|
Newbie with a question
Hi all,
I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things? Joy Joy Unlimited Colorful Crocheted Critters Photos at http://www.PictureTrail.com/joy9 |
Newbie with a question
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote:
Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. -- |
Newbie with a question
On 8/22/2014 4:49 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote: Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. Okay, thank you. Joy Joy Unlimited Colorful Crocheted Critters Photos at http://www.PictureTrail.com/joy9 |
Newbie with a question
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:35:37 -0700, Joy wrote:
On 8/22/2014 4:49 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote: Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. Okay, thank you. Kindly keep us informed of what goes on, but I would give him plenty of love and the opportunity to get to know the other cat. Good luck! -- |
Newbie with a question
Joy toastie real-me.net wrote:
I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things? I agree with the other reply. Give it some time. I think you're lucky there isn't serious fights. If there is, clip the aggressor's claws. Your home cat would normally be jealous. Having some experience, I definitely wouldn't expect it to accept the newcomer for quite a while. I would concentrate on the home cat. The things are very much aware of who you are giving attention to. If the new cat doesn't come out, that means it's okay where it is. As long as it's using the litter box, you are doing well. If you want to know what feral really is... I've had a feral female that I took in (trapped) from the not so great outdoors in May 2007. I had no idea. To this day, it's afraid of me. Scared to death of other people. No touch. Still hisses at me sometimes. But even though it's unneutered, it would rather stay here than go back into the not so great outdoors. I have tried singing to it, many times. But I suck at singing. There is a mental wall between it and human beings. Recently, I believe it has started playing with my other two cats. Probably the most fun it's had in its otherwise miserable lifetime. My cats get places up high and out of the way (a skyway) as you can see on my picture page... https://www.flickr.com/photos/27532210@N04/ Besides a place to get away from it all, a skyway helps provide exercise. The feral spends most of its time in a loft in another room. They also get to hear the outside sounds thanks to an infant room monitor (connected to a speaker for decent sound). That's nice especially if you're gone much of the day. The calico, the newest addition hung out by the speaker all the time when it first got here. |
Newbie with a question
On 8/22/2014 5:46 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:35:37 -0700, Joy wrote: On 8/22/2014 4:49 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote: Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. Okay, thank you. Kindly keep us informed of what goes on, but I would give him plenty of love and the opportunity to get to know the other cat. Good luck! Thank you. The only way I know of to give him love is to talk to him. I can't get close enough to touch him. I've had a total of three opportunities to pet him. 1) When the volunteer took him out of the cage and he was struggling wildly 2) When I took him to the vet. After the basic exam, the vet and her assistant left the room while he was still lying on the table. He was frozen in place and trembling. I did pet him and talk soothingly to him, but it didn't seem to make any difference. 3) One of the times I gave him his medicine I had to dig him out of a tight corner. I was afraid of getting scratched, so I threw a towel over him, wrapped him in it and took him onto the bed to give him the meds. Afterward I unwrapped him and he just laid there, so I petted him for a while. He appeared to be too scared to move. Since he spends all his time (when not eating or using the box) under the bed, I'd get down on the floor and talk to him. However, I'm 78 years old and I don't think I could get up if I ever got down there. The door is open, except when I leave the house and at night. I figure if the door is closed at night he might lie on the bed rather than under it. I want them to get acquainted, but I want to be around when it happens, in case of any problems. Thanks again. I need all the luck I can get. Joy -- Joy Unlimited Colorful Crocheted Critters Photos at http://www.PictureTrail.com/joy9 |
Newbie with a question
On 8/22/2014 5:56 PM, John Doe wrote:
Joy toastie real-me.net wrote: I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things? I agree with the other reply. Give it some time. I think you're lucky there isn't serious fights. If there is, clip the aggressor's claws. Your home cat would normally be jealous. Having some experience, I definitely wouldn't expect it to accept the newcomer for quite a while. I would concentrate on the home cat. The things are very much aware of who you are giving attention to. If the new cat doesn't come out, that means it's okay where it is. As long as it's using the litter box, you are doing well. If you want to know what feral really is... I've had a feral female that I took in (trapped) from the not so great outdoors in May 2007. I had no idea. To this day, it's afraid of me. Scared to death of other people. No touch. Still hisses at me sometimes. But even though it's unneutered, it would rather stay here than go back into the not so great outdoors. I have tried singing to it, many times. But