Conference misery::feline_v1

         Carol, this is great!  It's so nice that they will have a permaneant
    home.  It sounds like they are already adjusting.  If they can be
    picked up, your leap years ahead of me.  I can pet my feral girl
    but that's it so far.  After over a year.... Keep us posted on
    how the girls are adjusting.
         Abbey's mother, Nellie, was also a stray.  We took her in when
    she had kittens.  After the kittens were weaned and placed in a
    home, Nellie also went to a new home.  She was a nice cat, friendly
    but skittish.  After a year now, she is finally being affectionate
    with her new owners.  So it will take some time.  
    
    				Good luck,
    				Mary
    

    I am a bit concerned about Charlie's Mom accidentally letting
    the cats out.  If this happens within the first two weeks or so,
    I believe the cats will take off for parts unknown and be lost. 
    Could he keep them shut off in some part of the house that his mother
    would not go into while he is at work?  This would be a temporary 
    thing, since she is just visiting.
    

    .2
    
    Charlie & Blackest new Dad, is aware of this, and has a finished-off
    basement to let them be by themselves.  His Mom is real Italian, but
    understands.  She doesn't go out, by herself, so I don't feel they will
    slip out the door and they seem to prefer indoors, to outdoors now.
    
    She'll be there, about a month.  So I hope she'll adjust too.
    
    It's something, Joe has to work out and I believe it will.  As soon as
    the kitties are there, she'll relax, I think it's more of the
    anticipation. 
    
    Thanks for the concern,,,,,,,,,,,,,but I believe they'll be fine.
    I hoping too!
    
    Carol
    

    When I rescued my Jesse James, it was obvious by his actions that
    he was grateful for the nice warm house, soft bed, and two square
    meals.  In fact, he was so grateful that he had no desire whatsoever
    to go outside.  
    
    Jo

    Well, I chose to adopt strays rather than kittens or housebound adults
    exactly because I wanted cats that would like to be outdoors. Of
    course they'll like to be warm all the time, well fed, and possibly
    petted (when they allow me, which may take months). But I'm confident 
    they'll want to spend a lot of time outdoors as soon as spring comes. 
    Especially if they have their own door and can go out and come back in 
    at any time they like.  They won't get any furlough for about a month, 
    though, until they have adopted the house and do not want to stray
    away or go back to Berlin. I'm glad they both seem to like to stay in
    now, because if they wanted out they could easily outwit my mother. 
    Either they would meow at the door until she opens it, or they would 
    ambush the door (or the picture window) and dart out between her legs
    as soon as she opens it for any reason. My mother has a very poor
    eyesight; any cat could take advantage of that. 
    Charlie and Blackest seem glad to stay indoors for the time being, and
    that is fine. In case they changed their mind, they can be confined 
    downstairs for a while, in the den (where they'll have their food, milk, 
    water and beds) and the adjoining rooms (burner room, where their
    litter box is, and laundry room). But I don't think it'll be necessary,
    except a few days maybe. I'll keep you posted.
    
    Joe G.

    Joe -
    
    Good luck with your adoption!  I have one suggestion just in case the
    cats get out earlier than you want, and for when you do let them in/out
    on a more permanent basis...  get collars with name tags attached.  If
    they get out and wander and someone picks them up, you're more assured
    of a phone call.
    
    Keep us posted of all Charlie's and Blackest's antics once you have
    them all settled.  They sound like real good kitties.
    
    Mary
    

    If possible I'd keep them in until Spring and better weather.  By
    then they'll definitely think of the new place as home.
      Congratulations

    Charlie and Blackest (they have been renamed, but I don't want to get
    you confused) are doing fine. They are housed in the den, where they
    have their feeders, their litterbox (in the adjoining heater closet)
    and their beds (which they never use; they sleep on the den's sofa
    instead). The door to the stairs is open, but they rarely venture
    upstairs. They prefer to be visited. Blackest is already domesticated: 
    she likes to be petted, rolls on the floor and plays, can be picked up. 
    Charlie, instead, doesn't let anybody touch her, but doesn't flee or
    hide. This is an improvement over her behaviour in the first two days, 
    when she hid behind the sofa any time a human entered the room. 
    She now looks at her sister, who's wallowing in caresses two feet away,
    with a puzzled expression on her black-and-white muzzle, thinking:
    "What is that idiot doing? She lets those monsters TOUCH her? She
    actually enjoys it? What a pervert!"
    I think Blackest would stay upstairs most of the time, if she was
    alone, but Charlie keeps her downstairs by refusing to come along. 
    I'll continue keeping you posted, but so far it looks like the adoption
    is proceeding very well. I wish the other Dudley Street strays (there's
    about ten of them) will also find a home. There are Charlie and
    Blackest's brothers (Blackie, Stripe and Tux), plus a grey male kitten, 
    a beautiful long-haired male adult, two black white-smudged kitten 
    whose sex I don't know, etcetera. If I could, I'd take them all. 
    
    Joe

    CHARLIE (soon to be Cream Puff, I think) had her sutchers out and did
    O.K.  Now she can settle down with Joe and her sister Blackest (Nerina
    now)..... just wanted to put an added not in that this will be my last
    day for NOTES, as my REC has expired today, abruptly for DEC is not
    renewing REC's for TEMPS.  Understandbly with the economy,but I'm gonna
    miss all this KITTY NEWS.  Please help Joe with his questions for
    Charlie & Blackest, he need support and a pat on the back for adopting.