Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie (Robbie to to some) is named for the American heavy metal musician. He got his distinctive name at the vet's office when he and his sister Rebecca were first brought in as young ferals, apparently inspired by the fact that it was around Halloween at the time.

Rob is not as comfortable and social with people as his sister has become, and still tends to try and stay out of the way if he knows humans are around. He can often be found peering down from the safety of the top of the cages in the singlewide.

Phaedra says that he "does like treats and will accept them from hands on occasion and if not he will take it if dropped in front of him." I'm thinking treat-offering may be something this shy boy prefers from people he's a bit more used to -- for me, who he's only seen around and never really interacted with, he just couldn't relax enough to allow me to put something near him. Or maybe what I had on offer just wasn't enticing enough to help him overcome his fear of strangers.
 

Rebecca

Rebecca and her brother, the curiously named Rob Zombie, came to RAPS as feral youngsters. Rebecca had had an injury that resulted in her tail needing to be partially amputated.

Fortunately, sporting a stubby tail doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest. 

Rebecca has turned out to be a sweet girl, though she hasn't entirely lost her timidity. When I introduced myself to her earlier this week, she was fine with me photographing her as much as I wanted, but a little less sure about me touching her. Eventually, she decided that I was OK and a few pats might be rather nice. 

I asked Phaedra, who knows our singlewide residents well, if she could share some of her impressions of this striking girl. Here's what she had to say.

Becca doesn't come for snugs or lap time, but if she knows there are treats around or something too irresistible like a laser pen or feather toy she forgets her fear of humans. She can often be found playing or snugging with other kitties, not so much her brother though, and a few times I've found her and Max sleeping together, which I thought was just odd as he doesn't like other cats.

She can be quite timid if she doesn't know you, but once she knows that you have something to offer her that she wants, she gets more and more courageous.

If I get a quick pet in, it's fifty fifty as to whether her back will betray her and arch and enjoy it or she'll bristle with disdain and run off. With time I fully expect her to eventually actually enjoy those quick pets so much that she'll one day come for them as well as treats and play. Until then, or if not, she seems quite happy with her singlewide kitty friends and fits in well with the social dynamic in there. 

photo by Barbara