I have to take this matter into my own hands. . . please advise

Your doing such a wonderful job with Ms. Cockshutt! And, what a fantastic surprise to find out she is not a feral cat at all ! Very loving. I do wish you good luck getting her into the crate tomorrow. What I usually do, even with friendlies, is to leave a carrier in their safe room at all times and feed them inside the carrier in the beginning so they get used to going in and out of the carrier. On the day of their vet appt., I put a very small amount of extremely tempting food inside the carrier and then just close them inside once they go in to eat. Of course, this is usually how I do it with a more frightened cat that I cannot pick up. Hopefully your Ms. Cockshutt will not give you too much trouble. Another option is to swaddle her - wrap her in a towel and then gently place her in the carrier, releasing her in the towel and quickly closing the door.

As for introductions, we have many, many great suggestions/tips. An article to get you started and get you prepared for introductions to Ms. Tabi. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

Thank you Ondine, AbbysMom, and Feralvr.  I much appreciate it.  And thank you for the "intro" link Feralvr.

I will keep yas posted.

This morning I placed the carrier with open door in her room and placed her kitty treats inside.  I have decided to stave off the appointment until tomorrow as I want her to get used to the carrier and hopefully being inside to get the treats will make it easier to get her into it.  I'll keep you posted.

KateFriday said:

This morning I placed the carrier with open door in her room and placed her kitty treats inside.  I have decided to stave off the appointment until tomorrow as I want her to get used to the carrier and hopefully being inside to get the treats will make it easier to get her into it.  I'll keep you posted.

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Yes - good plan. Also, feed her in the crate for today. Give her an early dinner tonight and nothing more. Take the food away. Then, in the morning she will be hungry, use a yummy treat, small amount of fishy canned food or even a small sardine to get her inside the crate, then just close the door quietly. Off you go to the vet. I have one cat that has never been good about going inside her crate for vet visits. I actually leave a crate out all the time now and the cat's take turns sleeping inside, except for that ONE. :lol3: I always have a bit of nerves when I know her vet checks are approaching. GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cross:

Thank you Feralvr, it's working!

My husband suggested that I give Ms. Cockshutt a few more days to socialize with me and to take your advice and feed her in the crate.  I will definitely be taking her to the vet on Monday as this is working well.

YaY! I am so truly pleased with Ms. Cockshutt! When I brought her dinner, she was very loving and wanted nothing but pets. While stroking and scratching her and giving her shoulders a massage, she started to lick my hands, and pawing at them and mouthing them with her teeth but NO biting or clawing! AND she had finished her breakfast at the back of the carrier. I placed her dinner at the back of the carrier after praising her for eating her food.

Also, she has been learning how to play! She chases a feather attached to a ribbon and she also surprised me when on her own, she scooped up a fuzzy mouse and tossed it into the air and played with it, batting it all over. . . she has not used the scratching post yet, so I placed the feather and ribbon on it. It has a toy hanging from the top off a wire, and the post has holes in it that have catnip in them under the carpet covering the post. Joe made this scratch post for Ms. Tabi and he made one for Ms. Cockshutt too. I am sooooo thrilled with the progress that Ms. Cockshutt has made thus far and surprised at how fast she is making it.

As soon as Ms. Cockshutt is medically cleared on Monday, Joe said he will make a screen door for Ms. Cockshutt's room so she and Ms. Tabi will be able to see each other.

Wow - she really seems to be extremely friendly and warming up nicely. You may even be able to pick her up by Monday. But, still, I would plan to place a very small amount of food in that crate so she goes inside the carrier herself. I don't use a lot of food at all on vet day because then it will just be a huge mess if the cat thrashes around and/or is mildly upset after you close the door. And, just know, that bringing her to the vet will in no way set back the trust you are building. In fact, it will do the opposite because YOU will be bringing her back home to safety. It will increase your bond.

Yup - use the catnip to get her to start scratching on the appropriate surfaces. Also - in regards to stand up scratching posts, make certain that they are tall, sturdy and won't be pulled over. Those small sisal scratchers that you see in the stores or online are useless for cats if they can knock over and they are not sturdy and strong. They will just avoid ever using them again.

The screen door is the perfect plan for the next step in introductions. This way the cats can see each other but not interact or touch. Only when there is no more hissing/growling or whatever do you move to the next stage. You can even put Ms. Tabi in Ms. Cockshutt's room for 30 minutes and then allow Ms. Cockshutt to investigate the other part of the house at the same time. The slower you go, the better. The more time you spend acclimating them to each other's scents and seeing each other from behind that boundary before one-on-one interactions, the better.

