First time to try and rescue a cat

kittyperson

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Gee, I don't know if you could over dose him. I guess if he starts to act drunk……kidding. 

My rehab friends keep telling me to relax. They remind me that this is not a house cat YET. So, I should relax and be happy because she will eventually be happy.

My best to you.
 
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nic22

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Spartacus had his neutering done two weeks ago and has made a full recovery. What a drama getting him in the carrier though we ended up putting a towel over him and picking him up and putting him inside after spending 2 hrs trying to entice him in.

I have been using the spirit essences since he came home but I'm not sure if it is that, the operation, time or a combination of everything that has helped. His meowing has pretty much stopped thank goodness he no longer keeps me awake most of the night and we are actually able to have around 40 mins of play time each night before bed. He then comes up to the top step and waits for his treats which he now eats out of my hand, he is so gentle the way he takes them its almost as if he is afraid to bite me.

We got rid of the ramp that was in his room because i kept hitting my head each time i cleaned his room, he now has what we call his play station that we made for him on the weekend.

We still have the baby gate at the top of the stairs to keep both Spartacus and our dog separate but they are able to see and smell each other and he eats his dinner on the top step. We no longer keep him locked in his room at night and his new favorite spot is the couch. Still no petting but i will leave it up to him for that, today i was lying on the other couch and he came over and started swatting my foot without using his claws. He makes me laugh so often and so happy we haven't given up.





 

shadowsrescue

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Thanks so much for the update.  It seems that Spartacus is settling right into your home.  Once the hormones settle he will be even calmer and possibly more affectionate.  Give him a good 6 weeks. 

A tip for trying to pet him is to get a wand toy with a feather on the end.  Nothing too big.  The best one I have found is from drugstore.com   It appears to be out of stock right now, but the wand is about 30 inches long and the feather isn't too big or puffy.  Begin playing with the cat and get him very interested.  I would take the feather and put it about his head.  When he is really into it, you can begin to touch his body very softly and gently with the feather.  This will get him used to being touched.  Do this for about a week.  When he seems ok with the feather touching him ( at first he may freak or not like it but keep trying) you can begin to pull the feather and wand towards you and your hand in its place.  At first the cat won't know it's your hand and will enjoy it so much.  I did this with my Shadow.  The process took about 2 weeks.  The key is using a shorter wand so that you can sit close.

Keep the updates coming!!
 
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nic22

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Thank you ShadowsRescue, i tried looking for a wand toy similar to the one you described after watching an episode of My Cat from Hell but couldn't find anything so i ended up getting the one in the photo, i will have a look at the site you mentioned and wait for it to come back in stock.

I was reading another thread and saw a photo of your Shadow and just have to say what a beautiful cat.
 

shadowsrescue

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I found the wand on Amazon.  It was a bit cheaper on drugstore.com But here it is   We have gone through loads of these wands.  My inside boy, Jake loves them and often tears the feathers off.  All 5 of my cats just love this toy. 

Shadow is my dear sweet feral I rescued over 4 years ago.  He is also in my avatar.  I just love him to pieces and he has come so far.  Still doesn't want to be an indoor cat, but does come inside for visits. 
 

ondine

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Good work, nic22.  What a miracle with a little time and patience makes!

I love that cat tree.  Where did you get it?  I can see my crew all over it!
 
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nic22

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Hi Ondine, thank you my husband and i built it on the weekend, we want to add a tree stump somehow but i think we will have to wait until after the winter. If you would like to build one i can private message you how we did it, it wasn't hard as long as you have the tools.

Thank you for the link ShadowsRescue i'll have a look now, amazon may be easier for shipping as i'm in Canada.

Nicole
 

ondine

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Wow!  I am impressed.  My arthritis would prevent me from doing it myself but if you don't mind, I could show the plans to my son, who is handy with tools.

Honestly, though, you should think about selling them.  It is gorgeous!
 
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nic22

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Thank you so much, i said to my husband he should sell them but he said they would be too expensive with all the love he puts in lol, i will send it to you later today or first thing tomorrow
 
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nic22

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Spartacus is starting to feel a little more a part of the family i think. Around a week to 2 weeks ago he started meowing constantly through the night but we couldn't work out why then one night we were asleep and my husband woke me up to tell me Spartacus was upstairs, i got up to check and sure enough he was on the other side of the baby gate. I gave him a couple of treats and he went for a wander around even helping himself to a couple of dried dog biscuits and then went back downstairs. After a few nights of this we decided to put the gate just across his room so the dog can't get in but let him wander where he wants and the meowing has stopped so i think he was lonely.

