19th November 2024

We have now had pepper for 5 months and it has not been an easy time.  When she first came she was scared, then she honestly turned feral, there were many days trying to be just kind and patient with her would mean walking away with cuts, or when we fed her she would literally slap the food bowl out of our hands and it would go flying. 

This then gave way to her not wanting to be too close, nor touch us, but at night she would not sleep, just howling and crying until somebody laid on the floor close to her.  This literally went on for weeks and weeks, getting nowhere with her and sleep deprived.

At some point she started to sleep next to us, then she curled up with us and as long as you did not touch her, she would remain until sun up when the feral side of her would return and you could not get close again. There were times I ever wondered if any sense of normality would ever return.

The last couple of weeks however I have started to see that our patience and love is starting to crack through her very hard exterior, she now looks for us when we go to bed and is generally around a little more.  Still however no touching!

Then Monday she finally came into the lounge which is such a leap forwards, she has never seemingly needed us but suddenly wanted to be closer (obviously still no touching). Then tonight she not only came into the lounge but climbed into the bookshelf and made herself comfy, staying for quite some time sitting next to us. It really is huge for her and lovely for us.