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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2005Off to Portland tomorrow
I'm going to check on the 3 yo cat we trapped as a kitten. The new owner still has not seen him, he's hiding behind a drawer. He does come out at night and while she's gone. He eats, drinks, uses the litter box, and last night he played with his toys! Sounds like he's getting used to the place, but not to her. She's still afraid of him. Earlier this week she was ready to give up, but she's going to keep trying. Cross your paws, I'm taking cat treats, Fancy Feast Cat Bait, toys, and cat books... Rhonda > I'm going to check on the 3 yo cat we trapped as a kitten. The new owner > still has not seen him, he's hiding behind a drawer. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Rhonda good luck. Please let us know how it goes. Does she ever try just hanging out quietly in the room each day? Reading out loud or napping or just talking calmly to him? That's been suggested several times, but he's behind a kitchen drawer and I don't think she's been hanging out with him. I'll find out more tomorrow. I want to get him in a single room so the two can hang out. Thanks, Rhonda > good luck. Please let us know how it goes. Does she ever try just hanging > out quietly in the room each day? Reading out loud or napping or just > talking calmly to him? >That's been suggested several times, but he's behind a kitchen drawer >and I don't think she's been hanging out with him. I'll find out more >tomorrow. > >I want to get him in a single room so the two can hang out. Yes. If I had the bathroom cat to do over again, I'd release him in my bedroom instead of the bathroom. Charlie >I'm going to check on the 3 yo cat we trapped as a kitten. The new owner >still has not seen him, he's hiding behind a drawer. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Rhonda Hey Rhonda! If all else fails... you've got my number. He might be a good candidate for the ongoing cannabis research here at Charlie Life Sciences. Good luck on your mission. Charlie Thanks, Charlie. I did think about asking you -- but didn't think this would be a cat that liked traveling between homes and with other people and dogs. He seems like an anti-Tweaker :) Hopefully, his cat-mom will not give up and we won't have to cross that bridge, but I'll check with you if it does happen. Rhonda > Hey Rhonda! > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Charlie >Thanks, Charlie. I did think about asking you -- but didn't think this >would be a cat that liked traveling between homes and with other people [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Rhonda I think it will work out. If you were able to reach under the bed and scratch his head, that's a good sign. I think the lady will just have to be patient. I wonder if the presence of a second, bolder male cat might be positive? My general observation has been that two neutered males tend to get along. Charlie >> Hey Rhonda! >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> >> Charlie > I'm going to check on the 3 yo cat we trapped as a kitten. The new owner > still has not seen him, he's hiding behind a drawer. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Rhonda>>> A fishing rod toy would be good as its interactive, she can lure him out to play without having to touch him, also if he is happy to play with the fishing rod toy , she could attach a feather to a rod and use that to gently stroke him . Once he is comfortable with being stroked with the feather and she is more confident, she can then move on to stroking him herself. Remind her not to look directly at him or catch his eye , talk to him in a cheerful way, use a feliway spray or diffuser. Try to block of the drawer and replace it with something with a box or bed that he can feel safe in but is more accessible for the owner. Good luck and paws crossed. Alison Hi Alison, Her kitchen drawers and cupboards have no handles, they just swing open. They are extremely easy for a cat to open. I think even after he knows her better and gets full run of the apt., he'll probably use that as a hidey place when other people come over. He's not ready for toys yet, but he does have this long feather boa-thing that he apparently loved at his old house. I showed her how to make it "disappear" a little at a time, and how cats pounce as soon as it goes out of sight. I will be checking on their progress, and hope she has the courage to make it work out! Thanks for the suggestions, Rhonda > A fishing rod toy would be good as its interactive, she can lure him > out to play without having to touch him, also if he is happy to play [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Good luck and paws crossed. > Alison > I'm going to check on the 3 yo cat we trapped as a kitten. The new owner > still has not seen him, he's hiding behind a drawer. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Rhonda Good luck getting him to socialize a bit more. It has to be awfully traumatic. Please post an update asap. I waved at you as you drove by, BTW. ;) -L. Thanks, Lyn. I think he's now set up for socialization, and hope it goes quickly. I know he likes attention, and it's all bottled up inside. Very, very hot in Beaverton yesterday, BTW... Rhonda > Good luck getting him to socialize a bit more. It has to be awfully > traumatic. Please post an update asap. > > I waved at you as you drove by, BTW. ;) > > -L. Wowsers, what a terrified cat. When I arrived, the new cat-mom pointed to a bottom kitchen drawer sticking all the way out and the drawer above it half-way out. After giving him a little time to get used to my voice, I thought I would pull out the top drawer, find him huddled in the back and just talk to him some more. Instead, he shot out and down the hall. We had set up a cat room in the spare bed room. We tried to make a few hidey, safe places but places where he could see us. If I was thinking, I would have shut other doors except to that room and anticipated the freak-out, but he ran into her master bedroom. I tried to talk her into setting up her bedroom for him instead, but she had different reasons, litter box, etc., and wanted to use the spare bedroom. I was able to scritch his head while he was under her bed, and he did a lot of complaining/moaning -- he was very scared and starting to realize the conspiracy. We set up a hallway roadblock and got him to shoot into the spare bedroom. He did panic and try to fling himself out through the screen (OMG) but stopped when he couldn't get out. Another time I tried to replace something we had set up to have a hidey corner for him, got it too close to him on the sill, and he darted around the room for a second trying to get out, and hissed in the process. That upset his new cat mom. She's a timid, gentle sort of person, and doesn't understand that hissing, being scared, etc. does not mean anything personal to her. I did a lot of talking to her that she is going to need to do things, like getting physically closer to him, that scare him a little more right now just to get him used to her. She is afraid that anything she does will scare him. He was so terrified that he was not interested in shrimp fancy feast (!), or new stinky catnip toys. At least he's now set up in a better situation for he and his new mom to get to know each other. She had not even seen him for over a week. She promised to spend time in there, reading, etc, and talking to him. I told her to sit in there when she's on the phone -- just let him get used to her voice and presence. She said she now feels like she has a cat, she can see him. The best part is that I saw no meanness or aggression in him, only fear. He did not flatten his ears, stare me in the eye and hiss, or growl at me. He mostly just huddled in a corner or tried to escape. When he did make noise, it was more of a heart-breaking moan with his head in a different direction. Did I mention that it broke my heart? He was turning into a love-bug when we had him as a kitten, always wanting to be held. He is a GORGEOUS cat. Round orange face with beautiful thick red stripes. I couldn't see his sides enough to see if he has the swirls. I will definitely keep in touch with the new cat-mom. I'll be gone for a week starting Wed., so she knows to contact Walter if needed. Lyn, were you at Multnomah Falls yesterday? I swear all of Portland was there! I stopped on the way home to cool off, no AC in the car and that is one of my favorite places. Didn't know 200,000 people also liked it that well... Rhonda wow. This really makes me wonder what his life with the other owner was like. It seems like he never fully achieched his "domesticness". I hope the lady keeps with it. You really should scour the net for feral turned domestic success stories to give her hope. The old cat-mom told me a couple of months after she had him that he was cuddling on top of her. I thought things were going well. She said he was still afraid of strange noises or new people. I knew he was an emotional kitten. I've been emailing her this week trying to get information, and she said he was afraid and paranoid of everyone else except her. It kills me that knowing this, she gave him up. Rhonda > wow. This really makes me wonder what his life with the other owner was > like. It seems like he never fully achieched his "domesticness". I hope the > lady keeps with it. You really should scour the net for feral turned > domestic success stories to give her hope. >The old cat-mom told me a couple of months after she had him that he was >cuddling on top of her. I thought things were going well. She said he [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >he was afraid and paranoid of everyone else except her. It kills me that >knowing this, she gave him up. That's too bad, but the most important thing is to make sure the new owner is committed to him, so he doesn't have to undergo that kind of separation a second time. If you get into a jam, I could take him out to the island and set him up there. There is a lot of activity in the house, but not upstairs. I have a