Good luck Monday !!!!! :cross:

Ms. Cockshutt was secured inside the carrier without a hitch!  I took her into the SPCA and told them the circumstances, also telling them that as much as I have socialized her, she is still a very scared kitty and to take precautions while handling her as she tends to scratch and bite when she is afraid.  To my surprise when they opened the carrier door, she came out and charmed them and looked for some pets.  She has been enrolled in the "Foster to Surrender" program, but will be adopted by me when she's finished the process of the program.  Today she has been given de-worming treatment, and de-fleaing and given the first of her vaccination shots.  It will take a few weeks before their vet can access her and spay her.  To the best of my knowledge she is not pregnant, but I am not a vet.  What I think is that she is so infested with worms and parasites that she is bloated.

When we returned and she was once again in her room, she came out of the carrier, and was standoff-ish for all of 5 seconds, and came to me for pets and I put more food in her bowl.  I totally cleaned her litter box and she was eating when I left her room.  I imagine she will  have a good long nap now.  I was told that I could put up the screen door in about 3-4 days.  All is good thus far.  We are all so pleased.  btw she only meow'd once on the ride to the spca, and stopped once I started to sing to her.

That's wonderful news! I'm glad it went so well.

Thank you so much for the update.  She is a lucky little kitty!

Thank you so much AbbysMom and Ondine.  I am just so pleased that this is working out so far.  I pray that when Ms. Tabi and Ms. Cockshutt  meet face to face, it's just a matter of slapping each other in the head and carrying on with bonding.  

As for Ms. Cockshutt being lucky, I think I am very lucky too as she seems to be quite adorable.  She was very tired this evening, but that's to be expected.  She played a little but otherwise just wanted to be cuddled after she ate.  She loves a lot of petting and I'm sure she's to be a lap cat, whereas Ms. Tabi likes less petting and will never be a lap cat, so this would work out well between the two.

I love Ms. Tabi with all my heart too, we adopted her 3.5 months ago from the Foster Program via the SPCA.  She had been a stray with kittens on the streets of the city back in March.  My sister fosters twice a year and everyone wants a kitten, so I told her I would take the mama and when she was ready, Ms. Tabi came home to me.  She is absolutely adorable.  She is a very very good cat and she claimed me as her staff very quickly lol.

Thank you all for your kind words and your support and advice.  Your input has been invaluable and so appreciated.  I will be sure to keep you updated on how things unfold.  Joe will be working on the screen door tomorrow and we'll install it when we feel the time is right.   

p.s. I'm very glad my Christmas tree ornaments are plastic!!!!!   As you all know, Christmas Tree = Major Cat Toy . . . and I don't use that tinsel foil icicle stuff either as cats tend to eat that stuff.

KateFriday said:

p.s. I'm very glad my Christmas tree ornaments are plastic!!!!!   As you all know, Christmas Tree = Major Cat Toy . . . and I don't use that tinsel foil icicle stuff either as cats tend to eat that stuff.

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First off - I am SOOOO thrilled to hear how well Ms. Cockshutt did in the carrier AND at the vet's office. What a complete love. My three feral kitties that are now four years and socialized are no where that brave at the vet's office. I think you found a real gem. :heart2: :Ruby:

As for the Christmas tree. :lol3: We have not put up our large tree is three years because of the kittens and have only put up a few small trees that we have in boxes. BUT - this year, I think we are going to FINALLY put up our big tree. Will see how long it stays up. It really doesn't matter how old kitties are as they want to EAT that tree and get into mischief. :lol3: Would we want them any other way??!!

Hi Feralvr!  Ya, I am thrilled also about how this is all unfolding.  Joe is making the screen door right now. . . Ms. Tabi has been watching him like a hawk while he measured Ms. Cockshutts door frame lol

Good luck with your big tree!  What the heck eh, as long as it's anchored to the wall and there's no glass involved, it will be a Merry Christmas for all.  My sister has 7 cats and every morning she gets up  to a new arrangement on the tree lol!  She has one particular cat that actually lays himself along the branches and just lounges there lol   . . .no, I wouldn't want them any other way.  They are so comical, I can never get mad at them.

We had this old speaker wire that is coated in rubber, hanging around in the laundry room, that isn't hooked up to anything.  Ms. Tabi found the end of it and little by little pulled it out as she attacked it . . . so when I go to the laundry room now, she comes with me to keep me safe from the "snake" hahahahahaah  I just recoil it near the laundry room door so she can pull the length of it out again while attacking it.  

Well, the worms are dead. .  and she had but 1 flea and it popped off not long after she came home from the vet and I killed it.  I'm still waiting on the spca to call me in to see the primary vet with her.  I have no confirmation on her being pregnant or not, but I don't  think she is. . . . perhaps she's bulked up because I've been feeding her since July.  This isn't the season for cats to be pregnant is it?  I see no changes in her belly and she isn't losing fur on her belly like I've had happen to pregnant cats in the past.  I don't know, she may even just be bulked up AND have a ponch because she's already spayed?  The vet will have to figure it out I guess.

