A new rescue

Good morning from Ireland. I have been enjoying the site...Three weeks ago I took in a new rescue. She had been saved as her newborns were about to be buried alive... Her kittens were ready to go and she needed a  home and i had room. Been rescuing a good few years now and feed an outdoor lad as well as my house cats. When I brought her home in a cat box, I put that inside a big dog crate and covered iy for privacy. The first to weeks went well. I hand fed her and gradually she started ankle winding and purring. Loves her food! Then a few days ago she started refusing to come near me.  Even for food and then she relocated to under my bed.... I am  off my feet a lot during the day so she hears me talking etc. she emerges for food and to use her tray but is not amenable to being petted and flees back to her safe place. My thought is that the "mumsy" hormones have gone and that this now is her real acclimatisation and reading your threads I am sure she will sort. Need to get her spayed but that must wait and there is no way she can get out. Pretty wee girl and a terrible thing folk do with cats over here. She is safe here and eating well. But never have I had a cat like this! We did pass on the stairs yesterday and she allowed a quick pet then was off at the speed of light

Hello, welcome to The Cat Site.

It's strange that she started off friendly and then backed off again. I wonder if anything has changed at home? Have you had guests or repairmen? Any new animals at home? 

If she hasn't been spayed yet she is probably going to go into another heat cycle soon, but that usually makes them more friendly.

Have you tried using Feliway? You can get diffusers that plug into the wall and mimic the hormones given off by cats when they feel safe and relaxed. (Don't worry, you won't be able to smell it)

Some of our other advisers will be online with more ideas for you soon.

Thanks and no changes here.. She was nursing her kittens when I took her in.Wait and see time and as long as she is eating and active not worried..interesting though...that she chose under my bed too... 

As I understand it, the first time she was in a foster home with her kittens, but later on kittens went to their forever homes, and she got relocated to you, for further fostering?

You had her in a dog cage in the beginning, and it went OK.  When did you let her out?   Did she become shy immediately you let her out, or after several days?

How much of your house does she has access?  Its often wise to let them be in one room more at a time...  So it feels the whole time as their safety zone.

And the cage,  her first safety zone, is it still accessible to her?

Had she met with your resident?   This is sometimes a help-   Although some fosters prefer the newbe is first accustomed to you, before they let them meet.  They want to be sure the ex-ferale does bond to the human.

StefanZ said:

 
As I understand it, the first time she was in a foster home with her kittens, but later on kittens went to their forever homes, and she got relocated to you, for further fostering?

You had her in a dog cage in the beginning, and it went OK.  When did you let her out?   Did she become shy immediately you let her out, or after several days?

How much of your house does she has access?  Its often wise to let them be in one room more at a time...  So it feels the whole time as their safety zone.

And the cage,  her first safety zone, is it still accessible to her?

Had she met with your resident?   This is sometimes a help-   Although some fosters prefer the newbe is first accustomed to you, before they let them meet.  They want to be sure the ex-ferale does bond to the human.

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Thank you for your caring.  You have a more complicated system there than in Ireland! This  wee girl is mine now. Her behaviour changed when  all the hormones associated with kittening and nursing left her body so now  we have the real feral. Slowly she will adapt and at her own pace. She is safe and eating well and using her tray so time now. She has chosen under my bed as her safe place. 

Sweetpea7 said:

 
Thank you for your caring.  You have a more complicated system there than in Ireland! This  wee girl is mine now. Her behaviour changed when  all the hormones associated with kittening and nursing left her body so now  we have the real feral. Slowly she will adapt and at her own pace. She is safe and eating well and using her tray so time now. She has chosen under my bed as her safe place. 

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I tried to analyze forward, if there was some shortcut.  Or somewhere where YOU took a shortcut too quickly...

But if its not so, so your analysis sounds very plausible.   And yes, its time and the everyday work which remains...

I agree, she will surely adapt in her own pace, and after some time, perhaps even years, she will be your friend.  Will surely remain shy to visiting strangers, but will be your cat and your friend, giving you her love.

StefanZ said:

 
I tried to analyze forward, if there was some shortcut.  Or somewhere where YOU took a shortcut too quickly...

But if its not so, so your analysis sounds very plausible.   And yes, its time and the everyday work which remains...

