I'm up early, woke up about 1 AM, tried to fall back asleep, but gave up on that around 230. I'll probably need to nap in the afternoon.
Looking forward to seeing Ginza this morning. I think I'll do again like yesterday, after she comes in for breakfast and starts eating, I'll close the doors. The basic idea now is to do the sit and chats almost completely indoors. I hope that will help with trying to teach her use of a litterbox.
me scratching in the litter and I hope my training of her to go to places where I point my fingers and tap will get her to enter into the litterbox and get her to discover it's a place where she can dig like in the dirt outside when she potties.
Anyhow, later in the morning, I will run errands for stuff I need but also pick up a second litterbox, one that has a cover, as that might prove needed. Ginza simply might want some privacy!
Even if she came into the bathroom yday while I used it.
Of course maybe that was really good that Ginza saw me pottying yesterday. I'd imagine her sensitive nose picked up on the fact I was peeing and that might help her realize that it's okay to potty in certain places in the apartment. Which suggests an idea:
Put the litterbox in the bathroom.
It's a small bathroom but it can fit in there okay enough. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I were to try that and Ginza decides that a litterbox there is exactly what she needs to potty in the apartment.
Went for a 15 minute walk and when I got back, Ginza was waiting outside. We came inside, I served up her breakfast, and closed the doors because I don't want to lose all the comfy warm it is in the apartment. It's quite chilly outside. Glad I wore my hoodie while walking.
Ginza just came into the bedroom and rubbed against my legs as I typed this.
Wow, Ginza is doing a real loud musical chirping purr this morning. She's also made a couple of tiny meows. My girl is getting a much wider and expressive voice.
New Ginza achievement unlocked. She has jumped up onto the bookshelves by the front windows. Your first official Ginza pic for #caturday#CatsOfMastodon
As I toot this, she's up on the bed and I'm on the computer. She's busy grooming herself and continues to purr loudly.
Ginza's a hungry critter this morning and she cleaned up her first breakfast bowl. So I've put a second one down. I don't know if she got anymore food after the breakfast I fed her yesterday, plus it was chilly last night.
There's a whole lotta stuff going on. She's fulla beans, but it's all very good stuff, except I see now her apartment exploration is now going to start seeing how high she can get. She's been up on the bookshelves and she tried to jump on my computer desk.
Ginza's also let me pick her up for the first time.
I'm back from running errands and it's time to make some notes about today's indoor sit and chat with Ginza. #CatsOfMastodon#caturday
Ginza did really well today.
She got breakfast, treats, pets, and cuddles.
She played a little with the wand toy but her big focus today seemed to be exploration of the apartment and trying out getting to higher spots. Thus she got on top of bookshelves by front windows. She also tried to get on my computer desk.
She still hasn't used a litterbox, though she did step into it a couple of times. Also thanks to the fact that I had to rescue her from trying to climb too high one point, I've learned she tolerates me picking her up. So very first time I picked her up and put her in the litterbox.
I tried moving the litterbox to bathroom, but she hasn't tried it yet.
On errands I bought a second box that has a lid, will set that up and see if privacy will help her try using litter.
But I feel really good about how Ginza didn't freak out the times I had picked her up. She got a bit squirmy, but seemed okay with it and when I put her down, she didn't run off.
On the third window climbing adventure, I think she got the message of no about trying to climb up to narrow ledge made by the frames for the windows panes and hopefully now understands that window ledge is good and fine, but go no higher.
Her meow is still rather kittenish in tone and volume, but stronger than yday.
Ginza's definitely talking to me and at me with the meowing and realizes it's a way to get my attention.
It's kinda cool to think how she's maybe 8 years old but she can still learn to talk. I'm so proud of her. I think she listened the times I saw her jaws open like she was trying to meow and when I saw that, I would make meow noises at her, ask her if she was trying to meow.
I won't be surprised at all if she turns out to be a very talkative cat.
Litterbox training is the last remaining hurdle now. If we can train Ginza to use a litterbox to potty, then we're ready to see if she can adapt to being an indoor cat. Persuasion on that will certainly be made easier with fall right around the corner and winter to follow.
Also notable now is how she's getting very good and conscientious about not batting my hands with claws extended. I still discourage her trying to play with my hands, but when she bats them, it's with retracted claws.
@IzabelaKaramia
She sounds awesome! I wonder if she's pregnant.. (Our first rescue was, and it made her totally friendly. 7 kittens are the most fun ever but woo 🦨. She converted to indoor only without any concern, but that was where her kittens were. A super sweet girl but not the most clever cat we've had.)
For the box, puppy pads with the attractant smell, placed underneath might help. If she's not going inappropriately she might just be an outside goer. Our guy figured out the box during his quarantine (no choice) but he peed in the tub. He since stopped that, but still is willing to go out in a hurricane most days instead of using a box. He also does softpaws when he plays but his big wild guy jaws are still stronger than he knows so he sometimes bites a bit.
Pictured stealing his favorite treat, enough ice water to get brain freeze twice.
Ginza's not pregnant. Depending on photo angle, sometimes her tipped left ear can be clearly seen. She got TNRed when fairly young and probably helped her longevity, though the rest of the colony she was part of has died off. A few other ferals hang around here, but she doesn't seem friendly towards any of them.
Your big guy looks very strong. Like a big huge bull really.
She's just a little kitty cat, maybe about 7 lbs? I feel that fact that she's survived as a feral cat for 8 years speaks to her intelligence.
But that fact of her being 8 years old is one of the reasons I've been trying to woo her this summer and see if maybe she can be convinced to retire from the life of a feral cat to one of being an indoor cat who gets spoiled rotten.
@IzabelaKaramia Ohhhhh, I didn't realize she's not totally inside. She really trusts you, then! I bet she'll enjoy her inside time with you more and more. She'll certainly like have a secure food source. Please give her a light little pet from us if she'll accept it! 😘
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