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"Project Saving Gracie" - Intro Day 5

post #1 of 32
11/5/10 at 10:53pm
Thread Starter 
For those who don't know Gracie's story, here is an earlier thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=222942
We keep making progress everyday with miss Gracie... Today, day #5 here in the house, things are starting to look brighter - for all of us.
For starters, she went to the groomers! Oh yeah, girl spent the whole afternoon in the kitty spa (aka wet torture chamber ).
Let me tell you I had nightmares all night and yes, even said a prayer - not for Gracie, but for the Groomer - the girl is feisty. She's been here for 5 days, and when she hisses, man, she HIIIIIISSSEEESS I need to record one day for you guys to believe it! She means business! I am totally afraid of her - 10-4 kitty, GOT the message .
So, took like 1/2 hour coaxing her into the carrier - pretty much cornered her with the carrier, her bed and a towel . Don't worry you guys, I was gentle and took a lot of time talking to her.... Thing is, I am just petrified of her tremendously mean hiss! I know, I am silly
So, in the carrier, to the groomer we go -
Surprise #1: She is an AMAZING car rider! Just meows softly and is not scared at all of the car... Awesome ride!
Dropped her off at one strongly advising them to use iron mesh gloves
So, 1 hour goes by, no phone call... 2 hours, 3, 4, 4 1/2... I call on my way in...... "Hello mom, she did GREAT, she was a sweetheart" SAID WHAT?????
They said that in the beginning she really hissed, but that's all... They were able to do the whole thing - 20 minutes flea bath (she was COVERED in fleas), cut her claws, washed her 2x, cleaned her ears, even brushed her teeth! The girl is sparkling! And she was able to keep her long and now oh so soft fur! They really take their time 4 1/2 hours and are super gentle with the fur babies....
She got home and for my surprise #3, was not stressed at all, got right out of her carrier ate, drank her water, and went for a nap.
While she was out I got some De Flea spray and sprayed the whole bathroom, her bed, everything, so there wouldn't be fleas alive for her return.
I also got baby gates tonight, and everybody, including her, are doing awesome with it!
I plan to take as much time as she needs in the bathroom for her to get adjusted.
Her appetite is getting lower, so I think the Thyroid meds are finally kicking in!!
So..... Without further ado, here is our now clean and soft little old lady!

Hello, Are you talking to me?


See, check it out - I have clean ears!


So... clean, soft and relaxed!


Hope watches Gracie from my lap


Lucky takes a peek!



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post #2 of 32
11/5/10 at 10:56pm
WOW Gracie your spa day seems to helped you all around
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post #3 of 32
11/6/10 at 3:01am
Wow, you really are making a lot of progress with her (and Hope, if she can quietly sit on your lap and watch Gracie)!
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post #4 of 32
11/6/10 at 4:52am
Gracie is such a stunning beauty!!! Goodness Carolina, is she ever lucky to have you!
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post #5 of 32
11/6/10 at 7:04am
Wow - she looks great and I would venture to guess she FEELS great ...NOW!

She will fit in just fine... I know you know to give it time and patience.
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post #6 of 32
11/6/10 at 7:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
Hello, Are you talking to me?



Lucky takes a peek!
WOW! Is she ever a beauty! I've never seen a cat with short hair on the head/face and long hair everywhere else!

And I agree! She sure is lucky to have you! She went to Heaven, but didn't have to cross The Rainbow Bridge to get there!

Those baby gates are a wonderful idea! I'm considering getting a companion for Abby and didn't even think about using baby gates to intro them in a 1 bedroom apartment. Something else for me to think about before I make my decision.
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post #7 of 32
11/6/10 at 7:27am
Oh my gosh, however did I miss that Gracie came HOME! Oh Carolina congratulations to both of you.

I'm so thrilled that you've done this, and you'll never regret it. What a beautiful beautiful girl. What a lucky lady. I am just having raptures all over myself.

My deepest most heartfelt congratulations to you, Carolina.
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post #8 of 32
11/6/10 at 8:46am
I'm so glad they didn't have to shave her, esp. since we've had the "cold snap". She just looks SO gorgeous and content.

I really like that bed she has. Where did you get that? I need one like that for my crew. Of course, a fight is sure to break out over it.

With your patience and love, she's going to do just fine with your crew. She's probably never known as much love as you've shown her in the past 5 days.
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post #9 of 32
11/6/10 at 9:33am
I'm using baby gates as well... Portia gets to see JoJo and vice versa... Portia also gets to see me in my usual running around for things... the door is right across from the kitchen, so she sees me prep my meals as well as theirs... and JoJo is getting closer to the door, which is good...

