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Petey is my 4th cat I adopted last August when he was 4 months old.I got him from a 'fostering shelter' where the cats are kept at foster homes and brought in for 'adoption day'. These cats are usually more people friendly because they are kept in homes instead of cages.

Petey was part of a litter. He and his two calico sisters, being active kittens, I think were kept caged at their foster home.When I brought him home he got along well with other cats, but ran from people and any sudden movements or noise.

Now, over six months later, I have to say he is somewhat better. He will sometimes come to me to be petted and briefly sit on my lap and purr. He doesn't like to be approached or picked up. He will run if he sees you coming, but I try to go about my business and let him see that no one is going to bother him. I let him come to me on his own terms. He knows his name and will come when called, but stay at a distance to see what's up. He just now walked across computer, let me pet him, then stole my pen and left.

Do you think he will get friendlier over time? I know he will probably never be a lovebug like my Will, and they all have their own personalities.But after breakfast he goes upstairs all day,usually does not come down for dinner, then reappears later at night for a snack and 'cats gone wild time' with the other cats.

You may want to try and post this in another forum. This one is for sugguestions for the site itself. Behavior forum would be a good place. But our cat Moxie is that way. She only wants affection on her terms. If we pick her up she screams and cries until we put her down. But if we are in a room laying down she will sneak in and cuddle for about 20 mins. She doesn't like any of the other cats to see her do this. I think it's just the personality of the cat. I have read that if you give them treats when they are cuddling it will help them to become a more people orinated cat. I haven't noticed that with Moxie. She is now 3 yrs old. We have had hers since she was 8 or 9 weeks old.
Good luck.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

All cats are a product of their biology and their environment. Your cat may always remain a bit skittish because he's just simply genetically predisposed to be that way. On the other hand, part of his skittishness may come from his early experiences. It sounds like you're giving him a very loving and safe home. I suspect that over time, assuming you keep doing everything the way you're doing it, he'll become a bit more cuddley. Don't worry about his hiding upstairs all day. Most cats like to sleep during the day and many like to stake out their own quiet place to do so. This habit has nothing to do with his affection for you.

To give a little extra nudge, remember to praise and reward him when he's behaving the way you'd like him to behave. Don't push too much though, i.e., don't reprimand him if he doesn't feel like being picked up and cuddled. That's not a misbehavior.

The fact that he so brazenly stole your pen right in front of your eyes is making me giggle. He doesn't sound like he's a fearful kitty.

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PHCurious
Cat Chat Host