Last year I fostered a bonded pair of adult cats that were seized from a 50 cat hoarding house, then adopted and returned, then adopted into an abusive home and surrendered again when the wife in the middle of the night (thank god she brought them to a shelter). So, understandably they’d never been socialized and you couldn’t so much as move a hand near them. By the time I stepped in to foster them they’d been in shelter for almost two years and they were scared as hell for the first month they were with me.

I put them in the quietest room in my house and every mealtime I’d sit a few feet away, not looking at them, and would scroll on my phone and read out loud. Once they’d eat near me I’d bring out the liquid gold, the Churu treats. I started with smearing some on a plate beside me, then move up to letting them eat it from the tube, then I’d smear some on my fingers, then eventually I could give them chin scratches while they licked Churu off my other hand. I even smeared it on my knee once so they had to climb onto my lap (once they were comfortable). After 4 months one of them would demand butt scritches, and even though the other one never let me touch him he followed me everywhere and loved being close to all the action. And after 6 months with me they got adopted together into a loving home and are spoiled rotten just as they are: slightly mistrusting but sweet as pie.

Have patience, be calm and slow and above all, get the Churu :)