I suck at singing. There is a mental wall between it and human beings. Recently, I believe it has started playing with my other two cats. Probably the most fun it's had in its otherwise miserable lifetime. My cats get places up high and out of the way (a skyway) as you can see on my picture page... https://www.flickr.com/photos/27532210@N04/ Besides a place to get away from it all, a skyway helps provide exercise. The feral spends most of its time in a loft in another room. They also get to hear the outside sounds thanks to an infant room monitor (connected to a speaker for decent sound). That's nice especially if you're gone much of the day. The calico, the newest addition hung out by the speaker all the time when it first got here. Wow, you really go all out for your cats! That's great. I'm no good at singing either, but I do it anyway, just to get him used to my voice. Yes, I'm giving Pickles lots of attention. I just hope we reach a time when the new one isn't scared all the time. Joy -- Joy Unlimited Colorful Crocheted Critters Photos at http://www.PictureTrail.com/joy9 |
Newbie with a question
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 18:29:45 -0700, Joy wrote:
On 8/22/2014 5:46 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:35:37 -0700, Joy wrote: On 8/22/2014 4:49 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote: Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. Okay, thank you. Kindly keep us informed of what goes on, but I would give him plenty of love and the opportunity to get to know the other cat. Good luck! Thank you. The only way I know of to give him love is to talk to him. I can't get close enough to touch him. I've had a total of three opportunities to pet him. 1) When the volunteer took him out of the cage and he was struggling wildly 2) When I took him to the vet. After the basic exam, the vet and her assistant left the room while he was still lying on the table. He was frozen in place and trembling. I did pet him and talk soothingly to him, but it didn't seem to make any difference. 3) One of the times I gave him his medicine I had to dig him out of a tight corner. I was afraid of getting scratched, so I threw a towel over him, wrapped him in it and took him onto the bed to give him the meds. Afterward I unwrapped him and he just laid there, so I petted him for a while. He appeared to be too scared to move. Since he spends all his time (when not eating or using the box) under the bed, I'd get down on the floor and talk to him. However, I'm 78 years old and I don't think I could get up if I ever got down there. The door is open, except when I leave the house and at night. I figure if the door is closed at night he might lie on the bed rather than under it. I want them to get acquainted, but I want to be around when it happens, in case of any problems. Thanks again. I need all the luck I can get. Also, get him a few special toys - even a rolled up sock or a cloth mousie. You could try a good grade of catnip, too - maybe after a while, but talking to him regularly in a soft, quiet and loving voice ought to bring him around eventually. Sit on the bed if you can't get down; I can appreciate what a problem that can be, and my thoughts are with you on that chore! I think he will accept you before he accepts the other cat, but just hang in there. -- |
Newbie with a question
On 8/22/2014 7:28 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 18:29:45 -0700, Joy wrote: On 8/22/2014 5:46 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:35:37 -0700, Joy wrote: On 8/22/2014 4:49 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote: Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. Okay, thank you. Kindly keep us informed of what goes on, but I would give him plenty of love and the opportunity to get to know the other cat. Good luck! Thank you. The only way I know of to give him love is to talk to him. I can't get close enough to touch him. I've had a total of three opportunities to pet him. 1) When the volunteer took him out of the cage and he was struggling wildly 2) When I took him to the vet. After the basic exam, the vet and her assistant left the room while he was still lying on the table. He was frozen in place and trembling. I did pet him and talk soothingly to him, but it didn't seem to make any difference. 3) One of the times I gave him his medicine I had to dig him out of a tight corner. I was afraid of getting scratched, so I threw a towel over him, wrapped him in it and took him onto the bed to give him the meds. Afterward I unwrapped him and he just laid there, so I petted him for a while. He appeared to be too scared to move. Since he spends all his time (when not eating or using the box) under the bed, I'd get down on the floor and talk to him. However, I'm 78 years old and I don't think I could get up if I ever got down there. The door is open, except when I leave the house and at night. I figure if the door is closed at night he might lie on the bed rather than under it. I want them to get acquainted, but I want to be around when it happens, in case of any problems. Thanks again. I need all the luck I can get. Also, get him a few special toys - even a rolled up sock or a cloth mousie. You could try a good grade of catnip, too - maybe after a while, but talking to him regularly in a soft, quiet and loving voice ought to bring him around eventually. Sit on the bed if you can't get down; I can appreciate what a problem that can be, and my thoughts are with you on that chore! I think he will accept you before he accepts the other cat, but just hang in there. Thank you. I appreciate both the encouragement and the advice. I'm certainly not going to give up on him. Joy -- Joy Unlimited Colorful Crocheted Critters Photos at http://www.PictureTrail.com/joy9 |
