progress

Last night I went down to feed the fosters and work with Minerva some more.  She wasn't in the mood to work with me, she just wanted some attention.  She seemed calm enough, so I picked her up and that went well.  She wanted me to kiss her head, and I did, and that went well.  My husband came in to take out the trash and recycling.  His carrying out the recycling stressed her a little but it was fairly easy to redirect her away from him and she didn't react at all when he took out the trash.

When DH came back in with the recycling container, she wanted to go investigate that and I was left to watch the kittens.  They are so much fun to watch because they are really big into wrestling right now.  But I also realized they have no idea what humans are all about.  I've been spending so much time working with Minerva that they haven't had a lot of interaction with me.  So I tapped on the floor with my fingers and got their attention.  Fawkes was very very uncertain about what to do about it.  Crookshanks interested but still kept his distance.  Hedwig was off trying to figure out how to get to her mother.  So I tried to snuggle Fawkes, but he was still uncomfortable with me so I put him down. By this time Minerva was laying near by so he cuddled up to her.  I reached over and started patting him and he liked it.  He like having his belly patted but he was distracted by an epic wrestling match.  He got up and started walking over to it, but he still wanted his belly patted, so his back legs tried to turn to expose his belly.  I couldn't help but laugh.  I was able to pat him a few more moments before wrestling won out.

Hedwig and Crookshanks ended up in the cave in the scratching post.  None of the kittens will play with my hands.  Crookshanks will swat at me a little, but immediately backs up, so I was trying to get them interested in interacting with me, but they were doing their best to avoid it.  I grabbed Fawkes and put him in there as well and waggled my fingers at them.  I left my fingers resting on the edge to get them interested but no go.  All of a sudden Minvera gets up, walks slowly over to me and gently wraps her teeth around my hand, then lets go and "bites" my finger, again very gently.  I was impressed on so many different levels.. and the strongest impression I got was "well you wanted someone to nibble on you, so I did"

Minerva is going into the shelter Tuesday night in hopes of being neutered on Wednesday.  She'll come back after and I'll keep working with her. I see such great progress in her already..