packing paper playtime

Hmmm.. who's this hidden in the papers?

It's the former outside-kitty LOVING being inside-kitty!!

It's so fun to see Oliver enjoy all the spoils of being inside. He's like a little boy who grew up without candy who's now living in a candy store.

play, play, play...

former feral Friday

Oliver enjoying some inside play time!               Jan 21, 2016

Every time I get to hang out with Oliver my heart glows with joy. My bond with him is quite different from all of the other cats. There something about how we met and that it took quite some time for us to trust each other. He was the first feral-like cat that I befriended. Over the course of time, he went from being too scared to be in yard with me, to being a puddle of purring kitty-putty in my lap.

Join me for an Oliver flashback...

I first started noticing feral Oliver around the neighborhood in January 2011.

Jan 23, 2011

Over time I started noticing him hanging out in and around my yard more and more.

July 29, 2011

Aug 15, 2011

He was pretty thin back then.

Aug 26, 2011

 I knew absolutely nothing about feral cats then, so it took me awhile to start feeding him.

Aug 30, 2011

He took to the food right away!

Sept 1, 2011

Then I built him a house and a matching dining hall.

Sept 7, 2011

He immediately claimed the house as his.

Sept 18, 2011

Then came slowly working to win his trust.

                  Oct 6, 2011

He's such a beauty!                      Oct 7, 2011

And at long last the amazing moment happened, his desire to be held overcame his fear. He climbed into my lap and completely melted into me. I cried tears of joy and delight as I held him close.

Oliver's first cuddle                                        Oct 20, 2011

After that first cuddle, he wanted more and more cuddles. I was more than happy to oblige!

Nov 8, 2011

Dec 2, 2011

I was so honored when he brought his kittens to share in his bounty.

Dec 31, 2011

Over the years, Oliver's made his desire to be an inside kitty very clear. Sadly, he's a frequent urine marker, so he's only allowed inside under supervision or if I'm traveling and then I Oliverize his room by covering every surface with sheets and towels. I tried all sorts of things to get him to stop spraying but sadly nothing worked. Over the years he's mellowed a bit with the spraying, so I may try some of those things again.

He would jump up onto the outside window sill and beg to be let in. He has the saddest cry.

 Feb 18, 2012

When time allows, I bring him inside for some supervised snuggle time.

July 8, 2012

Last summer I had the brilliant idea of camping in the back yard with Oliver - if Oliver can't come inside to spend the night with me, then I could go outside and spend the night in his space.

Aug 1, 2015

It took a little time to win his trust, and in that time, Oliver has freely given me his heart. He is such a delightful gift, a gift that I treasure and I'm immensely grateful for.

Oct 10, 2015

Thank you, Oliver, for choosing me.

---

Thank you everyone for your kind comments about MK's absence. Many of you said you can't believe it's been a year already, I feel much the same way. He'll forever live in my heart and in Pierre and Oliver's lives.

Happy former feral Friday!

fetch

Just when I thought I knew my rescue cat, I learned something new about Mr. Marvin today.

He plays fetch!

And he LOVES it!

This is so fun!! I had no idea this was even an option with cats!

bonding time

There's been some tension in my relationship with Oliver lately. It concerns his new disdain for curfew. A few weeks ago, he decided he's not interested in being locked up on the back porch for the night anymore, so he stopped coming in. I would go find him and haul him in, but then he started hiding and running from me. He was clearly communicating that he wanted to stay out all night and protect the territory.

I can't sleep when I hear the sound of cats fighting, especially when I know it's my Oliver. There have been a number nights over these weeks where I've not been able to haul him in, and he fights, fights, and fights... I wore ear plugs to bed those nights, so I didn't hear it, but come morning, his body had many cuts and scratches from the battling.

So, with this tension between us, I thought maybe a father-cat bonding experience might help. With it being a beautiful evening and a full moon, I thought what better than a camping trip with my Oliver!

The tent is setup in Oliver's yard.

After setting up the tent, I looked all over for Oliver but he was no where to be found! Brat!

Pierre comes by and checks out the setup

Then not long after Pierre's visit, Oliver stopped in

Everyone knows that camping is not camping without special yummies! 

We started with the yummy snacks

When camping with a cat, it's important to pack the litter box, which he used in the night

The moment when I told him I had forgotten to pack the toys

Oliver was a little confused if this counted as inside-kitty time,

 when technically it was taking place in his yard

I think Oliver purred all night! He so LOVES to cuddle, we cuddled nearly the entire night. 

However, cuddling with an outdoor cat with razor sharp claws poses a few challenges! Ouch!

He occasionally got up to look out the window

I opened the door at 5:30am and he slowly worked his way out

I think Oliver likes camping!

Later in the morning, Pierre came by to verify Oliver's story
about spending the night in the big blue fort

I love that Oliver purred the entire time in the tent. He didn't view the tent as a prison, but a fun place to cuddle and be with his human. I adore this boy and so wish he could be an inside cat and give up his tough, territorial nature, but his non-stop urine marking makes that undoable. Thankfully, he didn't spray in the tent! We'll have to try this again, but next time I need to remember to pack the kitty toys!

friday fort-day

Pierre and Oliver were looking for another fort to appear, but sadly I had to work.

Meanwhile, the inside kitties get forts everyday on the couch. They are simple to make, just tuck one end of the blanket behind the top cushion and the other end on the bottom side - instant kitty fort!

singe fort model

Demand for the forts can be high, so I always try to have at least two available.

dual fort model

Rose demonstrates proper fort occupation

Build your kitty a fort today! Happy Friday!!

fort fun for Oliver

You might remember, last March, I built a blanket fort for the inside kitties. They loved it. The only problem was this:

Oliver wasn't able to play with us. So, with it being a beautiful day and me not needing to work, it was time for Oliver to have some fun...

the fort begins to take shape...

Every fort's gotta be stocked with yummy provisions...

and it's only polite to share...

and then came time for some nip...

Whoa!

this bud's got some kick!

and then time to play...

meanwhile, an intruder arrives...

and begins gathering tactical information...

the siege begins...

the fort is stormed...

the staring contest ensues...

notice the intensity...

in the eyes...

Pierre collapses under the pressure...

Uncle!

time to unwind...

nipfest...

wheeee...

 meanwhile, Oliver slips out the back and collapses the fort from above... 

Oliver has retaken the fort....

a collapsed fort is still a fun fort...

fort time is fun!!

and in the end we're still pals!

And this time, Theo got to watch all the fun with desire in his eyes.

The only thing missing from this time that would have made it better, was beautiful MK. He would have loved to play with us too. So sad he's no longer with us. My heart still cries for him.

Cats are so fun! Purrfect way to spend a day off!