Newbie with a question
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 22:34:30 -0700, Joy wrote:
On 8/22/2014 7:28 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 18:29:45 -0700, Joy wrote: On 8/22/2014 5:46 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:35:37 -0700, Joy wrote: On 8/22/2014 4:49 PM, Mack A. Damia wrote: On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:41:37 -0700, Joy wrote: Hi all, I'm new here, although I'm a long-time subscriber to rpca. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions to help a poor little feral kitty. Five years ago I adopted two three-year-old littermates, a male and a female. A few months ago the male got cancer and subsequently had to be PTS. The female (Pickles) has been very lonely and demanding of attention. I thought I'd get her a companion, and consulted others about this. The consensus seemed to be that a young male would be the best fit. About a month ago I adopted a 4-month-old neutered male from the local shelter. When the volunteer took him out of the cage so I could pet him, he struggled and she said, "He's still a little bit feral." I kept him secluded for about a week. During that time he spent most of his time hiding. Just as I was about to initiate an introduction between the two cats, I got the results of a test showing that he had an infection. For the next ten days I had to dig him out of his hiding place and give him medication. Naturally, that didn't make him feel any more comfortable about his situation. I almost never saw him unless I was medicating him. A few weeks ago I started spending about half an hour every day in his room, lying on the bed, reading. and talking and singing to him. About a week ago he was through with his medication and tested well, so I opened the door to the room where I'd been keeping him. Once or twice Pickles would go into that room and they'd exchange what sounded like insults or threats, but there was never any physical contact. At some point they apparently reached an agreement, because now Pickles never goes into that room, and he never comes out of it. Since I opened the door, I've seen him out from under the bed three times. I know he's scared to death, and I'd like to let him know he doesn't need to be scared. I'd also like him and Pickles to become friends. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish either of these things. Four months old seems to be a bit early to classify a cat, "feral". My friend in San Diego found a two year-old feral cat, and she stayed under his bed for twenty years, only coming out at night to eat and use the box. He had another cat, too, but I don't think they bothered with each other. Give him time - and the opportunity to come out of hiding. I think it is still far too early. Okay, thank you. Kindly keep us informed of what goes on, but I would give him plenty of love and the opportunity to get to know the other cat. Good luck! Thank you. The only way I know of to give him love is to talk to him. I can't get close enough to touch him. I've had a total of three opportunities to pet him. 1) When the volunteer took him out of the cage and he was struggling wildly 2) When I took him to the vet. After the basic exam, the vet and her assistant left the room while he was still lying on the table. He was frozen in place and trembling. I did pet him and talk soothingly to him, but it didn't seem to make any difference. 3) One of the times I gave him his medicine I had to dig him out of a tight corner. I was afraid of getting scratched, so I threw a towel over him, wrapped him in it and took him onto the bed to give him the meds. Afterward I unwrapped him and he just laid there, so I petted him for a while. He appeared to be too scared to move. Since he spends all his time (when not eating or using the box) under the bed, I'd get down on the floor and talk to him. However, I'm 78 years old and I don't think I could get up if I ever got down there. The door is open, except when I leave the house and at night. I figure if the door is closed at night he might lie on the bed rather than under it. I want them to get acquainted, but I want to be around when it happens, in case of any problems. Thanks again. I need all the luck I can get. Also, get him a few special toys - even a rolled up sock or a cloth mousie. You could try a good grade of catnip, too - maybe after a while, but talking to him regularly in a soft, quiet and loving voice ought to bring him around eventually. Sit on the bed if you can't get down; I can appreciate what a problem that can be, and my thoughts are with you on that chore! I think he will accept you before he accepts the other cat, but just hang in there. Thank you. I appreciate both the encouragement and the advice. I'm certainly not going to give up on him. What have you named him? I am probably telling you something that you already know, but choose a name that is easy for him to learn and recognize. Use the hard vowels I have two. I named my first "Pookie" after the Soupy Sales puppet, and I named my second "Bubba" I thought she was a he, but when I discovered the truth with the vets help, I kept the name. Very easy for them both to recognize. Bubba on the left; Pookie on the right. Photo taken a while ago. Bubba has grown. She's a hoot! http://www.4shared.com/photo/PragoIC...nd_pookie.html -- |
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