Hazel playtime

I’m so pleased with Hazel’s progress! My hands are scary to her, and yet here she is, a foot away from me, playing with her new peacock feather on the chair. Play is such an important tool in gaining a feral or semi-feral cat’s trust. Play is new idea to many of these rescued cats. If they are outside, or even in a barn, they are too busy earning a living to have energy for pure play. I’m sure they play with their prey, but that’s pretty short when what you want is a meal. They certainly don’t have the joy of pressure-free playtime with toys that move enticingly.

Hazel makes the choice to accept my part in the game – pulling it around – as I have gradually shown her that I won’t try anything scary to her. She has gradually gotten closer and more relaxed.