I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but since these particular cats have a lot of behavioral issues, I suppose it will do.
I have been considering this option for some time now and while it pains me that I can no longer keep them and many of you will probably try to convince me that it isn't necessary to re-home them, the decision has been made. Keep reading and hopefully you will understand and maybe be able to give me some sound advice on finding them a new family.
I am talking about the newest additions to my furry family, Missy and Callie (who are mother and daughter). I aquired them from a friend's grandmother, who had finally realized that she could no longer care for them properly. Problem is, she hadn't been able to for a very long time and had already put those poor cats through a lot of distress before coming to that conclusion. Some time ago she confined them to one small room of her house to keep them out of trouble and make it easier to maintain them. Their litter boxes were seldom cleaned and at some point they stopped using them. Their food and water dishes were rarely filled and they starved for days at a time. They are both long haired cats and their fur hadn't been cleaned or brushed in so long that most of it had matted so badly that it was painful for them. And other than the elderly lady coming into the room once in a great while to feed them or clean their litter pans they had no human contact whatsoever. They became like ferals living indoors.
They came to me filthy, under-nourished, and aggressive. I gave them a few days to calm down and get used to their new environment, then I started with what I knew would be one heck of a project. They hid most of the time so I took them out often and held and petted them, suffering many painful bites and scratches in the process, but I kept with it. When they were a bit more comfortable with being handled, I bathed them and cut all the clumps from their hair, which caused them to withdraw again, so there were several more days of "forced bonding" following that to get them back to where they had been prior. They started eating normally again and they began to fill out and appear healthy. It has been 2 months now and they have come a very long way. Neither hides anymore, and both will let me pet them now without a battle, and sometimes even come to me seeking attention. They still don't like to be picked up or held and I am the only person who can pet them without getting nipped at, but I am very proud of the progress they have made; it took alot of hard work to get to this point. Now, as far as them using the litter box, that's something that hasn't improved much. Missy only uses it half the time and Callie almost never does. Callie also has a severe hairball problem and Missy chews on just about anything she can get her teeth on.
So there is still work to be done here, but I no longer have the time and energy to devote to them. I have been working alot more lately and between that, my 5 other cats, a dog, a fiance, AND trying to plan a wedding, I am finding that I simply don't have enough time for such a difficult task. While I know that they are healthier and happier than they have been in years, I also know there is more that can be done for them and I feel that it isn't fair to not provide them with that.
So with that being said, I am trying to find another home for them, which is proving to be quite a task in and of itself. They need somebody who can rehabilitate them further, as opposed someone just looking for a pet. I would not be surprised if they reverted back to being aggressive once put in someone else's care, since I am the only human they seem to have bonded with. So many people in my area will just throw a cat outside or drop it off on the side of the road for much less than what I have dealt with from these cats, so I want whoever takes them in to know what they are getting themselves into and be willing to see it through. They are not bad cats, they have just been through a lot. Also I would prefer not to seperate them since I don't know what effect that will have on them. But I haven't had any luck yet. I've even talked to my local humane society but they are not taking new cats right now because they are already at their max, and I was also told that given the circumstances and behavioral issues of these particular cats, they probably wouldn't take them anyway because they would be "difficult to home"!!! Can you believe that?! But regardless, I am still at square one and would really, really like some advice on how to find someone knowledgeable, caring, and patient enough to take this on.
I've decided to add pics to this post so everyone can see these poor beautiful girls.
Missy
Callie
I have been considering this option for some time now and while it pains me that I can no longer keep them and many of you will probably try to convince me that it isn't necessary to re-home them, the decision has been made. Keep reading and hopefully you will understand and maybe be able to give me some sound advice on finding them a new family.
I am talking about the newest additions to my furry family, Missy and Callie (who are mother and daughter). I aquired them from a friend's grandmother, who had finally realized that she could no longer care for them properly. Problem is, she hadn't been able to for a very long time and had already put those poor cats through a lot of distress before coming to that conclusion. Some time ago she confined them to one small room of her house to keep them out of trouble and make it easier to maintain them. Their litter boxes were seldom cleaned and at some point they stopped using them. Their food and water dishes were rarely filled and they starved for days at a time. They are both long haired cats and their fur hadn't been cleaned or brushed in so long that most of it had matted so badly that it was painful for them. And other than the elderly lady coming into the room once in a great while to feed them or clean their litter pans they had no human contact whatsoever. They became like ferals living indoors.
They came to me filthy, under-nourished, and aggressive. I gave them a few days to calm down and get used to their new environment, then I started with what I knew would be one heck of a project. They hid most of the time so I took them out often and held and petted them, suffering many painful bites and scratches in the process, but I kept with it. When they were a bit more comfortable with being handled, I bathed them and cut all the clumps from their hair, which caused them to withdraw again, so there were several more days of "forced bonding" following that to get them back to where they had been prior. They started eating normally again and they began to fill out and appear healthy. It has been 2 months now and they have come a very long way. Neither hides anymore, and both will let me pet them now without a battle, and sometimes even come to me seeking attention. They still don't like to be picked up or held and I am the only person who can pet them without getting nipped at, but I am very proud of the progress they have made; it took alot of hard work to get to this point. Now, as far as them using the litter box, that's something that hasn't improved much. Missy only uses it half the time and Callie almost never does. Callie also has a severe hairball problem and Missy chews on just about anything she can get her teeth on.
So there is still work to be done here, but I no longer have the time and energy to devote to them. I have been working alot more lately and between that, my 5 other cats, a dog, a fiance, AND trying to plan a wedding, I am finding that I simply don't have enough time for such a difficult task. While I know that they are healthier and happier than they have been in years, I also know there is more that can be done for them and I feel that it isn't fair to not provide them with that.
So with that being said, I am trying to find another home for them, which is proving to be quite a task in and of itself. They need somebody who can rehabilitate them further, as opposed someone just looking for a pet. I would not be surprised if they reverted back to being aggressive once put in someone else's care, since I am the only human they seem to have bonded with. So many people in my area will just throw a cat outside or drop it off on the side of the road for much less than what I have dealt with from these cats, so I want whoever takes them in to know what they are getting themselves into and be willing to see it through. They are not bad cats, they have just been through a lot. Also I would prefer not to seperate them since I don't know what effect that will have on them. But I haven't had any luck yet. I've even talked to my local humane society but they are not taking new cats right now because they are already at their max, and I was also told that given the circumstances and behavioral issues of these particular cats, they probably wouldn't take them anyway because they would be "difficult to home"!!! Can you believe that?! But regardless, I am still at square one and would really, really like some advice on how to find someone knowledgeable, caring, and patient enough to take this on.
I've decided to add pics to this post so everyone can see these poor beautiful girls.
Missy
Callie
