I think I adopted a formerly feral cat... HELP!

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jseltzer

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Did not mean to start a new thread... I'm new to forums, too! Took many tries but changed my avatar, that's Roxie!
 

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Oh she's so pretty!    I think for these tortie calico's their varied and exciting coloring just keeps them from calming down.     I'm glad you talked to the previous owners but I agree it is best not to let them come over.     If she was bonded with them it'll make it harder for her to accept bonding to you and her new home.    If she was afraid of them, well same thing.     Best to just move forward.     But it is good they verified that she did have a skittish temperament all along.      I second others who've said if you can afford it it could be good for a vet to make sure she has no source of pain - and I'd suggest having her sedated while they do that as not to add to her anxiety.   Maybe a full body x-ray to check for breaks and a look at those declawed paws like Feralvr said.       I would caution that as long as she's growling do not approach her closely with your face - the risk to your eyes is real, not worth taking.
 

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Oh she's so pretty!   

      I second others who've said if you can afford it it could be good for a vet to make sure she has no source of pain - and I'd suggest having her sedated while they do that as not to add to her anxiety.   Maybe a full body x-ray to check for breaks and a look at those declawed paws like Feralvr said.   
:yeah:

AW - she is very beautiful. Not sure you read my earlier post but please check it out. Encouraging you to bring Roxie to the vet to have her declawed toes checked out, blood work, etc. There may be an underlying problem with pain.
 
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jseltzer

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I don't think I can get he to a vet, but I'll look into a vet that makes housecalls.... meanwhile, she's mad at me because I used the vacuum yesterday... my daughter was coming for dinner and I vacuumed the living room. On the happy side, she retrieved treats off my desk again last nite, and she's gotten treats off the cat tree I got her! She didn't like it much, but I laid on the floor with her for a bit last nite again, while she growled gently, and let her get quiet again. Also I had exposed a little more of her area by moving the blanket back, I moved it forward again to give her "privacy".Backing off a little to give her space. She did not eat the chicken baby food I left out last nite.

I'm NOT inviting the previous owner to see her, the husband suggested I get a "noose" to put around her neck to "reel her in"... even his wife said NO!
 
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jseltzer

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OMG sooo excited!! I've been working VERY quietly in my office, and Roxie just came out, sat by my desk and groomed herself!! Then she went and used the litter box, and now she's eating her dry food! Maybe my stubbornness is paying off? 

I so wish I didn't have to go to an appointment, just because I'd love to see how long she stays out with me! 
 
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jseltzer

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So I came home from my appointment, to sit in my office and make phone calls...Roxie was sitting on my desk, on top of my laptop/tablet... this is a first, she's out during daylight hours... She sat looking out the window, while I ate my lunch on the floor... I got up to move to the desk chair, and she meowed at me, got down and wandered around the floor a little then decided to go back into her hiding spot. This feels like progress, trying to not get ahead of myself... 
 

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I don't think I can get he to a vet, but I'll look into a vet that makes housecalls
A vet check is always a good idea when you adopt a new kitty. I doubt the previous owners took very good care of her. :(

I'm NOT inviting the previous owner to see her, the husband suggested I get a "noose" to put around her neck to "reel her in"... even his wife said NO!
Well, :sniffle: therein lies the trust issues with Roxie. She was probably mistreated if the husband gave that advice.
 
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jseltzer

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Today has been a big day! I spent a long time doing my phone work in my office with soft harp music, and a fresh plate of food. She didn't eat her canned food today, so I brought more. She stayed under her blanket the whole time. Before I left I sat on the floor to sort some papers and talk to her... then stuck my fingers in the saucy part of her food and offered it to her... she batted at me then licked it off her paw. I tried again and she retreated further in, so I got up and went back to my desk... in a few minutes she came out, and ate almost the whole plate while I was there, 2nd time today! Unfortunately, my phone chimed and startled me, which startled her, so she's back under her blanket! Feeling encouraged tonite! 
 

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Just remember small baby steps.  It all sounds like great progress.

On getting her to a vet, I have a few suggestions.  When I brought Marvin into the house, I had no idea how I would get him to the vet either.  I talked with my vet about my dilemma and they gave me an appointment on a day that they could be very flexible.  So if I manged to get him into the carrier, great, if not we would try for another day.  I made the appointment 2 weeks in advance.  I bought a large soft sided carrier from Amazon.  I began to feed Marvin in the carrier.  At first it was just right inside the carrier, then each day I moved the bowls back until he was fully inside.  On the morning of the appointment, I went in to feed him, I put just a few morsels in his bowl.  He went right inside.  I was sitting beside the carrier and had a small chair cushion near me.  As soon as he was inside, I blocked the exit with the chair cushion and zipped him up.  I then immediately covered the carrier with a sheet.  He was not happy at all, but calmed right down with the sheet.  My vet was really great with him.  I just dropped him off and they did his exam, shots and tests in small stages so not to overwhelm him.  I had told them he might need to be sedated, but he surprised us all and did really well.  I was heartbroken when they told me he had to return in 3 weeks for a booster shot.  Yet, I continued to feed him in the carrier and it was even easier the 2nd time.  I had also given Marvin some composure before his visit.  I thought he would be completely traumatized once we got home, but he bounced right back the next day. 
 