We kept our dog on a leash for a couple of days to make sure he wouldn't chase after him, there have been a couple of hisses when Musky puts his nose to close but thats all and Spartacus now sleeps upstairs in the spare room. He still likes to be downstairs during the day but hopefully he will decide to come up during the day as well.

 

vball91

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Aww, look at him now! Playing and using the scratching post and looking so comfy on that bed. You both have done a wonderful thing.
 
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nic22

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Thank you, its amazing the little things that he does makes me so happy. He loves his scratchy pole everytime we play he uses it before trying to catch his toy.:lol3:
 
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nic22

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Thank you, i tried to order the toy you suggested but they don't ship to Canada, i did manage to find some similar from amazon.ca so hopefully he will start to enjoy his petting for the moment he still doesn't like it but we will get there.
 

shadowsrescue

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Thank you, i tried to order the toy you suggested but they don't ship to Canada, i did manage to find some similar from amazon.ca so hopefully he will start to enjoy his petting for the moment he still doesn't like it but we will get there.
Have you tried enticing him with baby food; Gerber stage 2 chicken or turkey?  It is often called "kitty crack"  as cats just love it.  You can start by giving him a small taste on a plate, then putting some on a spoon and having him approach you to eat it, then moving to having him lick it off your fingers.  My cats go crazy for it!
 
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nic22

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No i haven't tried it, i have read about it but i can't find Gerber stage 2 here, i've looked at Walmart, target and also at the grocery store. There seems to be a huge variety of Heinz baby food, Do you think its worth giving that a try?
 

shadowsrescue

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No i haven't tried it, i have read about it but i can't find Gerber stage 2 here, i've looked at Walmart, target and also at the grocery store. There seems to be a huge variety of Heinz baby food, Do you think its worth giving that a try?
I don't know about Heinz, but as long as it is just turkey/chicken and water you should be fine.  You just don't want any added spices, salt or onions.  I did buy another variety and my cats wouldn't touch it.  Some times it is called Gerber Stage 1.  Here is a link to what I am talking about

http://www.gerber.com/allstages/products/puree_baby_food/2nd_foods_meats_chicken.aspx

Maybe you could order it from Amazon if you can't find anything similar.
 
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nic22

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A quick update, Spartacus is settling in well and spending more time upstairs regardless if we are up or not. The other night i was on the couch he stopped in front of me cleaned himself a little then wondered off to his upstairs bedroom.

We have a new addition to the family a German Shepherd puppy, my older dog is not happy about the situation so spends most of his time with Spartacus rather than the puppy.

I was a little concerned with the pup but it turns out he is better than Musky, the other night i was putting him out to the toilet and didn't see Spartacus under the table i said stay, he stopped, Spartacus ran away and then i let him go i was impressed that he actually listened. Each morning i make him sit with me while i feed Spartacus so they get use to each other, its kind of funny but this big dog is scared of him.

Here are some pics of Spartacus upstairs playing with one of the dogs toys and waiting or dinner.



 

lrosewiles

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What a gorgeous boy, and great job socializing him!   I see in one of your earlier photos he has what looks like a squeaky bird that chirps when he bats it?  We have two of those (among many other toys) for our 3 rehabbed kittens and they particularly like to bat it around and make a noise to wake us up for breakfast time if we sleep in!  I can see Spartacus becoming one spoiled cat.

I wouldn't worry about your new dog being scared of him.  Years ago I adopted an abandoned black cat (Fuzzy) and she was dominant over all the dogs she met, including a large Great Dane (Sox) who we 'house minded' one summer while his people were away.  Poor Fuzzy had been de-clawed by a previous owner (horrible thing to do) and couldn't have hurt him, but Sox still wouldn't pass her on the stairs, where she used to like to lie and block his passage, very funny.  After a few weeks they settled in and started to play together, even slept together in front of the air conditioner when it was very hot.  Their favorite game was she would sit on a kitchen stool and swat at him, he would "laugh" by lolling his long tongue and galumph around to the other side of the stool and come back for more!  I knew Fuzzy wasn't really annoyed because she could jump up on the table or go anywhere else in the house, she just enjoyed teasing him!  She was "the boss" as I bet Spartacus will become too. Fuzzy and Sox became such great friends I would take her over to visit him (she loved going in the car) and his people would walk him over to visit us sometimes; they would great each other like old buddies.   (Story's end:  Fuzzy was re-adopted by loving folks in my apartment building when I moved to the east coast and lived many more happy years - I got regular updates until she peacefully passed away at a ripe old age, still the boss of dogs)

thanks for bringing back those happy memories, and for your awesome care of handsome Spartacus (great name by the way).
 
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