WONDERFUL NEWS - an Update to previous thread "Horrible News"

Bella is back!!!!!!

And somehow, I've got to think all your good wishes and good advice really did help!!! I had a horrible night's sleep, woke up to check the trap, and there was our girl!!! Looking calm as could be. Nothing like the first time she was trapped.

YAY!!!!!

Thanks so much everyone!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone, this is truly wonderful news. I am happy for her and us.

Here is a picture for those interested!! Now, she looks a little worried in this picture, but not too bad. Those big eyes are super expressive. Thanks everyone!! She is our little pretty, hopefully soon to be socialized kitty.

This community is so wonderful!! It has been a great experience to share this all with you. I agree, no more scaring your "Meowmy" Bella.

So, she's back in the bathroom and, you know what she did today?? She groomed herself in front of me. Just a few minutes ago. The best part about the hiding spots in here is that she has her head out so she can still see me and I can see her.

That is a good step forward in my eyes, though she did look for escape routes when I put her back in the bathroom. I walked in with her clinging to the tile under the window trying to open it. When she saw me, she just let herself slide down and then went in the curtains.

We've def. learned our lesson!! That window is not opening unless she is locked up. She's not ready to get out yet. First, we have to keep crossing this trust barrier. I think she def. is coming along.

Hi all, I wanted to stop in with a little update. I can't believe it, but it's been almost a month now since we got Bella. A few things have happened in the last week that haven't been real great.

We had some regression. I think it was my husband's fault, unfortunately. He heard what I had told him about waiting for her to come to us, but I guess he just didn't take it seriously and tried to pet her, I think more than once. She got very scared and started hissing at us when I moved towards her to change the water, which I had done since she was first here and never gotten hissed at. I felt like we went backwards a little bit, but not too much as it didn't take her long to realize that I wasn't going to invade her space. And now my husband knows better and has spent more time with her, but not coming at her.

She is out of the bathroom now. I hate to tell you all this because I am not sure if our reasons for moving her were the best, but it was becoming a necessity. Imagine kitty in the only bathroom in the house. Every time we left her and came back there was litter all over and I mean all over. She was knocking over her water bowl, getting her feet wet and just destroying the place. I was honestly getting irritated (especially with all the hours sitting with her in the bathtub or on the hard linoleum floor) and my husband is a very neat person and us having to fully clean the bathroom so many times a day was difficult. In the middle of the night, a few days ago she turned the water on in the bathtub somehow. I had heard her meowing, which she does at night, so went in. I hadn't even realized the water was on because it has been raining here.

So, night before last, I kept the door open to our bedroom and she found a nice hiding spot under our dresser. I think everyone is happier. She gets to be on warm carpet. We get to be more comfortable when we spend time with her (and sleep in the same bedroom as her) which is great for her socialization and the bathroom is so much cleaner. Also, no meowing last night.

My only hesitation is our other kitties. Because it has been several weeks and the kitty shows no signs of illness that the Dr. wanted us to watch for, we are letting them interact. If they get sick though, this will turn into a horror story. Also, I don't know what the rules are with this and socializing. Because Bella is hiding all the time, pretty much, they will just go and sniff her and then walk away. She can see them cuddling with us and purring which is good. Bella doesn't seem to nervous when this happens.

Today and yesterday Bella came out to drink, go potty and eat while I was in the room. This is good!! She is cautious and I am purposefully not looking at her, but she is doing it!!

I tried to do tough love with feeding where she has to eat with me in the room, but I couldn't do it. It didn't feel like it was the right time, so I am just feeding her on a consistent schedule.

This is taking longer than I initially thought, but I am soooo glad kitty is not in the rain and cold weather. I think any timeline is just completely out the window (which is a good thing for us!).

Here is a picture from just minutes ago. Snowball came to check out Bella's new hiding spot and decided to rest right above her. I thought it was really cute in real life. Though unfortunately, Snowball got the kitty version of red eye in all the pictures so looks a little weird. Bella looks so squished (you can see it with the flash), but I'm sure it makes her feel safe in there.