I'm glad you got on to the baby gates idea.... if not, I was going to mention it. Looks like you're making excellent progress!
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post #10 of 32
11/6/10 at 10:10am
Gracie does not look pleased with you. She is so pretty, I am glad she got to keep her fur.
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post #11 of 32
11/6/10 at 12:24pm
She is in good hands with you Carolina!!! She's nice and clean and beautiful. Little thing is kinda skinny, isn't she? Thank you for saving yet another kitty in this world!!!
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post #12 of 32
11/6/10 at 1:47pm
Look at the lovely lady! And the best picture is the one of Hope on your lap!
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post #13 of 32
11/6/10 at 2:03pm
Oh bless her, Gracie is just beautiful, thank you for helping her, she is indeed in very good very hands with you.xx
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post #14 of 32
11/6/10 at 7:44pm
Just peeking in for any update.
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post #15 of 32
11/6/10 at 10:39pm
Aw, Gracie is definitely in good hands. Glad to see that integration is going relatively well.
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post #16 of 32
11/7/10 at 4:36am
Ooh, how fab is she looking - glad to hear the groomers went well, she's so pretty
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post #17 of 32
11/7/10 at 5:24am
That girl is gorgeous! She's truly lucky to have you!
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post #18 of 32
11/8/10 at 4:31pm
Aww, she is so pretty! I'm happy the day at the groomer worked out well and it seems the transition is going pretty well for all of you so far.
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post #19 of 32
11/8/10 at 5:54pm
It's been two days! We need an update! (please)
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post #20 of 32
11/8/10 at 5:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AddieBee View Post
Wow - she looks great and I would venture to guess she FEELS great ...NOW!

She will fit in just fine... I know you know to give it time and patience.
I bet she feels a whole lot better too, without all that mud and those fleas! Gosh, I sure hope she mixes well with the bunch... I would hate to have her and my babies unhappy... I am taking things slowly, but I can see I can not take too much longer - she is bored in there... Laying on her bed way too much, doesn't want to get up from her bed too often... Her time in the bathroom is about to expire and is making me nervous - I think in at the most a couple of days she has got to come out or else she will get depressed and I do not want that...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Natalie_ca View Post
WOW! Is she ever a beauty! I've never seen a cat with short hair on the head/face and long hair everywhere else!

And I agree! She sure is lucky to have you! She went to Heaven, but didn't have to cross The Rainbow Bridge to get there!

Those baby gates are a wonderful idea! I'm considering getting a companion for Abby and didn't even think about using baby gates to intro them in a 1 bedroom apartment. Something else for me to think about before I make my decision.
She is a true beauty, isn't she? I love how her ears are set! Yes, the baby gates are really helping... The kitties are watching her more and more and vice-versa - there are less hisses as time goes by, yesterday for example, not even one hiss!

Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Oh my gosh, however did I miss that Gracie came HOME! Oh Carolina congratulations to both of you.

I'm so thrilled that you've done this, and you'll never regret it. What a beautiful beautiful girl. What a lucky lady. I am just having raptures all over myself.

My deepest most heartfelt congratulations to you, Carolina.
Thank you otto! She sure did!
I am taking things slowly, day by day.... Hopefully everything will work out and everyone will be happy... It's all I will ask... I will confess I am very very nervous...

Quote:
Originally Posted by stephanietx View Post
I'm so glad they didn't have to shave her, esp. since we've had the "cold snap". She just looks SO gorgeous and content.

I really like that bed she has. Where did you get that? I need one like that for my crew. Of course, a fight is sure to break out over it.

