Advice & purrs needed

I'm a believer that animals will work things out. At least you havn't had
any cat fights, no blood, right?

I'd be thinking that in two days things will work themselves out. But for
now, it will be rough on the huumans.

--

Christopher A. Young
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"Nina K Pettis" wrote in message
ink.net...
We have a new inmate in the asylum: Lucifer, a black Maine Coon about 8
years old. His owners posted on the Maine Coon Rescue list that they
had to surrender him, because despite their best efforts to work with
him, he didn't get along with their new baby (to the extent of peeing on
the baby's clothes, etc.). So... as of late last night, he's living
with us. The poor guy is obviously terrified by the sudden change, the
four resident cats, the dog (his previous owner said he gets along with
both cats and dogs, but that was probably on his own turf!), the new
routine and surroundings, new people, etc.

He stayed in the little-house part of the cat tree all night, and after
a couple of moves this morning he seems to have taken up residence under
the washstand that the microwave sits on. He doesn't hiss and growl at
me any more, or at the dog, but he refuses to come out or eat, and we're
pretty sure he hasn't used the litterbox yet (we showed him where it
was). Haven't heard him hissing at the cats lately, either; they're
very curious but generally accepting. (The kitten's nose is so far out
of joint that he sits and glares in Lucy's general direction and growls
under his breath, swatting at anyone who gets near him -- but he's
eating, so we're not worried about him!)

What should we be doing about Lucifer? Leave him alone to adjust? Drag
him out and pet him? Try to force food on him? Keep talking to him
when we pass by his hidey-hole? Be patient? For how long?

Putting him in another room for a while isn't an option; we don't have
one, and he hates being closed up anyway, according to his previous
owners -- they kept him in a room by himself for the last month or so.

Help!! Are we doing the right thing?

Nina in Texas, enslaved by:
Snickelfritz (RB), Pixel (RB), Rusty (RB), Skeeter, Kyle, Jake, and
Cajun -- and Lucifer
--
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