Moku

Patience pays off

We adopted Fritter and renamed him Moku. At the shelter, he seemed like a cat who wanted attention but was afraid of sudden movements. When we took him homem he was afraid of everyone and everything. He didn't climb on the cat tree or sit on our laps. We were frustrated and discouraged.

We did some reading about cat behavior and realized that his behavior might change with some changes in how we approach him. We found that he needed slow encouragement to learn how to interact with people and trust different situations. We were pretty amazed at how quickly these methods worked; we initially just went on faith, thinking that his personality was just going to be set.

By using treats, for example, I was able to lure him onto my bed and other high places. I used toys to get him to venture into other parts of the house. I kept boxes and hiding spots for him to crawl into and relax.

Although he likes other cats, I've chosen to keep him as an only cat for now, just to help him gain some confidence in our house. I hope that other people who adopt a shelter cat realize that patience can pay off, and that behavioral specialists have some useful information that really makes a difference.

 

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Humane Society of Huron Valley

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