Marbles Update

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MacCandace - 04 Sep 2004 22:18 GMT

I got home from meeting my new feline brother, Henry, in Indiana to find that
life at home had not progressed any as to Marbles getting along with my 2
resident cats. It's been about 2.5 months now since he moved in. Of course,
there were a couple of minor altercations while I was gone...as I figured there
would be...nothing too awful but Tony didn't watch them as closely as I do when
he let Marbles be out with the others and apparently Marbles and Scottie had a
stand-off behind the dryer where Scottie was hiding from him and then he also
chased Abbey on another occasion.

So yesterday I dragged him to the vet, clawing and howling, and now he is on
elavil (amitryptiline) for his aggression. We'll see how that goes. I know
it can make some cats really groggy and I don't want that to happen. I believe
it takes a few days before they build up a tolerance so I suppose I may have
to see him groggy for a few days. Of course, this is only meant to be a
temporary thing until they can all cohabitate. He pretty much trashed the
screen door we have up between his 2 rooms and the rest of the house but I was
able to clamp some plexiglass onto the torn areas to buy some more time with
it. We really don't want to go out and buy yet another screen door, that seems
absurd.

The vet was thorough and did bloodwork on Marbles before prescribing the meds
and he checked out fine. So I'm crossing my fingers on this because I'm
running out of ideas on how to get everyone to get along. It's just too sad
that Scottie and Abbey hide all day long now even though Marbles is seldom out
in the daytime. The only time the 2 of them act even semi-normal is at night
after Tony and Marbles go to bed. Then they venture out and lay around and
look out the windows and stuff but it has drastically affected their quality of
life.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

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Cheryl - 05 Sep 2004 00:28 GMT

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav",
on 04 Sep 2004:

> I got home from meeting my new feline brother, Henry, in Indiana
> to find that life at home had not progressed any as to Marbles
> getting along with my 2 resident cats. It's been about 2.5
> months now since he moved in.

I was really hoping things would improve some before you got back. I
wish I knew what to say, or some advice, other than to hope that you
start to notice things aren't as bad as they once were. Some sort of
progress. Maybe the drugs will work to at least calm him down long
enough for him to see that he is safe and in a good place.

Signature

Cheryl

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MacCandace - 05 Sep 2004 01:15 GMT

<< Maybe the drugs will work to at least calm him down long
enough for him to see that he is safe and in a good place. >>

I'm hoping that it will down him out just enough that he doesn't chase everyone
and so they will quit perceiving him as such a threat. Then gradually wean him
off the drugs and everything will be wonderful. That's my hope...

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

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Luvskats00 - 05 Sep 2004 05:07 GMT

maccandace@aol.comlitter (MacCandace) writes

>"..life at home had not progressed >any as to Marbles getting along with my 2
>resident cats. It's been about 2.5 >months now since he moved in... Tony

didn't watch them as >closely as I do when

>he let Marbles be out with the others and apparently Marbles and Scottie had a
>stand-off behind the dryer..."

There are (previously tried and tested/workable) steps needed to make new
cat(s) and resident cat(s) live together. It's a gradual process. If two cats
are thrown together - not monitored - etc...what does one expect? If possible,
start over..slowly. have new cat away from other cats and try again.

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Cathy Friedmann - 05 Sep 2004 05:34 GMT

> maccandace@aol.comlitter (MacCandace) writes
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> are thrown together - not monitored - etc...what does one expect? If possible,
> start over..slowly. have new cat away from other cats and try again.

Argghhhhhhhh. Have you read Candace's pervious posts about the intro??

Candace, IMO/E, truly time will eventually take care of it, whether helped
along via med, or not, & no matter how careful the intro, yet not obvious
results. It may not progress to the point of all of them being actual
friends, but it will be tolerable someday. (Just ask Demelza! <eg>)

Cathy

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Bill Stock - 05 Sep 2004 05:46 GMT

> I got home from meeting my new feline brother, Henry, in Indiana to find that
> life at home had not progressed any as to Marbles getting along with my 2
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> it. We really don't want to go out and buy yet another screen door, that seems
> absurd.

I don't know how serious your 'trashing' might be. But a quick fix is to use
a hot glue gun and melt a patch of screen into the hole. The squirrels
trashed my screen door. So I cleaned up the hole and made a square patch of
new screen. Then I applied two strips of hot glue, one around the hole and
the second one around the outside square of the patch. Doesn't look too
crappy and it's very effective.

Secondly, you can normally replace the screens by removing the rubber strip
holding it in the frame, fitting the new screen and applying a new rubber
strip. HD sells the screens, strips and a roller to apply the strips. It
should take you less than 30 minutes to fix it up. If you're not handy, most
local hardware stores or glass shops offer a screen repair service.

> The vet was thorough and did bloodwork on Marbles before prescribing the meds
> and he checked out fine. So I'm crossing my fingers on this because I'm
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> "One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
> than human." (Loren Eisely)

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PawsForThought - 05 Sep 2004 14:26 GMT

>From: "Bill Stock" me7@privacy.net

>Secondly, you can normally replace the screens by removing the rubber strip
>holding it in the frame, fitting the new screen and applying a new rubber
>strip. HD sells the screens, strips and a roller to apply the strips. It
>should take you less than 30 minutes to fix it up. If you're not handy, most
>local hardware stores or glass shops offer a screen repair service.

I needed new screen in my screen door. So I priced me buying the spline,
screen and spline tool, and then compared it to the cost of having the local
hardware store do it. It ended up being similar in price, so rather than
scream and pull my hair out trying to do it myself, I had the hardware store do
it. It only cost $9 and was well worth it.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm

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Cathy Friedmann - 05 Sep 2004 16:10 GMT

> >From: "Bill Stock" me7@privacy.net
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Lauren

Yes, one's local hardware store will replace screens for reasonable cost.
It's not pricey.

Cathy

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MacCandace - 05 Sep 2004 22:18 GMT

<< Yes, one's local hardware store will replace screens for reasonable cost.
It's not pricey.

Cathy >>

I guess I can keep this in mind but I'm hoping this stupid door won't be here
forever. It only cost $30 itself but it doesn't fit in the door right plus it
doesn't have a latch, it's half of a patio door (we call them arcadia doors
here in AZ) meant to slide so we can only keep it shut using a bungie cord
attached to another door in the hall, or if we're both in the room with him, we
have to slide a plastic set of drawers with wheels in front of the door. Plus
the door doesn't open all the way so we have to kind of squeeze thru sideways.
It's a major PITA.

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

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Cathy Friedmann - 05 Sep 2004 22:54 GMT

> << Yes, one's local hardware store will replace screens for reasonable cost.
> It's not pricey.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> the door doesn't open all the way so we have to kind of squeeze thru sideways.
> It's a major PITA.

It *sounds* like a major PITA. <g>

Cathy

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Cat Protector - 06 Sep 2004 02:32 GMT

I think you might have to sit back and let things happen here. This sounds
like a battle for domination as I am going through the exact same thing with
Icarus who continues to chase after Isis.

>I got home from meeting my new feline brother, Henry, in Indiana to find
>that
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
> other
> than human." (Loren Eisely)

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