Adopting 3 year old male cats that have always lived at the shelter

[sarabi76]

So, I am seriously debating adopting two beautiful brother cats (there are 3 brothers, but I can barely get 2 with my renting situation).  Sadly, they are 3 year old cats that have been at the shelter since December of 2010.  They have never lived in a home.  The shelter says that they aren't "the friendliest of cats," and I am guessing that is due to lack of socialization or living anywhere other than a cage.

Does anyone have tips on what I could do to help them be ok with me and my home if I adopt them?  I believe that they still have a chance to be happy and loved, and I would hate them to have to spend forever in a shelter.

There would be no other pets.  It would just be me, my 16 year old autistic son (he won't bother them other than by being loud at times), and the goldfish.  Any ideas would greatly help me in my decision making.

Thanks!

 

[vball91]

I think it's great that you are considering adopting older cats. I do feel so bad for cats who have only known shelters. Too many cats, not enough homes.

As long as you have patience with them and accept that they may not ever be lap cats, I think they will adjust to their new home in time. I would confine them to one room at first with all their necessities. Use a Feliway pheromone diffuser. Play classical music (especially harp music) softly. Spend time in their room talking softly or reading aloud. Just let them get used to you and learn to trust you at their own pace. Give them high places and caves to hide in and retreat to. When they're comfortable, you can start leaving the door open so they can explore, but let them retreat to their "safe room" when they want.

Who knows, they may end up being total cuddlebugs once they get over the shock of the move. Good luck.

 

[catspaw66]

You are an angel for wanting to adopt these brothers. I adopted Sheba after one of her owners died and the other went into a home. I have never regretted adopting her. She has turned out to be a very loving, silly companion.

 

[sarabi76]

So, I went to see the 3 brother cats at the shelter the other day.  It turns out that the one that I am not planning on getting actually lets people pet him, and there is someone interested in him; that makes me feel sooooooooo much better about only getting 2 of them.  Wade and Stormy (the 2 I am looking to get) are passive and ok with people in the room....they just don't want you to touch them.  When one of the volunteers opened a can of moist food they all came to attention rather quickly.  Stormy (the gray one) even sat on a chair and meowed for the food (that was encouraging to me).  When stormy was eating, I was even able to stroke his tale without it even flicking or anything.  Wade, on the other hand, was like...."no thanks, I will bolt if I even see you step closer," but he came over and ate

.  As Stormy actually "communicates," with people, I feel that he will be the easier of the two to tame down, and, hopefully, will help Wade to follow.

Ok, but here's my question.  If they get tamed down and good with being everywhere in the house and all, the litter boxes will be in the basement.  I was going to just start the cats down there (as their room) while working with them.  However, I'm wondering if that is too large of a space for them to have while working with them.  They can be really far away from me down there when I am with them.  Should I start them in a room upstairs, so there is less area?  If so, will they accept the litter boxes being moved to the basement later??  Or, is the basement better to start with because they'd have more room?

Any suggestions?  I am getting rather excited and anxious about getting them home...As they are not aggressive and they tolerate the presence of people, I think that I can get them tamed and happy.  I just want to do it correctly.

Aren't they gorgeous?  Wade is actually missing part of his back leg, but he gets around just fine.

Wade&Stormy.jpg

• sarabi76
• Sep 22, 2013

 

[jcat]

They're gorgeous and so lucky to have found you. Your question is one I asked when we had a visiting behavioral expert at TCS. Her reply is here:
Behavior of long-term shelter residents since birth/early kittenhood

As an update, some of those pairs I asked about have been adopted and have adjusted to their new homes and owners.

 

[ldg]

Oh what a love you are for adopting these beautiful boys!

I think the basement will be too large a space for them. :nod: I think a small space with hiding places - just as we use for socializing ferals - is the best way to acclimate them. Cats are all about territory, and the smaller the space, the more likely they will feel comfortable more quickly making the territory theirs. :rub:

It may be quite some time before you can move the litter boxes to the basement where you ultimately want them though, and I hope you're prepared for that.