I agree, she will surely adapt in her own pace, and after some time, perhaps even years, she will be your friend.  Will surely remain shy to visiting strangers, but will be your cat and your friend, giving you her love.

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Again thank you; I was not actually seeking advice but sharing. I have had cats, breeding Siamese then rescuing, for ome forty years. Never ceases to amaze me the diversity of them.  Yesterday I called in at the small rescue I had her from and learned more of her story. Watching her eat now; on the alert, a few mouthfuls then check all round.. The wonder is that she survived at all.  Whatever she decides, fine by me now.  seeking nothing she does not want. Just to give to her now. Glad you agree re the hormones!  We females are strange critters at these times. !

Good for you for understanding her!  We have a former feral who allow a ten second head scritch every few days.  If we move wrong, he's gone - usually under the bed!  But he is a sweet boy whom we adore.  He's recently (after eight years inside!) taken to sleeping ON the bed during the day but if anyone comes into the bedroom, he's off again.  At some point, when he is a very old man, he may sleep with us, like the others!

Keep up the good work.  Would love updates on her progress.

Ondine said:

 
Good for you for understanding her!  We have a former feral who allow a ten second head scritch every few days.  If we move wrong, he's gone - usually under the bed!  But he is a sweet boy whom we adore.  He's recently (after eight years inside!) taken to sleeping ON the bed during the day but if anyone comes into the bedroom, he's off again.  At some point, when he is a very old man, he may sleep with us, like the others!

Keep up the good work.  Would love updates on her progress.

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Shaking my head here at  what these cats suffer. Waiting   now for some rapprochement between this one and my big boy cat of ten years and a total pet. There ha sbeen some vocalisation and always it is the new girl who races under the bed, tail between her legs. I am taking in a second " stray" in two weeks, a surrender who has been  a total pet and badly needs a home. Then the HOUSE FULL sign goes up! It was so lovely when she accepted loving those first days and I know she is capable of that.

Patterns of progress...She mews three times when she wants  food now. SHE has trained ME... watches the door. her escape route and me as she eats.. So wild and so lovely in her wildness and I think young. Each day now she has a little " mad spell" racing round and leaping. almost onto my bed now. The two of them are  into avoidance, well aware the other is there but not intending to do anything about it. Early days still and I am content with the situation. She is safe, well fed, clean. No more scavenging for food and being threatened. Pretty young girl.

Sweetpea7 said:

 
Patterns of progress...She mews three times when she wants  food now. SHE has trained ME... watches the door. her escape route and me as she eats.. So wild and so lovely in her wildness and I think young. Each day now she has a little " mad spell" racing round and leaping. almost onto my bed now. The two of them are  into avoidance, well aware the other is there but not intending to do anything about it. Early days still and I am content with the situation. She is safe, well fed, clean. No more scavenging for food and being threatened. Pretty young girl.

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That is a big step forward.   Her totale energy is no longer concentrated on just surviving.   Now she has excess of energy, and has a nice way to let the excessive damp pressure go out.  So to speak.   These merry galloppades are exactly the same as most young home cats have.  Especielly the inside only.

StefanZ said:

 
That is a big step forward.   Her totale energy is no longer concentrated on just surviving.   Now she has excess of energy, and has a nice way to let the excessive damp pressure go out.  So to speak.   These merry galloppades are exactly the same as most young home cats have.  Especielly the inside only.

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lol..  Last night she ALMOST ended up on my bed!!!! The other thing is her tail! Before even when she was letting me handle her, it was twitching, waving even when she was feeding. Now it is curled neatly round her haunch . Love her wildness though, and the way her ears move. Just letting her be now. Even if she gets no further than this, I am happy. She is safe and that is all that matters after escaping a madman with a spade intent on burying here and her babies alive. I get the occasional nose to hand , Beautiful eyes she has

