The Cycle Of Life: Please Welcome Templeton Options

[Ken Albin]

It's been 4 months since the horrible blow of Iona's death. The wife Karen called and asked if she could bring home a cat for the evening who she was taking to a foster parent in our rescue group the next day. I told her absolutely do not bring this cat home because we already had 9 cats here and I was still in shock over Iona. Karen did what long term married people usually do and she completely ignored what I said and brought this cat home. After some griping I reluctantly went into the cat;s room and promptly got hissed at before he dove under the table. He would passively let me touch him while he buried his head and looked away.

Here is his story. He was one of 6 cats in a local feral colony. Someone had complained and animal control was trying to trap and euithanize the group. He was trapped by our local rescue group and put up for adoption after neutering. Our group's vet, whom I do not have any trust in, lopped off a big part of an ear to mark him as feral when he was neutered. He was shown for adoption but was so timid he would probably never be adopted without a lot of work. The foster was new to ferals and was not working much with him. When I heard all of this I looked at Karen and told her she would regret bringing him home because he was now a mamber of the family and would be staying forever with us.

The foster had named him Funny Face, which I thought sounded like he was being made fun of. Karen, being a fan of the show the A Team, said the character Templeton Peck was nicknamed "Face" so why not call him Templeton.

Templeton turned out to be a lot more feral than I originally thought. What I thought was shyness was just abject fear resulting in a passive submission to being touched and petted. After a couple of days when he became a little more self assured I discovered he was totally feral. As he came out of his passive shell he began greeting me with hissing, spitting, growling, hiding, and then clawing my hands when I got close. to him. I had to back off treating him as semi-feral and go to my full "Doctor Doolittle" approach I use to tame completely feral cats. I very slowly have been gaining Templeton's trust though he still hisses at me occasionally. It's been 3 weeks now and he is out with the others. Templeton is shy but he is curious and follows me around watching me. He is finally starting to realize I am not going to eat him so he is beginning to relax more around us. He is learning how to play with toys and is also playing chase with our cat Sam. I have him at the point now where I would call him semi-feral. It will take another few months of work before Templeton will be a reasonably tame house cat but he has already come a long way from the terrified guy who arrived. Here he is stretched out relaxing. He seems to finally be enjoying being here and is just starting to trust me a little bit. I am working a lot with Templeton each day and I think that one day soon he is going to be a real snuggle cat (just not quite yet!).

Ken Albin

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[katzen11]

welcome Templeton

much luck and love

Eva
and her boys
Jimmy Klinger
Felix von Hollabrunn

[PucksMom]

What a beauty! the ferals can be quite a challenge. My mom is going through that with her newest kitty.
My kitty shares a name with yours, though mine is after the rat in Charlotte's Web. He was formerly Clark. Templeton was just a joke. But... It kinda just stuck after a while.

[janika]

Welcome Templeton, and well done Ken for giving him a great home. He looks adorable, hopefully as you help him gain his confidence he will soon become the 'snuggle' cat.
Good luck and best wishes to you all.
Jan and my Angels and Pixie xx

[Flossie's Mom]

Ken,

You and Karen are Saints! 9.... now 10 cats that have a wonderful home. A tribute to Iona who you worked so patiently with and provided warmth, love and medical attention to so she would know what it was to be loved and cared for even though it was at the end of her life here on earth. Templeton is a handsome guy and is lucky that he has you and Karen, the obedient wife!

I know he will thrive and may have been sent by Iona who knew you were just what Templeton needed. Too bad there are not more like you & Karen. There is a cat sanctuary in a small town called Pittsboro, NC that does your kind of work on a very large scale. It is called The Goathouse Refuge.

www.goathouserefuge.org

[Ken Albin]

Just a quick update on Templeton since it has been awhile that I posted about getting him. After working with him a lot for a month he was turned loose to be with the rest of the furkids. Templeton is still shy and wary of people but is slowly acclimating to the guys here. He plays with Sam and is very relaxed except when Karen or I get close to him. I do manage to occasionally pet him when he is sleepy and he really enjoys it. He follows me around the house watching what I am doing. He is very curious about humans but if I pay him any attention he quickly runs out of the room. I think he is still trying to figure out just where he fits into the family. He is happy and will play with toys now so the taming process, slow as it is, seems to be progressing. He may always be somewhat shy. Our Freddie is shy after 6 years with us but he has grown attached to us a tiny bit more each month. He now comes to me at times when I am lying on the bed. He asks for petting and then grooms my eyebrows. He still has his shy periods where he will run from us but these times are fewer in number as the years go by. Templeton has a similar temperament to Freddie so his taming will probably follow a similar course. Though Freddie and Templeton are both shy they enjoy life here. We may have to settle for some shyness and just be happy that they are having a lot of fun moments living here. Some day Templeton will show more affection towards us but with some ferals it may be asking too much to expect them to be lap cats. He is doing well so far.

[Ken Albin]

Oh boy, Templeton discovered the joys of catnip! I just saw him rolling around in the floor on his back with a catnip filled toy between his front paws and a sappy look on his face.

[Muffins]

Hi Ken:

Karen did what long term married people usually do and she completely ignored what I said and brought this cat home.

I am very happy that Templeton found his way into your very loving home. He is extremely handsome--I love his cute black nose! I have always thought VERY highly of you & Karen and truly believe that you are, "Angels on Earth".

Wishing you all much love & happiness always,

Denise

[Flossie's Mom]

Ahhhhh... catnip! I'm going to try to grow some this year & see what Mr. Jingles does with that. He knows EXACTLY where I keep his "stash". He hears the drawer open and then the sound of the package crinkle when I take it out so comes flying from whereever he happens to be. I have a blanket on the foot of the bed that I put some of it on so he runs to that as soon as he is sure that is what he heard. Talking excitedly all the way!!!

Seems he is having a wonderful time being a part of your family.

[Ken Albin]

It's been about 2 1/2 months since our feral guy Templeton came to live with us. I'm not going to say there haven't been some rough times taming this completely feral guy but he has lost about 95% of his feral nature. Templeton comes up and asks to be petted. He is very independent in some ways but wants to fit into the family. His social behavior with the other cats is a little clumsy at times but he is learning how to relate to them and they seem to be accepting him better. Sam and Templeton fly all over the house as they chase each other. He has a girlfriend, Princess, who grooms his head when he asks. Here is the latest photo of him relaxing after dinner.

Ken

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[patricia]

so beautiful. templeton, you have a wonderful home.

[Cheryl83]

What a beautiful story (and beautiful kitty!!). Good on you for giving him a chance, and for being so patient. I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end!

Cheryl xx

[madi]

Ooh I just love stories with happy endings and I love people like you who take in these most beautiful creatures. Templeton looks just like my grandson's cat "Squishy", he is very beautiful. My husband was like you when we lost our cat Ulriich, he used to say we are not getting another cat because I'm not going through that again and we already have a cat and three dogs, but once we did, he just took that cat over, he is his baby. Templeton will come good, love conquers all. xx

madi xx