Andre MooreApr 27, 2023
John Bull

Realised I've never shared Napoleon the feral kitty's story here, so here we go.

This is Napoleon, and this is the story of his nine-month journey from a hungry, desperate feral street cat to snuggly duvet monster. /1 🧵 #cats

Apr 27, 2023 at 9:35amWeb
Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

This is Not My Cat (Max). He lives next door and has always regularly popped in (with his owner's permission) when his they are out and/or their house is on fire.

Literally. I opened the door to him one day and as he strolled past, I heard alarms/saw smoke and rang the fire brigade. Still half convinced Max was trying to kill their dog /2

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

In late July 2021 we noticed he was a bit annoyed. It soon became clear why.

Another, much smaller cat was following him around, in obvious awe. We christened her Also Not My Cat.

This was amusing. What WASN'T amusing was when we realised how ragged and hungry she looked.

Here she is trying to talk to him through their window. He's having none of it. /3

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

Neither my wife nor I are cat thieves. But there are two MILLION stray and feral cats in the UK, most unneutered and most in London. Walthamstow (where we live) is a hotspot for this.

Her behaviour and desperate state worried us. We spoke to
Cats Protection. They talked us through obvious signs/checks we could do to see if she was feral. If so, they'd try to help us at least get her neutered. /4

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

The problem: she was UTTERLY TERRIFIED of people. Whilst this suggested she was a full feral, and had probably been born wild, it also meant she ran at any approach.

But eventually, as she got even thinner and saw us giving the odd snack to Not My Cat, she clearly reached a point where she decided she needed to be brave and trust someone.

She came closer.

She asked for food. /5

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

I really, really can't overstate how suspicious Also Not My Cat was of people.

Again, we're not in the habit of feeding random cats (and you shouldn't be either) but she was so thin, and hungry that we put a plate down for her with a bit of tuna on it.

She came back.

By then we had some young-cat-friendly biscuit. /6

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023
Over the next few months, we managed to persuade her to properly cross the threshold into the house (just about) to get food. This also meant we could chip scan her (Cats Protection lent us a scanner) and get posters up in the area. The lack of response confirmed she wasn't owned. /7
Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

Eventually, the lure of dreamies was even enough to tempt her to approach and eat from our hands.

The first time Also Not My Cat had dreamies she began purring...

...and immediately jumped about 2ft in the air and ran away.

She scared herself by purring. I think it was the first time she'd ever done it.

I don't mind saying that made me cry /8

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

As winter approached, we became increasingly worried about her. Ferals have a life expectancy of barely two years it's tough out there.

I put a cardboard box with one of my hoodies in it next to the door and eventually, as long as we left the door open a bit and stayed right on the other side of the room, she'd sit in it. /9

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

Cats Protection said they'd help us trap her, but she was still too wary to let us get close, and WAY too fast to grab.

But the weather was turning fast. So we gambled on buying her a little kennel which we put in the garden with lots of straw in it for warmth.

When she started using it, we were so happy and relieved. /10

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

Every night she would sleep in the kennel, eating twice a day. We talked with Cats Protection about trapping her so they could shelter and hopefully rehome, but it didn't seem likely any time soon.

But then in January 2022 she started limping. We had to act.

With effort, we managed to get her to start eating food from within a trap when she came in. Eventually, we triggered it

She looked so betrayed. But it meant they could get her to a vet. We agreed to foster her in our spare room after /11

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

I say "with effort" because Not My Cat was not one to pass up free food.

We caught HIM about five times before we managed to catch her. Each time he looked at up at us from within the cage, afterwards, with a look that said:

"I REGRET NOTHING". 😆 /12

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

A big revelation from the vet trip was that 'she' was actually a 'he'! Just a very tiny, underdeveloped and malnourished one. Probably only a year old.

I won't lie: fostering Also Not My Cat after the vet trip was REALLY hard.

There was pooping until he worked out the soil tray.

There was hiding under the bed.

There was a LOT of cardboard tearing and mess. /13

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

And A LOT of meowing. Betrayed meowing. "Why won't you let me out?!" meowing. Escape attempts. And still so much worry about people.

We would take turns just sitting in the room and talking to him, to try and normalise our presence.

I would sit in there on the bed for a few hours each day and read history books to him, out loud. /14

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

He would sit on the record player across the room, watching us. And then, one day, as I was reading to him, something wonderful happened.

He just slept.

Not "wake up every hour" sleep. Proper, total, sparko for about eight hours solid.

I think it was the first proper sleep he'd ever had. /15

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

And from that moment on, it was like a switch had flipped in him. It was still a slow journey, but every day he became braver and braver.

Eventually he discovered strokes. And scritches. And naps. He decided he liked strokes and scritches and naps.

Particularly when he discovered how soft the fluffy grey blanket we used in the room was. /16

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

Cats Protection had asked us to keep him in for AT LEAST two weeks after neutering, ideally more, before releasing him as there just wasn't a permanent home available.

Once he finally mastered the litter tray, we decided to let him roam the house at least.

And that's when he jumped on the bed in our room and discovered...

...duvets. /17

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

You cannot understand the mix of joy and heartbreak of watching a cat who has spent his whole life without soft places to sleep discovering duvets.

He loves duvets.

He is a duvet dragon. Duvets are his GOD. /18

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023
And then, one day, as I was lying in bed myself, he jumped up on it, cautiously approached me, and then snuggled right up into my side. /19
Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

And so we decided that while we had no plans to have a cat, it probably wasn't fair to let him out during the cold weather still.

So it was best to keep him inside for a while, even though he still really wanted to go outside again.

Meanwhile he kept doing stuff like this.

Stupid floof. /20

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

But he still wanted to go out. Really badly. So eventually, we knew we had to let him go. At least he was neutered now, had his vaccines and was chipped to Cats Protection

As spring arrived, we opened the patio door. He took a quick look back, and then darted away over the fence.

