When Sneaky’s siblings disappeared two years ago, she came looking in our windows for companionship. I wanted to catch her to get her spayed and examined for health issues. She was too smart to be caught in the trap. That left one thing. Earn her trust.

I began with Fancy Feast, which she loves. I eventually got her to eat from my finger, which turned out to be a bad idea. Only because she wasn’t used to how fragile the humans are, so she didn’t know how to temper her claws or her teeth.  While taking Fancy Feast from my finger, she inadvertently nipped me, drawing blood. Since she wasn’t vaccinated, this meant I HAD to catch her before we left town for two weeks, and she HAD to be quarantined.

Fortunately, I was able to capture Sneaky and put her in a carrier. I took her to the clinic to be checked out and spayed. They held her for observation, and she was fine.

She’s been our outside kitty ever since.  I brought her in for a few extra cold days and kept her in the cage for about a week last winter. She was relaxed and tolerated her time in captivity well. We tried her in the kitchen by herself, but she became uncomfortable, and we released her to outside.

She regularly sits on the window sill outside the parlor and talks to me through the window. She interacts through the glass with several of the other cats (the indoor ferals are either her nieces or, possibly, her offspring).

Lately, she’s been looking in the side door. Last week, we opened the inside door and let Sneaky and Ajax sniff one another through the screen door.

Periodically, I’ll pick Sneaky up when I’m outside and carry her in the house and hold her.  I’ve been increasing the time in the house a little each time I do this.  Sneaky tolerates it with interest.

I’m not in a hurry to add another cat to the household, but I want Sneaky to be able to be an indoor cat as she gets older. Outside life is hard on a kitty, and it can’t be easy for aging cats. Sneaky is acting more interested in that possibility.

We had a couple of cold nights last week, so I brought Sneaky in. She wasn’t thrilled about staying in the cage, so for significant periods of time while she was in, I closed off the parlor and let her explore. One night, Natasha was in the room with her, and we had no issues. One morning, Ajax and Daphne were in the room wither her, and things got a little spicier. Sneaky held her own, but she also assumed a defensible position underneath a piece of furniture. When I let Daphne and Ajax leave the room, she immediately came out and played with the catnip bumble bee. We’ll keep doing gradual introductions to the inside cats.

In the spring, I will need to spend more time outside in hopes of earning the trust of Walter and Boomer.

We’ve been frustrated with the socialization of Delta, Ruby, and Rossie; however, all three are mellowing in barely perceptible ways. We’re encouraged by their progress.