It should be an interesting afternoon when the screen door is finally in place.   I will be in the room with Ms. Cockshutt and Joe will be on the other side with Ms. Tabi.  We just want to be able to smooth talk them until we see how they initially react to one another with just a screen to separate them.  He's using metal screening, but I just want to help keep them calm until the initial shock is over.  I pray this all works out, I really do.  I know they'd both benefit if they became friends.

I've been lurky on this thread for a couple of days; I'm so pleased with the progress Ms. Cockshutts has been making.
I'm surprised the vet wasn't able to determine if Ms. Cockshutts was pregnant or not; I guess that shows you how much I don't know about pregnant cats.
You're right in that now is not the typical time for cats to get pregnant. But it depends in part on opportunity (male cat) and I think unseasonable warm weather.

Hi Ritz, well, I just recently found out that cats can get pregnant at any time of year if there's a Tom around, I learn something new every day heh.  As for the vet, I have enrolled Ms. Cockshutt and I into the "foster to surrender" program with the SPCA.  They were pretty disorganized when I went in with Ms.Cockshutt and the vet was not on hand as they are only there on designated days.  I guess it was a vet assistant that administered Ms.Cockshutts shot and worm and parasite treatment.  I was then told that I would get a call to bring her back to see the vet on a designated day.  They told me they take in 200-300 cats a month and I understand the reason for the lack of organization.  I'm sure the only reason why they could help is because I am willing to foster her and her possible kittens.  The program would put all kittens through the medical process of shots and spay and neuter and put them up for adoption at local pet shops, and Ms. Cockshutt would be housed at the SPCA at that time if I weren't going to adopt her myself.  The entire Brantford Ontario area has reached epidemic proportions with this stray cat problem unfortunately.  Even the feral cat organizations have full houses.  My blood boils over this problem, no cat should be left out in the wild.  They are all domestic animals.  This is a man made problem that is out of control.  Sorry, I'm venting lol

Ms. Cockshutt and Ms. Tabi have been doing good with the screen between.  When it was first installed, they met at the screen and touched noses.  But otherwise, Ms. Cockshutt keeps her distance from the door and Tabi sits or lays at the door looking in.  No hissy fits or cawing or howling or poufing up to a duster size going on.  If she is indeed pregnant, that room will be off limits to all except Ms. Cockshutt, myself and her kittens.  

Well, I must scoot, I have piles of snow to get out of the lane! (bad-words-go-here!)

Hello Kate,

I've just read through this entire thread for the first time.  Each development was a pleasant surprise: trapping her so readily, finding she didn't freak out when in a room, getting so much loving from her,  working on getting her used to a carrier, the ease of the first medical visit, thinking perhaps she's not pregnant after all, you found a special kitty and she found a purrfect home, for sure!

Then Ms Tabi progressing from howling and scratching to sitting next to the door, and I chuckled when you wrote she supervised the door measuring for the screen ha haa.

Slowly, slowly, step by step, you are making such terrific progress!

She doesn't seem interested in being an outdoor kitty either, which is super.  With all this cold and snow, you must be so relieved that you got her in when you did.''

It is interesting how climate change impacts Nature.  Fifteen years back, here in Rhode Island USA, female cats went in to heat 2, perhaps 3 times per year.  Now, they go in to heat 4 times year and as you learned, can become pregnant all year round. 

I hope you realize how special your Michael is, too.  Helping with all the needs to make Miss C feel comfortable and at home, making the screen door and so on. 

I will keep an eye on this thread, it is wonderful to see your progress and watch this development!

Hi Freedom, thank you very much.  It has been a journey, as I had expected and knew it was sure to be, when I thought about trapping her successfully.  Yesterday I gave her some private time and closed the door for a little while so she could rest.  If she is indeed pregnant, I have to keep her stress level down to a minimum.  But the screen was back in place over night.  I plan on doing everything slowly, and of course if she is pregnant, it will have to be even slower.  I don't want to cause any stress on Ms. Cockshutt or her kittens.  I do know that stress can kill kittens even after birth.  

It seems when having the choice, Ms. Cockshutt prefers a pate wet food over the grilled gravy variety lol. . . it would seem she has claimed me now and I am a shoe in and have become "staff" hahahahahaha  Ms. Tabi's nose is a little out of joint when I leave Ms.Cockshutt's company, but never for too long.  I always manage to do for Ms. Tabi what I have always done and give her what I have always given her, so it is my hope that she will eventually learn that nothing in her life has changed since Ms.Cockshutt has been on board.

