Determined escape artist... and his brother.

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Theodore - 28 Feb 2005 16:51 GMT

One of our two recently-adopted (semi-) feral cats is adapting pretty
well; the other is not.

Dirigible will hide any time he hears us coming, but he eats and uses
the litter box, so we weren't too worried; it's only been a week after
all.

We occasionally heard a booming noise when we were upstairs, and it
sounded like him jumping on the clothes washer or dryer-- you've
probably heard the metal panels ring like a drum when hit. Yesterday
though, my wife happened to see what the noise really was: She saw
Dirigible take a flying leap from the washer into a closed window.
Fortunately there's a screen inside, so he didn't hit the glass
directly, but after bouncing off, he fell all the way to the floor. It
doesn't seem like he could keep this up for long before hurting
himself. We tried covering the window overnight, but it didn't seem to
help. He's quite insistent on getting out THAT window. There are two
other basement windows that have ledges where he could sit, but this
one is over the utility basin and all he has to catch his fall on are
the water supply pipes for the basin and washer.

Catenary on the other hand seems to be coming along: He talks to us
and is even comfortable eating while we are in the same room. He took
his first foray to the upstairs yesterday to scout around, calling out
every few paces and waiting for my wife to tell him it was okay before
proceeding. He curled up on the carpet next to the piano for a while
and then went back downstairs to check on his brother.

Reply to this Message

Mary - 28 Feb 2005 16:58 GMT

> One of our two recently-adopted (semi-) feral cats is adapting pretty
> well; the other is not.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> one is over the utility basin and all he has to catch his fall on are
> the water supply pipes for the basin and washer.

Can you buy him a little $15 cat shelf for that window so he can look
out? This behavior suggests that there might be something that really
interests him that he hears outside that window. I'm sure he has figured
out by now that he is not going to get OUT through it, aren't you?

> Catenary on the other hand seems to be coming along: He talks to us
> and is even comfortable eating while we are in the same room. He took
> his first foray to the upstairs yesterday to scout around, calling out
> every few paces and waiting for my wife to tell him it was okay before
> proceeding. He curled up on the carpet next to the piano for a while
> and then went back downstairs to check on his brother.

I'm glad to hear he is doing well. Is it only Catenary who was diagnosed
with Feline leukemia, or was Dirigible too?

Reply to this Message

Theodore - 28 Feb 2005 17:17 GMT

> Can you buy him a little $15 cat shelf for that window so he can look
> out? This behavior suggests that there might be something that really
> interests him that he hears outside that window. I'm sure he has figured
> out by now that he is not going to get OUT through it, aren't you?

I'm not so sure he has figured it out yet. The view from that window
is the underside of my car. I did notice this morning that the window
wasn't completely latched on one side, so maybe he was just hearing (or
smelling) MORE of the outside there than at the other windows.

If it were as simple as just buying something I'd do it. He was
already spooked yesterday, so I didn't want use any power tools. I
will have to, unless they sell *magic* cat shelves that attach to
masonry walls without the use of tools. I was already thinking of
making a little wooden bench.

> I'm glad to hear he is doing well. Is it only Catenary who was diagnosed
> with Feline leukemia, or was Dirigible too?

Only Catenary tested positive. The vet seemed to think that both cats
were probably infected in utero, but that it was not yet detectible in
Dirigible. Either way we couldn't bear to separate the two If you saw
the photos I posted the other day, you can tell that they're
inseparable.

Reply to this Message

KellyH - 28 Feb 2005 19:06 GMT

> If it were as simple as just buying something I'd do it. He was
> already spooked yesterday, so I didn't want use any power tools. I
> will have to, unless they sell *magic* cat shelves that attach to
> masonry walls without the use of tools. I was already thinking of
> making a little wooden bench.

The Drs. Foster and Smith catalog is a great source for all things cat.
They have those Kittywalk systems. Maybe once the weather warms up, you
could get him one of those. One time I was in the town animal control
kennel, trying to coax a feral cat into a carrier. The cat was at the back
of the cage, sitting frozen. All the sudden, she flew past my shoulder, ran
around like crazy, and tried to jump through the closed window at full
speed. Scared the crap out of me! Your story reminded me of that.
I'm sure Dirigible will figure out that he's not getting out through that
window. I forgot, was there a screen on the window? Maybe he would like it
opened a bit.

> Only Catenary tested positive. The vet seemed to think that both cats
> were probably infected in utero, but that it was not yet detectible in
> Dirigible. Either way we couldn't bear to separate the two If you saw
> the photos I posted the other day, you can tell that they're
> inseparable.

