HamsterFan asked how Helsinki was named, but I didn't want to completely hijack the LOL Cats thread.
A couple of years ago I found three kittens in my shed. I saw the feral mother a couple of times out there too. My plan was to feed them for a few days and snatch the kittens to tame and find homes for them.
Unfortunately the mom got spooked and all I was left with was one six ounce grey ball of hissing and spitting. I donned some heavy winter gloves, threw a towel on him and popped him into the waiting dog kennel. I kept him in the bathroom in the cage til I could get him to the vet for the flv test. The first few hours, I just went in there every 30 minutes or so so he could see me. Then I tried petting him with the glove on. He was still very frightened, but didn't bite me so I started taking him out and petting him every time I went in there. By day three he was purring and on day four he could play with a string.
DH was at that time my fiance. He kept saying the kitten had the Helsinki Syndrome where kidnapping victims begin to identify with their kidnappers. He really meant the Stockholm Syndrome, but the cat just looked like a Helsinki.
Or maybe a Mittens or Smokey - It's hard to tell at that age.
-- Edited by Evil Stepmother on Tuesday 24th of July 2012 04:47:28 PM
