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#1
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
I need some advice. I'm about to take in a stray cat that we found. She's
about 9-10 months old and probably has lived most of her life so far outside. I've taken her to the vet and had her fixed, etc. For the past week or so we've kept her in a dog cage at my husband's store where she gets some attention. While my husband would like to keep her as a store cat, due to several issues, this really won't work. We can handle her fairly easily and pet her even though she does hiss and growl (we think it's because she thinks she has to do that). But she is a bit timid. I've called a number of rescue groups hoping someone could take her in as a foster but have had no luck yet. I don't want to take her to a shelter because I really think she needs some TLC that she won't get at a shelter. My husband and I have now decided to take her in to our home and try to integrate her in with our 2 male cats (ages 2 and 4). My plan is to keep her in a large enclosure in the basement until she seems more acclimated and then try to introduce her to our other 2. Not sure how my boys are going to handle this. One is fairly sensitive and may not like a new addition. Anyone have any advice to help make this transition work? I really think this poor kitty who has spent the brunt of this cold winter outside really deserves a chance. Thanks in advance. Sue -- **Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ ** --- |
#2
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
I really feel if you give the introductory period a good chance, just
like you stated above, you will be okay. Give your boys lots of love during this time. Just let them know that the new cat isn't going to be a threat or competition for your attentions. When I brought home Max the person I got him from told me he was a dominant male. I thought this might be a problem because Butterball has always been more aggressive and dominant with other cats. The chief in our house is now Max and they keep getting along better and better all the time. I can honestly say that I think Butterball seems happier now with some company. I tend to be of the opinion that, like people, cats need social stimulation, too. I honestly sort of think about it like how I would feel if I was stuck at home every day with my husband and never got to go talk to other people. I would get tired of it pretty quickly. It is workable, but not the best situation. I am happier having a husband AND my friends. What I mean to say is that cats probably benefit from more friends, too. I think they are social creatures very similar to we people. So I think, besides the posturing they will do in the beginning, they could very well be happier in the long run. |
#3
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
Yes, slowly introducing her to the other cats is the key. You can keep her
in the enclosure and gradually let the other cats see her (inside the enclosure). They will hiss initially and this is to be expected. I would continue to expose them to her while she is inside. Gradually you can let her out but always be there to supervise. You are wonderful to take her in!! Gail "blkcatgal" wrote in message ... I need some advice. I'm about to take in a stray cat that we found. She's about 9-10 months old and probably has lived most of her life so far outside. I've taken her to the vet and had her fixed, etc. For the past week or so we've kept her in a dog cage at my husband's store where she gets some attention. While my husband would like to keep her as a store cat, due to several issues, this really won't work. We can handle her fairly easily and pet her even though she does hiss and growl (we think it's because she thinks she has to do that). But she is a bit timid. I've called a number of rescue groups hoping someone could take her in as a foster but have had no luck yet. I don't want to take her to a shelter because I really think she needs some TLC that she won't get at a shelter. My husband and I have now decided to take her in to our home and try to integrate her in with our 2 male cats (ages 2 and 4). My plan is to keep her in a large enclosure in the basement until she seems more acclimated and then try to introduce her to our other 2. Not sure how my boys are going to handle this. One is fairly sensitive and may not like a new addition. Anyone have any advice to help make this transition work? I really think this poor kitty who has spent the brunt of this cold winter outside really deserves a chance. Thanks in advance. Sue -- **Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ ** --- |
#4
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
I agree with your approach and mc and gail; this is the approach that most