With your patience and love, she's going to do just fine with your crew. She's probably never known as much love as you've shown her in the past 5 days.
Thank you... I am glad she got to keep her beautiful coat too! I got that bed from a lady right here in Texas - they are great, actually the only beds that get used here in the house... Here is her Blog: Hamicks for Cats.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mbjerkness View Post
Gracie does not look pleased with you. She is so pretty, I am glad she got to keep her fur.
She was fine - she was actually trying to catch the light from my cell phone (I use it instead of the flash).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bellaandme View Post
She is in good hands with you Carolina!!! She's nice and clean and beautiful. Little thing is kinda skinny, isn't she? Thank you for saving yet another kitty in this world!!!
She is very skinny because of the Thyroid that was untreated for so long...
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post #21 of 32
11/8/10 at 6:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
It's been two days! We need an update! (please)
Sorry my dear!
She is doing good, but I am seeing that her time in there is about to expire... She needs to come out... She is spending too long laying down on bed, not walking around, and I am afraid of her getting depressed...
She is hissing less and less, but is not, IMO ready to come out yet... So I am trying to figure out the right balance of when it is better to bring her out against the harm of leaving her in there.
On the other hand, I am not sure if she will ever be calmer/better than this...
Ai ai ai...
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post #22 of 32
11/8/10 at 6:07pm
Yayy she looks soo calm, she knows she is in good hands!! I'm so excited both for you and for her
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post #23 of 32
11/8/10 at 10:41pm
What a great update! It almost makes me want to become a cat groomer to be able to make such a difference in someone's life!
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post #24 of 32
11/9/10 at 8:19am
Thread Starter 
I was afraid of her being getting depressed by being stuck in the bathroom for so long, but today she woke up happy and chatty chatty again - guess she just had a bad day yesterday...
My goal is to let her out at least when she is 100% transitioned on the food, as I measure free feed Z/D for the kitties here in the house. She came in eating Meow Mix
To transition her, I add one tablespoon of Z/D into her food a day, and one less of MM, she is almost there - poop is excellent, she is taking it like a champ! Can you believe she eats a CUP a DAY?! PLUS 2 meals of wet food? The girl is an eating machine!
Today I served her the first Z/D wet meal - I was afraid she wouldn't eat.... well.... she licked her plate clean!
I will add some space for her today, moving the baby gate out to the corridor a bit, so she can see out in the house... just need to figure out what to do with the litter boxes so the kitties are not afraid of using it - maybe will have to move it to the living room temporarily. Will see...
I really really don't want to mess this up... For her, and for the kitties... I just want for all to be happy
Please keep vibes coming in...
I am so stressed out with this... I hope I am doing the best thing for her... and for my babies... They are all doing good, and no longer stressed out with her presence... on the other hand, she still hisses a lot whenever she sees them on the other side of the baby gate. She doesn't approach them, but they do get very close to the gate, and just watch her like a little kitty movie... It is very cute
Any advice on when to let her out would be much, much appreciated... I have never dealt with a difficult introduction before... With 2 very mellow Ragdolls, and one sweet as honey DLH, I did not go through this...
Thanks!
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post #25 of 32
11/9/10 at 8:26am
Don't worry too much about the hissing. Some cats just like to swear a lot, especially kitties who have had to fend for themselves outside.

Jennie hisses and swears all the time, the other cats pay not the slightest bit of attention.

I'd go ahead and start supervised introductions.
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post #26 of 32
11/9/10 at 8:32am
You are such a good meowmy, Carolina!! I do hope everything goes well. Your wonderful deed deserves to be rewarded with happy, purry kitties!! I'm glad Gracie is eating ssoooo much--poor thing. You and your babies are treasures in this world.
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post #27 of 32
11/9/10 at 8:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
They are all doing good, and no longer stressed out with her presence... on the other hand, she still hisses a lot whenever she sees them on the other side of the baby gate.
I wouldn't worry too much about the hissing (although only a few weeks ago the good folks here were saying the same to me. ). I've learned since then that Freya is a hissy-cat and that there are different types of hiss. There's "hiss" as part of the conversation and then actual angry hiss and the two sound very different. Keep an eye on the rest of her body language and it might help you figure out what type of hiss you're getting. For Freya, flicking ears and a crouch is just a hiss, but an angry hiss has fullblown flattened ears, puffed fur, flying spittle and a swat.

Sybil (and Cotton before her) just ignore the hiss, but they'll react to angry hiss. If your babies aren't reacting to her whne she does it, I think that's a pretty good sign.
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post #28 of 32
11/9/10 at 9:34am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ms. Freya View Post
I wouldn't worry too much about the hissing (although only a few weeks ago the good folks here were saying the same to me. ). I've learned since then that Freya is a hissy-cat and that there are different types of hiss. There's "hiss" as part of the conversation and then actual angry hiss and the two sound very different. Keep an eye on the rest of her body language and it might help you figure out what type of hiss you're getting. For Freya, flicking ears and a crouch is just a hiss, but an angry hiss has fullblown flattened ears, puffed fur, flying spittle and a swat.

Sybil (and Cotton before her) just ignore the hiss, but they'll react to angry hiss. If your babies aren't reacting to her whne she does it, I think that's a pretty good sign.
Definitely angry hiss here! Not a chatty part of the conversation
Alright, this is going to take a while! I brought the baby gate out to the corridor, and she RAN out the door, thinking she was going out in the house... poor thing... just to find out not quite yet
she has now a view of the corridor, a bit of the living room, and a lot more contact with the kitties.
It's been a hiss fest! The kitties are freaked out! There is no way she is coming out just yet! It was actually a very good move to bring the baby gate out a bit... Unfortunately it's as far as it will go, as it is resting on my bedroom door... I moved the litter boxes in the living room, and the kitties are a acclimated to it already.
Sounds like Gracie needs some more time on the other side of the gate - she is being very, very threatening to the kitties - there is not a minute that goes by without a hiss.
Ohhhhhhh boy
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post #29 of 32
11/9/10 at 9:38am
Good move Carolina. baby steps baby steps......
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post #30 of 32
11/9/10 at 11:26am
Can you put the other three in your bedroom for an hour or two for the next few days, and let her explore the living room while they're in there? That would spread her scent and allow her to really get used to theirs without direct encounters. Then you could put her in the bedroom, again for an hour or so to explore, while the others are in the living room.
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