I was adopted by a stray cat 9 months ago and have some questions.
My kitty, Houdini, was sitting outside my apt. building last July and she followed me into my building complex (I live in Brazil, where most of the buildings are walled in with courtyards and gardens in the entrance.) I took her in, fed her and then the doorman called and said the cat's owner was at the front door and wanted her cat.
I gave the cat back, but scolded the woman for letting the cat roam the street - she said it had escaped. Three days later, the kitty was back in my building and followed me in. I kept her and nine months later, I think she is a happy cat. She has lots of food, water, toys, scratching tower, catnip, and a fenced-in yard with netting so she can't get out. This netting is very common in Brazil since people live in buildings and animals jump out windows and balconies. She is not very affectionate, but sleeps with me and will let me hold her and pet her. Houdini appears to be a Bengal (appearance, characteristics).
I took her to the vet down the street, who recognized the cat and asked why I had it. Turns out that the woman who had come looking for the cat was a horrible owner. She did not have netting on her 3rd floor windows, let the cat roam the streets and climb trees (always getting stuck) and the vet had rescued it a few times. The vet castrated the cat, but it escaped and they found her in the tree two days after the surgery. Neighbors also say that this cat was also found roaming in the garden several times, but this woman always came to get the cat.
So, the first 6 months of the kitty's life was not very good. The problem is that I don't know what really happened to her in this period, such as abuse or medical issues. She was starving when I adopted her - she ate like crazy for the first months.
My questions:
1. Will she always be a skitty kitty? Sometimes when I walk out of one room into the room where Houdini is, she gets startled and does the Halloween cat stance (arched back, big eyes) and runs.
2. When she is out in the yard and comes back in, sometimes she seems startled that I am in the apt. and runs.
3. She gets these wild moments where she runs all over the apt and yard non-stop.
4. She absolutely freaks out at the vet. I took her to a vet specializing in cats. It is so bad that the vets won't touch her since they are "scared of stressing her out even more" She hisses, yowls and claws at anyone, including me. Even with Feliway and calming chews.
5. Is this startled reaction normal? I don't want to stress my kitty out.
6. Is this vet's reaction normal? She wasn't eating her normal amount of food and I was concerned. The one vet touched her quickly and said that she couldn't feel the ribs and then weighed her. She was the same weight. They said to switch foods.
Her feces/urine are normal. She does not eat all of the wet food I give her. She will eat 1/2 the serving. She inhales the Science Diet kibble.
I don't know if I am being a worrywort, but the animal care and resources here are not as good as the US. I just want to make sure she is ok.
Luckily, we will be moving back to the US soon and I can take her to a good vet and she will get a new friend to keep her company. I don't want to move two cats.
any advice? Thanks, Houdini and Tammy
My kitty, Houdini, was sitting outside my apt. building last July and she followed me into my building complex (I live in Brazil, where most of the buildings are walled in with courtyards and gardens in the entrance.) I took her in, fed her and then the doorman called and said the cat's owner was at the front door and wanted her cat.
I gave the cat back, but scolded the woman for letting the cat roam the street - she said it had escaped. Three days later, the kitty was back in my building and followed me in. I kept her and nine months later, I think she is a happy cat. She has lots of food, water, toys, scratching tower, catnip, and a fenced-in yard with netting so she can't get out. This netting is very common in Brazil since people live in buildings and animals jump out windows and balconies. She is not very affectionate, but sleeps with me and will let me hold her and pet her. Houdini appears to be a Bengal (appearance, characteristics).
I took her to the vet down the street, who recognized the cat and asked why I had it. Turns out that the woman who had come looking for the cat was a horrible owner. She did not have netting on her 3rd floor windows, let the cat roam the streets and climb trees (always getting stuck) and the vet had rescued it a few times. The vet castrated the cat, but it escaped and they found her in the tree two days after the surgery. Neighbors also say that this cat was also found roaming in the garden several times, but this woman always came to get the cat.
So, the first 6 months of the kitty's life was not very good. The problem is that I don't know what really happened to her in this period, such as abuse or medical issues. She was starving when I adopted her - she ate like crazy for the first months.
My questions:
1. Will she always be a skitty kitty? Sometimes when I walk out of one room into the room where Houdini is, she gets startled and does the Halloween cat stance (arched back, big eyes) and runs.
2. When she is out in the yard and comes back in, sometimes she seems startled that I am in the apt. and runs.
3. She gets these wild moments where she runs all over the apt and yard non-stop.
4. She absolutely freaks out at the vet. I took her to a vet specializing in cats. It is so bad that the vets won't touch her since they are "scared of stressing her out even more" She hisses, yowls and claws at anyone, including me. Even with Feliway and calming chews.
5. Is this startled reaction normal? I don't want to stress my kitty out.
6. Is this vet's reaction normal? She wasn't eating her normal amount of food and I was concerned. The one vet touched her quickly and said that she couldn't feel the ribs and then weighed her. She was the same weight. They said to switch foods.
Her feces/urine are normal. She does not eat all of the wet food I give her. She will eat 1/2 the serving. She inhales the Science Diet kibble.
I don't know if I am being a worrywort, but the animal care and resources here are not as good as the US. I just want to make sure she is ok.
Luckily, we will be moving back to the US soon and I can take her to a good vet and she will get a new friend to keep her company. I don't want to move two cats.
any advice? Thanks, Houdini and Tammy