Cold, Warm, Hot

Post on Best Friends website (to Ann H, a horse trainer):

BTW, I tried your tactic of moving away with my kitty Athena. She is determined to remain feral, even though she was rescued before 6 wks old and despite having the fuzziest, sweetest, purriest mom and brother. (Though, actually, I think it's just that she's still really, really afraid of my hands.)
I've been trying to get her used to being around me and being touched. No dice, even though it's been almost a year.

So I've stopped trying to touch her and started "running away." I act like she does with me. When I see her, I skitter off and hide somewhere, or move to the farthest edge of the room. She's reacted to this by following me (my god! approaching! what a breakthrough!) and by jumping on the dining room table, just to see what I'd do. (No, still not allowed.)

I sense that it's given her a greater feeling of control in our relationship, added a new word to our vocabulary ("I respect your personal space"), and given her the confidence to sit on the couch when her family and I are having our evening snuggle.

She's actually touching me on occasion (though I can't touch her). Laying down next to me. Coming up to me and biting my feet. Enormous.