behaviourists recommend. However some behaviourists disagree and feel that imprisoning the new cat is too frightening and confrontational. They recommend the use of door screens instead. The only thing I'd add is that you may find Feliway a help - use both the spray and infuser as the infuser can take up to a month to work. http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/introducing/index.php http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/spr...natherapy.html blkcatgal wrote: I need some advice. I'm about to take in a stray cat that we found. She's about 9-10 months old and probably has lived most of her life so far outside. I've taken her to the vet and had her fixed, etc. For the past week or so we've kept her in a dog cage at my husband's store where she gets some attention. While my husband would like to keep her as a store cat, due to several issues, this really won't work. We can handle her fairly easily and pet her even though she does hiss and growl (we think it's because she thinks she has to do that). But she is a bit timid. I've called a number of rescue groups hoping someone could take her in as a foster but have had no luck yet. I don't want to take her to a shelter because I really think she needs some TLC that she won't get at a shelter. My husband and I have now decided to take her in to our home and try to integrate her in with our 2 male cats (ages 2 and 4). My plan is to keep her in a large enclosure in the basement until she seems more acclimated and then try to introduce her to our other 2. Not sure how my boys are going to handle this. One is fairly sensitive and may not like a new addition. Anyone have any advice to help make this transition work? I really think this poor kitty who has spent the brunt of this cold winter outside really deserves a chance. Thanks in advance. Sue -- Message posted via http://www.catkb.com |
#5
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
On Feb 28, 12:52*pm, "Catlover Medway via CatKB.com" u15343@uwe
wrote: I agree with your approach and mc and gail; this is the approach that most behaviourists recommend. However some behaviourists disagree and feel that imprisoning the new cat is too frightening and confrontational. They recommend the use of door screens instead. The only thing I'd add is that you may find Feliway a help - use both the spray and infuser as the infuser can take up to a month to work. http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/int...natherapy.html blkcatgal wrote: I need some advice. *I'm about to take in a stray cat that we found. *She's about 9-10 months old and probably has lived most of her life so far outside. *I've taken her to the vet and had her fixed, etc. *For the past week or so we've kept her in a dog cage at my husband's store where she gets some attention. *While my husband would like to keep her as a store cat, due to several issues, this really won't work. *We can handle her fairly easily and pet her even though she does hiss and growl (we think it's because she thinks she has to do that). *But she is a bit timid. *I've called a number of rescue groups hoping someone could take her in as a foster but have had no luck yet. *I don't want to take her to a shelter because I really think she needs some TLC that she won't get at a shelter. *My husband and I have now decided to take her in to our home and try to integrate her in with our 2 male cats (ages 2 and 4). *My plan is to keep her in a large enclosure in the basement until she seems more acclimated and then try to introduce her to our other 2. *Not sure how my boys are going to handle this. *One is fairly sensitive and may not like a new addition. *Anyone have any advice to help make this transition work? *I really think this poor kitty who has spent the brunt of this cold winter outside really deserves a chance. Thanks in advance. Sue -- Message posted viahttp://www.catkb.com- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Thanks for comments. We'll be keeping her in a 6'x6' enclosure in the basement. When we are with her, we will let her out and have free run of the basement (it's a finished basement). I have Feliway, both spray and diffusers -- have been using them off and on since we added our second cat to the mix about 2 years ago. But I am concerned about how the new cat will react to my 2 cats....being a stray, I'm not sure if she has ever come in contact with other cats before. Do strays take to other cats easily? I mean, I'm sure there's going to be some hissing and growling but I don't want World War III. I'm also concerned about the amount of time that we can spend with her. Both my husband and I work full time and are gone most of the day. The only time we can spend with her are the few hours in the evening and then weekends.....plus we have to still spend time with our current cats. Balancing all of this is going to be a challenge. We're bringing the new cat home tomorrow. Wish me luck!!! S. **visit me and my cats at www.island-cats.com** |
#6
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
Hi Sue,
It is so nice that you are doing this. Don't worry about a stray cat not being used to other cats. One summer I was trying to live trap raccoons and instead of catching raccoons I was catching cats almost every night with it. We see a fair number of cats around here, but the cats I caught were ones I had never seen. Apparently, there are a lot of cats around here that I am not aware of because we just don't see them during the day. I guess what I mean to say is that stray cats do run into other cats... far more than we probably witness. Our very special cat Tramp had been a stray and she was extremely shy when we brought her in from the "wild". She warmed up to us pretty quickly. The first year she never slept on the bed with us. The second year she started to, but was uncomfortable if our legs moved under the covers. The longer she stayed with us the more things we got to see as she came out of her