Update: Mistletoe

It may too much to say that Mistletoe has come a long way in the two years she's been at the sanctuary, but she certainly is much easier to catch sight of and sometimes even a little cuddle with than she was in her days of constantly hiding behind drapes.

Mistletoe's fur is so silky and soft that attempting to stroke it can be irresistible. For a long time, while Mistletoe did seem to enjoy the stroking itself, she would soon lose her nerve at being in such close proximity to a human and bolt behind the nearest chair.

Then she started staying out in the open a little more often and for a little longer. These days she seldom gets nervous when I approach her and will sometimes even approach me for pats.  She shows her pleasure with one of the more eccentric cats dances I've seen -- all weaving (but no rubbing) and wild tail swishing while she repeatedly looks up over one shoulder then the other at the person patting her.

Interestingly (and rather unfortunately), Gaye, who would dearly love to be Mistletoe's friend, has not had similar luck. While Mistletoe will allow Gaye to stroke her sometimes, just as often she'll scoot off if she sees her coming. This is through no fault of Gaye's save that as a member of the sanctuary's medical staff, she does occasionally have to give cats pills, put drops in eyes or ears, and so on. Many cats are quite willing to forgive this for a few bribes of chicken or tuna, but Mistletoe has apparently decided she's not having any of it.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe came to the sanctuary in November of last year. For the longest time, this was the view I saw of her:

She was only 5-6 months old when she came in and so scared that RAPS staff couldn't be sure if she was feral or had formerly been tame. After a while, someone put a note up on her cage door saying that she liked to be scratched if approached slowly and quietly.

Recently, she's started peeking out from her hiding spots long enough to make me think it may be time to give this scratching thing a try.

It took some time sitting on the floor of her cage, scrunched up against her litterbox, before I could get her to relax from a tense look of horror into something a little more relaxed and, at last a rub and a purr. Definitely worth the time and embedded kitty litter.