As for my Joe, he is one of a kind I tell you and that's why I am marrying him, come June, I can't let this one get away heh.  I am taking him out for a nice lunch today in show of my appreciation and every time I say "thank you" to him, he simply says with a smile, "you owe me" lol  He's been off work due to carpel tunnel surgery, so if this all had to happen, it was good timing as he also keeps Ms. Tabi occupied when I slip in and out of Ms. Cockshutt's room.

There's one thing I did learn yesterday, Ms. Cockshutt liked her outdoor shelter better when I removed all the shavings from it and just put a towel on the bottom of the box.  She got inside and sat down and looked out at me.  Perhaps with it being inside now, it's too warm with the shavings.  I don't know if I was imagining things yesterday, but I thought I could see her smiling.  I know cats do cry, but I am not sure about smiling.  

I will close for now and bid you all a good day and will keep ya's posted!  Thanks to everyone!

Hi all. . . turns out Ms.Cockshutt was de-wormed for Round worm.  She still had rice popping out of her bum so I called the SPCA and was told that she now needs to be de-wormed for Tape worm.  I have picked up the tablet and will crush it and put it in a small amount of her wet food and make sure she's eaten it all before giving her the rest of her dinner.  I will be feeding her late so she is good and hungry and yesterday I bought a new flavour of wet food that she really liked, so I'm sure she won't mind having it twice in a row.

Both my kitties get a little wet food for breakfast and dinner, but they always have a bowl of crunchies on the go and fresh water every day.  I like to have a couple flavours of wet food on the go so they don't have the same one twice in a row.  They wet food they get is Fancy Feast and the dry crunchies is Friskies.  A vet told me that Fancy Feast will not cause crystals in their urinary tract and I've never  had a problem with that.  Cats don't drink a whole lot of water, so I feel it's important that when they do take a drink, that it is fresh.  They have glass dishes as the same with dogs, the enzymes in their saliva will break down plastic and they will eventually start to ingest it.

p.s. I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat rice again! hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha  . . . and Joe wants chicken stir fry with rice for dinner tonight . . . THE HORRORS! hahahahahah ewwwwwwwwww

Uhhh........yeah. Eeeeoooo is what I say too. 

Totally gross. I mean I've adapted to getting poop on me, vomit, cleaning wounds, whatever, but nothing comes close to those little disgusting squirming things. I hear ya!!

Oh - yes - YUK on those tape worm segments...... One treatment and they will be all gone though. Very easily eradicated !!!!!! I second the Fancy Feast canned. I use it quite often in rotation with my crew. Perla, my pickiest of the pickies in the world, practically lives on the stuff and does extremely well.

It is very good to hear that you have the backing of the SPCA IF she is pregnant which I hope she is not. There are already way too many in need of homes. Still, wonderful that you have become a foster and that they will take care of the kittens and finding homes. I hate to mention this and would never suggest it for Ms. Cockshutt but many times, at least, with feral female pregnant cats they go ahead and do a spay/abort if she is early on in the pregnancy. It is SO very hard and very sad but sometimes it must be done because there are just too many already overloading the shelters and not homes for all of them. A sad reality. I tried to find back in your earlier posts as to why the vet didn't go ahead and do the spay as she was SO friendly when the vet examined her and the timing would have been right. I see that the vet wanted to wait to asses her if she were pregnant? I hope she is not.... :cross:

Keeping up those vibes for Ms. Cockshutt !!!

OMG There was a MONSTER in Ms.Cockshutt!  This thing was HUGE!!!! She's GOT to feel better having that out of her little belly now.  I couldn't believe the size of it, really!  And I just know someone would say they've seen them bigger.  OMG that poor girl.

As for her first visit to the SPCA, she did not see the vet as the vet and I don't know why.  All they said was they would call me to bring her in.  I have been told that if she is in fact pregnant and the vet feels that spaying and aborting is an option without detriment to Ms. Cockshutt, then indeed that will be done.  I realize the "why" only too well, especially living in this part of Ontario and seeing the numbers I've seen when it comes to stray and feral cats.  I think it's inhumane to leave a cat in a cage for onwards and upwards of 2 years and feel that euthanasia is a better route should that be the case . . . so in the meantime, she is chillin' and playin' and layin' in the lap of luxury lol  As mentioned, Ms. Cockshutt's forever home with be here with us.

I opened a window in her room yesterday just a crack to let some fresh air in and again she scooted to the other side of the room to the door.  Had the door been open, I'm sure she would have been gone into hiding somewhere else in the house.  As soon as I closed the window, she came back to my side. . . she really doesn't want the great outdoors any more, that's for sure.

Again, thank you so much for all your input and experiences.