shell. She was the best cat we had ever had. I truly mean that. She was just so special to us. The veterinarian will want to check her for feline aids... and I am guessing you have done that already. The reason for this, though, is simply because stray cats ARE exposed to more cats normally. I hate to say this, too, but cats are pretty good about being left alone. That might actually help your introductions. I have read in behavioral books on cats that introductions are usually more successful if there is not too much human interference. I would keep an eye on them at first -- with the first intros... Just watch... for the first night or two. You will get a good feel for how they are responding with one another. At some point, when you feel they are ready, you might be able to leave that basement open during the day so that the cats can get to know one another better without human interference. Of course, leave the new cat in the cage while this is going on unsupervised... Hope that helps. I think you do know best what needs to be done. I wish you much luck and joy with your new family member ;-) |
#7
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Need help with stray cat (kinda long)
wrote in message ... blkcatgal wrote: I need some advice. I'm about to take in a stray cat that we found. She's about 9-10 months old and probably has lived most of her life so far outside. I've taken her to the vet and had her fixed, etc. For the past week or so we've kept her in a dog cage at my husband's store where she gets some attention. While my husband would like to keep her as a store cat, due to several issues, this really won't work. We can handle her fairly easily and pet her even though she does hiss and growl (we think it's because she thinks she has to do that). But she is a bit timid. I've called a number of rescue groups hoping someone could take her in as a foster but have had no luck yet. I don't want to take her to a shelter because I really think she needs some TLC that she won't get at a shelter. My husband and I have now decided to take her in to our home and try to integrate her in with our 2 male cats (ages 2 and 4). My plan is to keep her in a large enclosure in the basement until she seems more acclimated and then try to introduce her to our other 2. Not sure how my boys are going to handle this. One is fairly sensitive and may not like a new addition. Anyone have any advice to help make this transition work? I really think this poor kitty who has spent the brunt of this cold winter outside really deserves a chance. Thanks in advance. Sue Hi Sue, The best way to introduce new cats to resident cats is 'one sense at a time'. Before you bring her home, set up a 'sanctuary' room for her with food & water bowls, litterbox, scratching post and a few hiding places (cardboard boxes, paper shopping bags). When you bring her home, put her in her room in the carrier, open the carrier door, leave the room and close the door. Let her come out of the carrier when she's ready. Give the new cat a few days to settle in and become accustomed to her new environment and the scent of your other cats. Let the cats smell each other's presence under the door- but don't let them see each other. This method will also give your cats time to adjust to the presence of a new cat without feeling their territory has been invaded. After a few days, they'll be ready for the next step. Get a pair of socks, put one your hand and pet the new cat- especially around the face where most of the scent glands are. Use the other sock to do the same with your resident cats. Put the sock with your resident cats' scent in the room with the new cat. Put the other sock with the new cat's scent in the living room- or wherever your residents hang out. This will give them a good dose of each other's scent. You can also pet each cat with the sock you used on the other cat. This will make the scents of the new and resident cats seem familiar to each other. After several days you can open the sanctuary door and replace it with a screen door. Lowes sells 32", 34" and 36" nice-looking wood frame screen doors for $19.99 that you can slide in and out of the doorway with no trouble or hardware. The screen door will allow the cats to see each other without feeling threatened. Put your new cat's bowls as far from the screen door as possible. On the other side of the door, put your resident cats' bowls the same distance from the door. Every day, gradually move both cats' bowls closer to the screen door. When all the cats can eat peacefully with the bowls touching both sides of the screen door- they're ready for the 'close encounter of the third kind'. I know all this seems like a lot of trouble- but its worth it. Rushing an introduction can lead to a fight that could permanently damage the cats' relationship. Once a cat is a victim of a fight, she could take a defensive posture, whenever she sees the attacker, which can prompt the attacker into another attack even he had no intentions of the attacking. Most of the cats we get back are returned because they had fights with resident cats... because there we no introductions or the introductions were rushed or because they weren't done in steps. Check out my site for some more ideas: http://maxshouse.com/introducing_cats.htm I really hope all goes well! Good luck. Phil |
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