You might want to read threads on socializing feral cats in the Caring for Strays and Ferals forum: http://www.thecatsite.com/f/9/caring-for-strays-and-ferals

There are tips and tricks to help them become accustomed to hands and associate them with good things. Stormy has a leg up on Wade, but I'm sure they'll both get there. :heart2:

 

[buckwheat]

They are both beautiful forthe. Liter try ATTRACT LITER it works I've move liter box. 3x's, and had no prob. Like someone said. They maynot be lap cats, but as beautiful as they are it would be okay. Get them their space, and. They may come around. Patience is the key lots of toys, scatching post, fresh water/food, and a fresh liter box.The environment will speak a difference from where they came from. Sooner or later they will know what you've done for the both something wonderful. Gud luck! Much. Congrats on your two new family members.

 

[catspaw66]

They are beautiful cats. Once they get used to being in your house, I am confident that they will become more mellow and loving.

 

[sarabi76]

Re: "Stormy has a leg up on Wade, but I'm sure they'll both get there.

 "  Wade might take offense to that, as he is literally 1 leg less than Stormy.    hehehehehehe

So, I am guessing they should be upstairs in the smaller room then?

 

[gloriajh]

Okay - we're seeing an ANGEL at work here!  I know you are an Angel for what you are doing!!

I agree with LDG - read up on socializing feral-born cats and you will get a pretty good idea of what you should expect to do as they socialize.

There's a lot of good advice here, too,  that's for sure.

Personally, I've found that whispering to them  is very productive.  After all, cats can hear the slightest mouse scratch in a wall - they can hear a bug and see it before we humans can.  I can whisper from another room calling out a cat's name and he/she or they come running.  If they hear me open the lid to the treat bottle I don't need to call them.  So, I whisper a lot around our cat family.  When I talk out loud feral-born would seem more fearful of me - so whispering seems to have helped a lot.

Getting them home - giving them their "safe place to hide" is another important ingredient.  In my case, I moved the sofa a few inches away from the wall and put (narrow) boxes between the sofa and the wall.  I put holes in the boxes so they could travel through the boxes behind the sofa, or hide there inside the box.  I put all my extra pillows on top of the boxes - makes for good storage.

And the key word is "patience", another word is "patience", and the most important word is "patience"  - then the loving will soon follow.  

Your boys are beautiful, and they look like they will become real good snugglers, too.

I wish you many rewards for what you are doing!

 

[ldg]

Re: "Stormy has a leg up on Wade, but I'm sure they'll both get there. :heart2:  "  Wade might take offense to that, as he is literally 1 leg less than Stormy.    hehehehehehe

:lol3: Ooops. Shhhhhh, don't tell Wade I said that! :anon:

So, I am guessing they should be upstairs in the smaller room then?

Yes. The basement will be overwhelming. "Space" will be scary at first, and they won't know what to do with "freedom." Of course - there's the possibility they'll take to it like ducks to water, but it's best to treat it as if it will be a (potentially) long period of transition. :rub:

 

[gloriajh]

Keeping them in a small space - like LDG said - is important at first.  Can you imagine being in a small room or a cage for 3 years and all of a sudden a new scary home, with new people in such a new large space?   Well, we all know that each cat is so different in its reaction to new things, I really hope that your boys will get over the "scary" part quickly and be happy.

A cat carrier is a good "home" space.  I leave my carriers out for them to crawl in and nap.  The carrier "nest" has their familiar scent as a "safe place".  

I think I can safely say that this practice has been pretty successful for me.  When I have to take them to the vet they go into the carrier without incident.

My last trip to the vet was with Gray for his GA groom.  While we were in the exam room and the vet was done checking him over, he went back into the carrier (it was on the floor) while we were talking.  Dr. Young just closed the door and said since he liked the carrier she'd just keep him in it, and off she and Gray went.

When I picked him up and we went home, I put the carrier back in the same spot, opened the door, and he meandered out - later going back in for a nap - not stressed at all.

 

[djoe]

Hi Sarabi! 

These boys are soooo gorgeous!!!!! 

Thumbs up for taking them in. (I hope their 3rd brother will be adopted; it would otherwise be so hard for him)

I got my cat (adopted) when she was 7 years old! We realized the bigger the space the more stressful it was for her. We thought taking her to the village house would make things easier; but boy she went crazy. In the end she had her room, with her litter box and food and toys... She slowly started adapting. It is very important to respect their privacy. If they seem like they need to be alone, then they need to be alone. 
Some cats want to be cuddled but only to a certain extent.

