of advantages :)

    My Jenna is very skittish. She's a great cat but still doesn't like to be picked up or held. She is all for any other luvvin she can get, though.

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  2. You have the kind of patience with Rose that only a kind human has.
    hugs, Linda

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  3. I had a cat who was just like Rose. Timmy wanted to be petted, but was just too fearful. At first, he ventured on the right corner of my bed at night when I was sleeping. I'd wake up and find him but he'd scurry away. So I learned not to move too much and offer my foot. I pet him with my foot for several years. Then he'd let me pet him with my hand in bed at night. Finally, he got to the point where he'd come up to me during the day, but would only let me pet him with my foot if I did not make eye contact. After about 12 years, he would let me pet him with my hand during the day, again only if he came to me and I did not make eye contact. Once he lost his head and jumped up next to me. Let me pet him for 30 seconds until he realized what he did and took off. My mom pet him once. She was sleeping on my bed and he did not immediately realize it wasn't me. She got about 5 minutes of petting before he noticed and took off. It was these precious moments that filled my heart and made me sad at the same time. I realized very early that my job as Timmy's guardian was to get him a good, safe life which I did.

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  4. Mom sneaks in the occasional pet on Junior. Sometimes as he comes in to eat or more likely when he is hiding under the cover on the sofa.....he can't see her coming that way. she scritches a few times and then leaves. She hopes some day he will come around. Good for you Rose for overcoming your fears!!

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  5. Oh, you must have been over the moon when that happened! Way to go, Rose.

    Yes, tummy rubs are the best. Derry even prefers his tummy rubbed to having his chin scratched. Either that or he doesn't like my chin scritches. LOL. (Note that Nicki likes my chin scritches just fine, thanks.)

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  6. Have you tried using treats? We tame some shy/fearful cats that way. Pet - treat. Pet-treat and repeat. Temptations has helped to tame many feral cats!

    And Rose is very beautiful.

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  7. Aw! Yay for tummy rubs! Fingers and paws crossed that she loses her fear faster now that she's allowed that!

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  8. Yay for Rose! :) My Eli was like that once.. now I can't get him out of my way - it is like we own a whole new cat :) Rescue Remedy helped my boy a lot.

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  9. That's wonderful! I've had Coco (she's Meow-Me's daughter and Felix's sister) since she was born Dec 2010, but she remains skittish around humans. She flinches when I try to touch her and it's baffling. I can't understand why that would happen. Meow-Me and Felix love getting pets and rubs.
    I hope Rose continue to ask for belly rubs and more!

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  10. WONDERFUL!!! I wonder if Rose would speak to Scouty? He is terrified of being touched.

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  11. Oh you make me just melt myself with happies reading this about Rose and your patience. Wat a lucky little girl she is to have you all as her mom and dad.

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  12. What joy that must have been for you! Having a cat show you trust conquering the fear is so huge! I am sure Rose felt the same way as you did.

    My foster Avea (I've had her for 9 months now) finally comes for pets and it makes my heart full of joy. I would always pet her and she loved it, but she ran the first chance she got.

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  13. I'm not allowed mom to touch my tummy too. Every time she does, I always grab her with my claws but guess what ? I allowed her last night ! 5 sec..,tee..,heh..and she was so happy about it : )
    Concats to you.
    xox

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  14. She is a cutie for sure. i'm a very friendly cat and I don't like anyone other than M or D to touch my tummy.

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  15. Your patience has been rewarded with a tummy-rub-flob. That's a huge gift Rose gave you! Mom would be overjoyed too.

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  16. We hope it doesn't take years for her to snuggle up for a cuddle. Showing her belly is so trusting. She is lucky to have you since you are so patient. Purrs and Hugs from the kitties at The Cat on My Head, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette

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  17. She is such a beauty! What a treat she gave you with the tummy rub.

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  18. Rose is such a beautiful cat. And such a sweet personality it seems. I hope she relaxes more as she gets older and sees the benefits of a caring human.

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