Dramas here. I needed to worm her and my outdoor cat so sacrificed a precious tin of tuna..crushed a tablet into two saucers, Outdoor cat wolfed his but madam took one lick, glared at me then vanished under the bed. No way was I giving in to that or wasting the food or the meds... Later that day she was under the kitchen table so I tried hand feeding here with cooked chicken and got slightly clawed; accidental as she was cranky and hungry by then. Later the tuna was eaten but she was sulky . Two days later I realised she was coming into season. My poor old( neutered) boy cat has never heard this before and was deeply distressed and headed for the door so I let him out! Then the feral vanished. I was very unwell that night and heard all kinds of crashes and bangs.  All doors were closed etc and no way could she have got out but she had not eaten or used the tray , not even when I had been out all day.....searched everywhere.. decided she must have squeezed under the bathroom door and out through the upstairs window... ah well, nothing to be done. at least she has had good food and care all these weeks...went to bed and in my dreams a cat wailing.... and footsteps across the floor, searched to no avail then heard her again in the kitchen and finally found her under the table......so back to the routine now.... she runs under the bed, comes out for food etc etc etc 

Personally, I am glad she didn't escape. But only time will tell whether she adjusts to being inside. I think once she is spayed, the adjustment will go more smoothly, as the hormones are really wreaking havoc. (As your boy can attest to :lol3

Ondine said:

Personally, I am glad she didn't escape. But only time will tell whether she adjusts to being inside. I think once she is spayed, the adjustment will go more smoothly, as the hormones are really wreaking havoc. (As your boy can attest to

)

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She had in fact made no attempt to leave. A i thought she had gone I was not careful with the doors that day and was loading the car there for market. She clearly had decided the food is good etc. There is no chance of spaying her yet as I cannot catch her. My poor NEUTERED boy! He shot out of the bedroom, ran round in circles on the landing then  tried every door in the house in turn.... She has settled now and back to living under the bed and enjoying her food immensely which is good to see

We literally had to trap one of our inside cats to take him to the vet. He refused to be approached, so we ended up feeding him the trap until he was comfortable. Once he was, we set the trap. He'd been trapped before, so he was wary but we finally got him.

Make sure you put a pee pad under the trap. He peed himself (and the carpet in the room!) when the trap sprung.

Good luck with her!

And time goes by,, when it looked as if my cat would not return, i also promised a home to a year old neutered boy whose family were moving and could not take him with them. A house cat this one. When I went to collect the wee girl I met him and he is a comedian. So this week I went and brought him home. Such a difference dealing with a tame, friendly cat!. Too friendly at times as his first day he leapt onto th ebed where ny two home cats were fast asleep.. They were not impressed to say the least.. But the wee feral is emerging more now so I have cats at every step and am loving it. Total is 4 indoor and 1 outdoor. The outdoor follows me everywhere when I am out; I was picking blackberries early today and falling over him all the time. The new boy has changed the whole atmosphere in the house. Strange creatures they are! 

Sometimes they can be ambassadors and other times catalysts! We'd had both and eventually things settle in. Thanks for the update!

Fascinating morning here! The feral decided to come out and PLAY! I got a chin rub on my hand....such a pretty playful wee cat she is. And new boy is hilarious. He has been totally spoiled as an only house cat. Slowly the pecking order is emerging. Everyone got raw chicken this morning and are sated and happy.  LOVE having so many cats again... I know it will be erratic still but that is part of the charm for me. Having a new cat who love to be petted is sheer bliss...

A belated update; busy times here. Well I now have five cats in all. One outdoor who would love to be indoor but his antisocial tendencies preclude this. He follows me everywhere outside; wraps round my ankles and when I am out picking berries, lies down in front of me. Upstairs, my two regulares. Girl a total house cat now and she shows signs of ruling all the others as the pecking order develops, Her brother is indoor/outdoor and was seen twice nose to nose with one of the new comers.....Downstairs. the wee feral girl, Indoor totally.She emerges when hungry and wraps round my ankles, purring; else if looks could kill! And the currently indoor house pet rehomed boy who is a total softie. Walks up my legs with no claws out... tries to steal food,,, lovely to have such a gentle boy who loves to be petted at every turn and has no aggression in him. Unlike the wee girl who I would not trust with my fingers. U had forgotten how playful and energetic young cats are. wee feral girl was seen batting an onion round the kitchen floor.. A happy bunch we are and I was given sacks of sawdust which mixes well with the sand for litter. We had one serious episode of wrong peeing but that is sorted now... oh and I saw the two new ones curled up asleep together so that is grand too.