Taming Pebble.


Pebble today, plump & relaxed.

• Pebble before she
was rescued

• the reststop Pebble
was rescued from

Pebble is not only a Fabulous Feral Success Story but unusual physically as well. For starters, her tail is only half-length. She's polydactyl on her front feet (meaning she has multiple toes). With her long fur & very wide feet it looks like she's wearing bell-bottoms. She had to have one dew claw toe removed because the claw had curled around & grown into her skin. Her left hind foot is normal but her right hind foot has only one toe. It must cause her some discomfort because she tries not to put weight on that foot. But she scampers around fine on the other three.

Pebble holds a special place in the origins of CR!FR. When I first saw the cats at the Turnpike reststop, she was only about 5 weeks old. I saw her playing in the rear parking lot, batting a pebble around. I tried to catch her but she was too quick. I was so relieved when I caught her 4 mos later.

Pebble was young enough to tame but old enough to make it difficult. In addition to being a frightened feral, she had a grumpy side & would growl a lot, even when she was purring & enjoying a chin rub. She was eventually released to the CR!FR Tribe semi-tame.

Pebble didn't seem to want attention from humans or cats. She'd growl & lash out at the others if they crowded her space at mealtime. She mostly kept to herself although she did join in string chasing with the gang. I kept reaching out to her, but didn't push it. She'd tolerate a pet on the head occasionally but that was about it.

Pebble's short tail, small paw & big paws.

Well, a wonderful change has come over Pebble recently. Suddenly it seems a light has turned on in her head. All by herself, she's become very sociable & wanting attention! Not from other cats, though.

She tries to get attention by catching my eye with a look of affectionate expectation. She arches her neck in a "pet me" invitation. She even sits on my lap for a quick visit. Which is delightful because Pebble's fur is the softest & silkiest in the world. It's great to see Pebble happy & well-adjusted. Patience does pay off.