I'm holding out hope that he will fight it off. Have you gotten an IFA test
for Catenary?

Signature

-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
"Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG

Reply to this Message

Theodore - 28 Feb 2005 19:52 GMT

> I'm holding out hope that he will fight it off. Have you gotten an IFA test
> for Catenary?

Not yet. We have to bring them in in a couple weeks for the distemper
vaccination, and I thought that would be the best time to retest.

Reply to this Message

Mary - 28 Feb 2005 19:20 GMT

> > Can you buy him a little $15 cat shelf for that window so he can look
> > out? This behavior suggests that there might be something that really
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> I'm not so sure he has figured it out yet. The view from that window
> is the underside of my car.

Oh, I see.

>I did notice this morning that the window
> wasn't completely latched on one side, so maybe he was just hearing (or
> smelling) MORE of the outside there than at the other windows.

That makes sense. You mentioned that Dirigible was a "semi-feral"
cat, what did you mean by that? Is he just a stray that has had little
human contact? Did you have to trap him or did he come to you?

> If it were as simple as just buying something I'd do it.

Of course you would after all you have done for these lucky cats.

He was

> already spooked yesterday, so I didn't want use any power tools. I
> will have to, unless they sell *magic* cat shelves that attach to
> masonry walls without the use of tools. I was already thinking of
> making a little wooden bench.

The window seats I was thinking of just need a ledge, there is no acutal
attaching to anything. They sell them at Petsmart and Walmart and many
claim to adjust to any size window ledge. You might just want to look
around.

> > I'm glad to hear he is doing well. Is it only Catenary who was
> diagnosed
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> the photos I posted the other day, you can tell that they're
> inseparable.

I did see them. Lovely cats, and you are so kind to take them in.

Reply to this Message

Theodore - 28 Feb 2005 21:23 GMT

> That makes sense. You mentioned that Dirigible was a "semi-feral"
> cat, what did you mean by that? Is he just a stray that has had little
> human contact? Did you have to trap him or did he come to you?

What I mean is that we've fed them for several months, and have been
slowly working to get them accustomed to our presence already.

While outside, neither cat would run away from us unless we actually
tried to chase or touch them. Catenary would come when called, even
when no food was involved. Both would play with me using a laser
pointer or toy on a string, and generally seemed interested in what we
were doing; other ferals in the neighborhood don't seem to care one way
or another what we're doing as long as we're not doing it to them.

Catenary was certainly the more socialized of the two, and he seems to
have progressed since coming into the house, while Dirigible has
regressed.

Both cats did have to be trapped.

> The window seats I was thinking of just need a ledge, there is no acutal
> attaching to anything. They sell them at Petsmart and Walmart and many
> claim to adjust to any size window ledge.

There is no ledge of any kind on this window.

Reply to this Message

Spot - 01 Mar 2005 00:33 GMT

The finches stay under my Charger when it rains and is snowing. Even though
it's a view of your car there might still be something that's catching his
attention.

Celeste

> > Can you buy him a little $15 cat shelf for that window so he can look
> > out? This behavior suggests that there might be something that really
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> the photos I posted the other day, you can tell that they're
> inseparable.

Reply to this Message

zuzu22@webtv.net - 28 Feb 2005 18:54 GMT

>This behavior suggests that there might
>be something that really interests him that
>he hears outside that window.

Not with a feral cat it doesn't.

>I'm sure he
>has figured out by now that he is not
>going to get OUT through it, aren't you?

Obviously he hasn't and his behavior is very typical of a just caught
feral. He will continue to try to get out the window because he is
frightened and wants to escape, not because he appreciates the view.
Wall climbing and trying to go through windows is to be expected in this
situation and if something isn't done he could injure himself. I had a
feral that saw a photographic poster of a dog in a yard and tried to
escape into the yard which resulted in him flying into the wall
headfirst.

Megan

Signature

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

Reply to this Message

zuzu22@webtv.net - 28 Feb 2005 18:47 GMT

>She saw Dirigible take a flying leap from
>the washer into a closed window.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>tried covering the window overnight, but it
>didn't seem to help.

This is typical behavior of a frightened feral cat. Allowing him full
use of the room won't get you anywhere. You need to cage him and work on
getting him used to handling. I emailed you a link to a post I wrote
long ago that goes into detail about how to accomplish this.

Megan

Signature

Reply to this Message