We thought that was the last we'd see of him. Thinking maybe, at best, he'd hang around in his little kennel again and pop in for food.

Show thread_maleficentgirlApr 27, 2023
@garius he reminds me of Toothless from "how to train your dragon" especially in that pic 
Show threadNot The LBC GuyApr 27, 2023
@garius Bosco was also a Walthamstow feral. I knew we’d domesticated him when he came out from hiding in the middle of the night, jumped onto the bed, put his head in my hand and fell asleep. There’s nothing like a rescued feral who realises how good life just got.
Show thread⁂ Fish Id WardrobeApr 27, 2023
@NotTheLBCGuy @garius People generally don't appreciate it, but cats tend to know when you've saved them, and never forget it.
Show threadRonah's ARP  Apr 27, 2023

@NotTheLBCGuy @garius

MFW when my partner comes home.

Show threadDaisy Doo & TuxieGirl BettyApr 27, 2023
@garius
It's warm, isn't bro? 🐱
Show threadFeline Foundation 🇺🇦Apr 27, 2023
@garius Aaah, what a lovely cat baby 😍
Show threadBarbara J. KingApr 27, 2023
@garius Oh yes! We do know, from experience, and your story is beautiful.
Show threadDaisy Doo & TuxieGirl BettyApr 27, 2023
@garius
Well, game over. That's it! 😸 He's staying.
Show threadPat ReynoldsApr 27, 2023
@garius
There is such a glorious typo in the #AltText that I just have to boost.
And also to thank you for looking after him!
I hope someone sees this and decides that their duvet needs a black cat.
@fuzzychef
Show threadY Gath GochApr 27, 2023
@garius i need to go to bed, but this thread has got me😍 Imma give my ex feral a big hug tonight
Show threadPeterD 🇩🇪 🇨🇦Apr 27, 2023
@garius Love it. Thanks for sharing. 😊​💐​
Show threadDaisy Doo & TuxieGirl BettyApr 27, 2023
@garius
Safe sleep 🥱😴
Show threadShouty personApr 27, 2023
@garius
While this is a heartwarming story, I have to say my dogs did NOT like that video.
Show threadJon RoweApr 27, 2023
@garius I just made the mistake of playing this video with the sound on, que immediate appearance of my formerly snoozing cat to investigate, he's now guarding the laptop…
Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023

@JonRowe yeah, it's crazy how vocal he was back then.

Having his bits chopped off quietened him down a fair bit. 😆

Show threadGoldGatoApr 27, 2023
@garius My cat just came flying in from his catio to see what intruder was meowing in his house.
Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023
@goldgato 😆
Show threadJulie SmithApr 27, 2023
@garius yup... it's crazy how loud & persistent it can be 😬
Show threadDaisy Doo & TuxieGirl BettyApr 27, 2023
@garius Oh dear.
Show threadJulie Robb🏠Apr 27, 2023
@garius 🤣
Show threadmyrmepropagandistApr 27, 2023

@garius

It’s me the first time I didn’t feel depressed when I was like 22. The lack of dread and doom scared me. How could things be OK? How could nothing be wrong?

Show threadEduardoApr 27, 2023
@futurebird @garius dread and doom can feel comforting: one feels prepared for all those bad things that we think will happen.
Show threadA Tattered ScrapbookApr 27, 2023
@garius I love this! You’re a good man, JB!
Show threadmyrmepropagandistApr 27, 2023
@garius #Pica was also a street kitten and she is very small to this day since I think she had a hard time early on. After 15 years she’s all personality and in charge of everything. Pica is the boss. And she deserves it. She weighs 6lbs and is smaller than a soccer ball
Show threadSerene 117Apr 27, 2023
@futurebird @garius that is very much the face of a kitty who thinks ‘if I come when you call me, rest assured that I am not a cat’
Show threadmyrmepropagandistApr 27, 2023
@Serene117 @garius I come when *she* calls me.
Show threadSerene 117Apr 27, 2023
@futurebird @garius of course! Because she’s a queen! Whereas Speedbump here will just give me this look & I know I need to pet her. Or she thinks whatever I’m listening to is annoying.
Show threadCoolBlenderKittenApr 27, 2023
@futurebird @garius
And beautiful 😍
Show threadCallalilyApr 27, 2023
@garius
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so glad that you gave him a home. I love seeing the cat pictures. ❤️❤️
Show threadDidactylosApr 27, 2023
@garius a lovely thread, as a Cats Protection TNR specialist thank you for sharing this
Show threadThe Human PalindromeApr 29, 2023
@garius @cat_news 👀
Show threadThe Drop Bear 2.0 Apr 27, 2023
@garius what a glorious tale 😍
Show threadMuradApr 27, 2023
@garius ok, I'm crying. My family adopted a feral cat when I was 4. He was just a kitten but had to be recovered from the chimney etc more than once. Once he trusted us, he was amazing and lived to be 18. He was amazingly clever, a great hunter, followed me everywhere and had one eye. This really resonated with me, therefore. Nicely done 👍
Show threadPatrickleeApr 27, 2023
@garius You did well.
Show threadPatty KimuraApr 27, 2023
@garius Thank you for the pics, and the unexpected love story. 💓 🐈‍⬛💓
Show threadJedigal007Apr 27, 2023

@garius

Napoleon is lucky boy and his owner forever blessed. These are my current rescues. They bring nothing but love.

Show threadJohn BullApr 27, 2023
@Jedigal007 blue eyes!
Show threadJedigal007Apr 27, 2023

@garius

Sometimes they are amazingly blue. Such good boys. Can’t imagine life without fur babies!

Show threadGorobarApr 27, 2023
@garius wonderful story 😻