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jseltzer

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An upate... Brutus and Roxie have seen each other thru the screen a three or four  times... she's usually on the desk, once she was on the floor about 5 feet from the door. She growls and watches, he cries and trills. After a while one of them moves out of sight and he'll go find something else to do... I'm putting treats scattered on the floor a few feet from the screen and Roxie's been going for them and the ones I left on my desk and her cat tree.

I pushed the limits a little again today, laid on the floor with my hand just inside her "tent" (blanket and pillow hiding spot) then moved it closer and closer over the period of about 1/2 hour... millimeters at a time. I'd gotten my fingers all goopy with cat food first. She eventually laid on her side, growling quietly as if to say "I don't like you in here, but I"ll tolerate it".Her paws were stretched out, she'd stop growling, I'd wait a bit and move a little closer with my hand... she let me know she'd had enough when I was just a couple inches from her head. I talk softly and sing silly songs to her while we're doing this. At this point, I think consistency will be key, so she knows what to expect and gets comfortable with it.Thoughts, comments, advice are all welcome!!
 
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jseltzer

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New developments... I got an appointment for a mobile vet to come see Roxie on Monday.

Meanwhile I discovered that she has been sneakiing out of her saferoom, caught her at it this morning... she went into the bathroom and back into the tub. With a short amount of time to work with her, I managed to gently stroke the side of her face... she growled buy allowed me to do it. When I attempted to touch the top of her head, she lashed out and gave me a nip on the hand. I finally had to grab her by the scruff and take her back into her safefroom and shut the door so she'll stay put. Had to go back into her room to get something for work, and she just sat and looked at me, didn't try to run away.

Don't know if I consider this progress or a step back.
 

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So glad you have a vet coming to see her.  I hope that she gets a clean bill of health.  I would definitely just keep her in the safe room.  When Marvin has to be in his room, I often put the screen door up so he can hear the household and see out.  You can also stack 2 baby gates one on top of the other.  I tried just using one gate, but he jumped right over it!  Take it easy on the petting.  It seems to stress her out a bit.  Have you tried playing with a feather wand toy?  That's how I started with Shadow.  He loved the toy so much.  After awhile I started to put the feather onto his back and onto the top of his head.  He began to tolerate it and then I would move it back and forth like I was petting him.  I even moved it under his chin.  Once he loved the feather wand, I would move the feather wand towards my body and move my hand to his body.  Before he knew it, my hand was touching and petting him.  This is the wand I use http://www.drugstore.com/purrfect-feather-bouncer-cat-toy/qxp153290?catid=187043
 
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jseltzer

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I probably would not have attempted the petting except that I needed to get her OUT of the bathtub and had limited time, knew I would likely have to pick her up somehow. I'm actually amazed that she tolerated it as well as she did, granted she growled, but it got softer... somewhere in there, she remembers what it's like to be petted. I hated having to grab her like that but know she's much better off in her safe room.

On another note, my son who I swear is a cat whisperer, sat on the floor with her last nite, and put his hand out (without touching but really close) and she didn't hiss or growl or anything, just looked at him. He's visiting from WI, or I'd have him spend more time with her. Any thoughts on her lack or reaction to him?
 

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That is so great that you found a vet to do a house call! Also, maybe your son has a certain connection with Roxie and hope that he will continue spending lots of time with her. Sorry about her escaping from her room and you having to grab her that way. A slight setback but definitely not one to destroy all of your great progress. Keep us posted on the vet check! :vibes: :vibes: :vibes: :vibes:
 

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I hope all goes well with the vet visit on Monday.  Keep us posted. 

My DS is an animal magnet.  All forms just gravitate to him.  He pet sits for alot of people and pets that don't like anyone just love my son.  Animals can sense a carrying compassionate being.  Your son also doesn't have the emotional angst you have.  He is probably very calm.  I work and work with my feral, Shadow and make progress.  Then my son comes out and Shadow comes right to him.  He hasn't even seen my son in weeks.  Yet my son doesn't carry all the emotion that I do and is much more calm than me!

Hope Roxie continues to move forward.
 
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jseltzer

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UPDATE - The vet came today, a very positive experience, albeit expensive! She states that Roxie is much more confident than she anticipated from the history she got, and that's a good thing. She also suggested that Roxie may have been mis represented, and possibly misunderstood.  Heather and her assistant Jenny were able to draw blood to test for Feline Leukemia, they looked at her teeth, and determined that she's around the same age her previous owners told me. They didn't get to weigh her, but did discover large patches of missing fur on her hind quarters and belly and scabs... FLEAS! They checked Brutus and didn't find any scabs, but did find flea dirt. Both of them were treated immediately. The vet says that between the screen and the huge gap under the door to her safe room, Roxie knows about Brutus, and she's been here long enough that I should leave the door open and let them meet and she'll adjust at her own pace. (This of course not to happen until I get the negative test result) She says I should play "hard to get" just let her be, and stop trying so hard to be her friend. Let her have free roam of the house, make sure food/litter box(s) are available but to cut down the amount of food readily available so she needs to depend on me for the next source of food. If she hasn't improved by the first of the year, we may consider medication. She'll get vaccinated then, too. First I wait for test results... I had assumed that if she'd been spayed and declawed, she'd have been tested, but I agree with my vet, we should know for sure.
 
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