I think it mostly depends on the cat's character and past experience. Cats are good at adapting, so I guess you will need to be experimenting until you understand them.
My cat chose to hide out in the bottom part of the wardrobe, or inside the luggage! 

ofc, you will need to postpone things like brushing and cutting nails (if you do that yourself) and all that....(better be done at the shelter before you take them in).

It is important not to invade their space but also not to isolate them. 

Best of luck!

 

[ldg]

This is the advice given to a friend that adopted a kitty that had lived in a cage her entire life. I think she was almost 2 years old when she was adopted. The advice was provided by the shelter:

At the shelter where I adopted my cat, even though I live in a one bedroom apartment, they said that because she was kept in a cage for her whole life, at first, she would be terrified of any space much larger than a cage. I was told to keep her is a small space while she adjusted to her "'castle." I kept her in my bedroom along with her litterbox filled with the brand of litter she had used at the shelter. Same food too. Later, after she adjusted, I changed both to better brands.

While this is (mostly) normal advice (same food, potentially same litter), the difference is being aware of how they do with "space." :rub: You want them to be able to hide - but be accessible.

Do you have other cats? If not, you might want to use your bedroom. It will help them adjust to their new home - and you - more quickly. There's nothing less threatening than a sleeping human. :heart2:

Other advice by the same friend:

Check their poop while they are still in the shelter to be sure there are no loose stools ( food allergy, etc) issues. Have there been any litter box issues at the shelter? Why has it taken 2 yrs of such beautiful cats to be adopted. Is there a hidden issue she should know about? Knowledge is power.

If you do have kitties at home, it may help them to come out of their shells. After proper introductions, of course. :rub:

 

[aprilprey]

I would think a good tall kitty tree would help. Imagine having the urge to climb as all cats do - and not being able to!  If the tree was positioned right, I would think it would be nearly irresistible.  Maybe expanding their world "up" is less scary than a sudden expansion "out".

I wish you the best of luck and will look for updates.  I had a feral-type female cat years back name Panda.  Just don't rush them - let them take their time.  Don't be surprised if they wait until you go to sleep to check you out!  About a month after I brought Panda home...I awoke one night face to face with her as she had decided to sit on my chest.  That's when she decided I was "OK" I guess.

And the gray one looks a lot like my Dexter!

 

[sarabi76]

I haven't even gotten the cats quite yet, but I already ordered an awesome tree with 2 hiding places in it....1 for each.  I will keep it in "their room" while I work with them, and once they are able to wander the house, I will have it out near the large sliding glass door that overlooks the wooded backyard.  They should really like that.

 

[ldg]

And put up a bird feeder! Cat TV!

 

[ritz]

Great idea about the bird feeder.
You can also put out peanuts on the ground/patio for squirrels and chipmunks.
Deer love bird seed, too. I see them frequently bumping my bird feeder, trying to figure how to get the seed out. Note: deer have long tongues!
The squirrels, chipmunks and deer are eating more these days; they know winter is coming.

 

[sarabi76]

Just so everyone knows, they are actually out in the lobby area and stuff wandering throughout the day.  They are not in the cage all the time, which is a huge bonus.  They even have a cat tree there for them, and the size of my office (about 8 x 10) is just cozy enough for them to transition in (and about the size of the room they wander in at the shelter).  Sadly, I cannot start them off in my bedroom, as suggested, as my allergies would kill me; I am very allergic to animals.  Once they are tamed down enough to be ok with me "handling" them a bit, I will be taking them to the vet for a check up and then get those allergy drop things to put in their food.  As far as travelling, I was thinking that after I get them ok with me, and they start wandering more of the house and such, that I should take them to a couple places in the carrier, let them out, play with them, put them back in, take them home, and help them to learn that even though they will be travelling in a carrier, they still get to go back home with me.  Then, after doing that a couple of times, it may make the first vet visit easier.  I thought that maybe I could use set phrases like "going bye bye" and "going home" so that they would start to be less scared of travelling as their only time travelling will have been to take them from the only place they know over to my home.  Does that sound like it could help or just be a waste of time?  Any advise is appreciated.

 

[catspaw66]

I believe that the more you talk to your cats, the more they understand what you are doing.