slight progress and a possible set back

So last night I sat with Peter (I'm thinking of changing it to Oliver) and he wouldn't come out to see me, so I eventually pulled him out.  I offered him some shredded type food, thinking that would most resemble the food he's probably used to scrounging.  He went right at it, and over the course of the night ended up eating the entire can.

He did stop eating for a while and came closer to me for some scritches.  I am not content with that, so I pulled him right up into my lap and snuggled him for a while which he didn't object to.  I then laid him on my lap and patted all the good spots, and he purred and purred.  He offered me his belly again and I patted that.  He liked having his face patted, so each time he rubbed his face on my hands I started paying attention to his face again.

After a while I got concerned again that he might not be eating enough, so I took a piece of dry food and offered it to him.  He wasn't interested, so I popped it in his mouth.  He got a little concerned about that, but did eat it, but patting time was over.  He jumped off my lap and went and hid behind the toilet again.  I tried calling, and offering air scritches, but he just sat there and looked at me.  I brought him a feather wand, and tried enticing him into play with it, but he mostly ignored it.  I think it did ease the concern though, because after a few moments of wiggling it near by, he came out on his own.  He ignored the feathers so maybe he would have come out if I hadn't, but I do have the distinct feeling that it helped.  He took a few more bites of the canned food, and looked around a little more.  I reached out to pat him, and once I touched him, he started purring again, and moving so I could get the good spots.  He is very reluctant to put up his tail though.  I had him doing elevator butt, but still his tail turned under.  Some more patting and some more loving, and the tail started to be airborne, but for the most part it was wrapped around his feet or tucked under.

I got him back on my lap (he walked over my legs on his own, and sat under my knee before I moved him), and offered dry food again.  This time he ate it right out of my fingers.  more pieces, more snacks.  made me smile.  He wanted to snuggle all night long, but sitting in the bathroom isn't very comfortable and I was quite tired, so the next time he climbed off my lap, I got up and went to bed.

This morning he was sitting at the door again crying.  I think he wants contact with the other cats in the house.  When I got up to see what he wanted, he scurried back into his hidey hole.  When I went in with breakfast, he refused to come out.  I wiggled the feather toy in front of the opening, and no go.  He did start purring though, which was quite humorous since it echoed.  The possible set back? I needed to take a shower, and I think that freaked him out even more, but hopefully since nothing bad happened to him, and he's still safe and warm with food, that he'll realize he is safe and he'll be more willing to come out and visit this evening.

I can't tell you how badly I want to give him another bath.. and a really good scrubbin (think cartoon wash basin with a scrubbing board) three baths down and he still smells like a fast food joint.  He is shedding pretty badly when you pat him.  Probably from the poor nutrition he got when he was alone.  I'm just so not used to kittens this young shedding.