caretaker living there. It's not ideal, but it would work out eventually. It sounds like this is a cat that needs to settle into one, familiar spot. Charlie >Rhonda > >> wow. This really makes me wonder what his life with the other owner was >> like. It seems like he never fully achieched his "domesticness". I hope the >> lady keeps with it. You really should scour the net for feral turned >> domestic success stories to give her hope. Thanks, Charlie, I'll let you know what happens. So far, so good, although the stinker figured out how to open the closet door in that room and is trying to disappear again. She found him in the back corner with nothing but his tail sticking out. She's going to slowly remove some of the closet things and hope he doesn't freak too much. He's playing with his new catnip toy at night. :) Rhonda > If you get into a jam, I could take him out to the island and set him > up there. There is a lot of activity in the house, but not upstairs. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Charlie > The old cat-mom told me a couple of months after she had him that he was > cuddling on top of her. I thought things were going well. She said he [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > he was afraid and paranoid of everyone else except her. It kills me that > knowing this, she gave him up. You're a very good person, Rhonda. I certainly hope it all works out for this poor little terrified guy. It's so sad to think of someone being so afraid. Candace Thanks, Candace. It is sad, I swear it broke my heart, but makes me more determined to help her work this out. I think the next month or so is going to be crucial. Cross all paws... Rhonda > You're a very good person, Rhonda. I certainly hope it all works out > for this poor little terrified guy. It's so sad to think of someone > being so afraid. > > Candace <snip> > I will definitely keep in touch with the new cat-mom. I'll be gone for a > week starting Wed., so she knows to contact Walter if needed. If worse comes to worse, you can have her call me, too, since I am local. I don't know that I could go over there because of DS but I might be able to calm her fears and give advice. Let me know if you want my number. > Lyn, were you at Multnomah Falls yesterday? I swear all of Portland was > there! I stopped on the way home to cool off, no AC in the car and that > is one of my favorite places. Didn't know 200,000 people also liked it > that well... LOL...the weekend isn't the best time to go. Yesterday, we made the mistake of going to Saturday Market, and it was packed on top of a graduation going on in the same place. Urgh. I love MF though and love the hike to the top. Have you been up to the observatory too? It is a great place to see the Gorge. -L. Lyn, did you get my email? I would like to leave your number with her if the offer is still good. The more support, the better. Thanks! Rhonda > <snip> > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > might be able to calm her fears and give advice. Let me know if you > want my number. > Lyn, did you get my email? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Rhonda Rhonda, Sorry, I didn't. You can use the one in the header or try idontmind (at) hotmail (dot) com. I will try to decipher yours and send it as well. I have been offline a bit as our LAN is on the fritz. -L. Rhonda--I just went through something very similar with Girly. And, a bit with George and Spot. The toy on the fishing rod was a saving grace for us, so was a laser pointer. Also, I left one of my nightshirts--unwashed where they slept and they would all take turns sleeping on it. Mine were scared too like you mentioned--and no aggression. I have a modular bed--had to seal that up--and a few other places where they could go that I couldn't see them--but they still had other hiding spots. Also, I put Bach Flower Essence--Aspen in their water dish daily for two weeks--4-5 drops--this made a big difference and when I stopped using it there wasn't a backslide. It also help that they saw that I was the one to give them food and clean their litter. I always made a point of being noisy about it and talking to all of them while doing it--saying their names and such. Awwww much love to the both of them. Sincerely, Jen >> Lyn, did you get my email? >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >-L. Thanks, Jen. I sent your response to the new cat-mom! Rhonda > Rhonda--I just went through something very similar with Girly. And, a bit > with George and Spot. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Sincerely, > Jen Ahhh! Okay, I saw your email just as it was being deleted. I had it in the spam pile because I didn't recognize the sender. Could you please resend? Email is same as above except "at att dot net." Thanks, Rhonda > Sorry, I didn't. You can use the one in the header or try idontmind > (at) hotmail (dot) com. I will try to decipher yours and send it as > well. I have been offline a bit as our LAN is on the fritz. > > -L. |
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