Bonafide Brand New Cat Lady!

I'm a brand new cat lady! I'm also somewhat computer illiterate, but please have patience I can learn!
In June I adopted Snowball (aka Spastic Kitty)from outside. As a kitten he used to live across the street, but he grew up & the family lost interest in taking care of him. Then my neighbor took him in, but during the winter tied him outside to their open porch because he always meowed and then just let him run loose. My husband & I began feeding him as soon as the people across the street showed that they couldn't be bothered. I was concerned about adopting him as we have two big dogs & I'm allergic to cats.
When I saw him in the summer with scratches on his nose from getting in fights, thin & dirty I had had enough. The dogs knew Snowball from looking through the door at each other and kleenix is cheap so I went to my neighbor and suggested that maybe I could adopt him. She agreed.
A trip to the vet (neuter & shots)a week of slow introductions and voila we have a new (little man) in our family. And now that he's clean he's a handsome fella.
In August we picked up Bluebell (Boo) from our city pound. She's a blue lynx point Javanese. She has fit in perfectly to our little family and I don't regret adopting either one of them at all.
I now have 2 dogs (1 stray 1 owner released) 2 birds (SPCA) and my little feline buddies.
I don't have a digital camera (working on that)so unfortunately can't show pictures.
Love the site. From reading through some of the forms I see a lot of caring people out there.

Welcome to this site and it is nice meeting you and your animals . That was really nice that you took care of that poor outsite cats . Did you made him a insite cat now ?

welcome aboard! i think that it's wonderful that you've taken in all of those animals that needed good homes!!! i'm new here too!

Amanda

Welcome to the site! It is so easy to become a "cat lady", especially when you see the little one in such desperate need. Kudos to you for taking the chance to adopt Snowball! His life, and Bluebell's, are much better because of you. And I would dare say that it goes both ways.

Hello and welcome to TCS to both you and your furrbabies (not forgetting your husband).

What a wonderful thing you did by adopting Snowball and Bluebell. I'm sure they are very appreciative of you for that.

Take care and we hope to hear more about your family.

(Don't worry about the computer illiteracy, I'm still learning to as are many others.)

Nice meeting everyone! It's like having an extended family with lots of furry cousins!

PurrfectCatlove;

Both Snowball & Bluebell are inside kitties now. I designed & hubby built a large pen in backyard (14long x 4wide x 6high) with lots of ramps and platforms at all different heights. We also let the grass grow quite long so that they can lurk about & stalk bugs (favorite pasttime). Every day (sometimes twice) when the weather is nice we carry them out to their country villa. They seem to know when or they let us know when it's time to go out and wait eagerly at the door for the "trip". Plans are in the making for a kitty bridge that will go from the bedroom to the pen so they can come & go at will when weather permits.
I'm not going to try to train them on a harness & leash. Poor Snowball was tied up for so long (in all types of weather with no protection) that when he even sees a harness he hides. Since we have the pen (which will be expanded as we get more supplies) and lots of toys (after work it's PLAYTIME!) I don't see a pressing need for a leash at this time (who knows in the future).

Welcome! Sounds like a fantastic enclosure! Lucky kitties.

Welcome to TCS!

Oh that is such a sad story. I am so glad that your kitties have a wonderful owner (you) to look after them now and love them like they deserve.

I think your kitties just won the lottery! Welcome to TCS!!

Hi and welcome - I'm new too! That 'play pen' really is a country villa - lucky pussas.

Its so nice to hear that people are willing to take someone else's 'disposables'. I dont know how anyone could look into a cats eyes and not feel anything?

Welcome 'Home' to The Cat Site!

Welcome to TCS! Hope you like it here as much as I do!

That is great that you have a playpen for your cats , I am sure they will enjoy that . I do have a cat enclosure with the conection to the house and my cats love it very much I think I have to start a thread showing my enclosure and what we addet on

I would love to see your kitty playpen! As ours is still a work in progress ideas are always welcome.

Carrie

Hint from Spastic Kitty to Boo
"Dog blankets make perfect hiding places to wait for victims. They won't notice the bump...honest"

I am a newbie too. I have two sometimes adorable sometimes make me want to scream cats. Missy came from a neighbouring farm. She is like our firstborn and is totally spoiled. We had to get a second cat after I went back to school and my bf was working all the time. Missy started going a little nutso from the lack of attention so I went to the pet store to pick out a companion for her. There was 6 or 7 of the cutest kittens you ever did see and I had one picked out when this little black puffball came barrelling out of nowhere and started beating on his siblings, I knew right then and there that was the one for us. Missy was, sorry, is territorial and we needed a kitten that could hold his own. For being the runt of the litter, Chubbs gave Missy (short for Miss Priss if you can guess why) a run for her money. Now the two of them are inseperable. They are the best of friends and enemies at times. When we have company they come to watch our cats 'perfom' instead of visiting! Because Chubbs was the runt of the litter he had a respiratory problem when he was little, now days you would never guess that he was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand when we first got him!

Hello and welcome! A sad story with a happy ending, I love happy endings!

EEEEEEEK Paradise has a snake! Snowball will sleep on the love seat (opposite ends) with Bluebell,I've seen both play together, and they both enjoy sitting (at the same time) on the carpeted kitty platform we built in front of the kitchen window looking outside, but...
At least once a day Snowball gets this odd look in his eye (expanded irises, almost makes eyes completely black) and will stalk Bluebell (on occasion he stalks the dogs or hides under a blanket & swipes at our feet). It looks like play at times, but when Bluebell says that she's had enough he won't stop & starts to get even rougher.
I think that some of it might be misplaced aggression. He looks out the living room window & sees other cats on "his" turf. When this happens he becomes frantic to go outside (free, not in pen)& when he can't he chases Bluebell around the house. One time they both ran over me and my scratches are still healing (injury not on purpose though). She ends up hiding in the basement to take refuge.
Most of the time though, they seem to get along (sniffing noses)& he is a lovable boy. They've only lived together for a month so maybe they need more adjustment time.
I'm going to get some feliway & hope that helps.

Hi Welcome to TCS, very glad that you found this place