Brought in a stray much sooner than I had planned

[gloriajh]

What a wonderful update!
Find that battery charger !!

 

[ldg]

Find the battery charger!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peachy is one lucky guy. I expect his lack of interest in play is mostly because he was outside for so long. Whenever we have new rescues inside, unless they're young kittens, they usually want to sleep and eat for quite a long time - enjoying just being... safe.

And then loved.

His mouth must be feeling SO much better with all those painful teeth out!

FYI, there are several completely toothless kitties here at TCS, and they do just fine.

Hopefully he'll be able to keep those he has left though now that he's in your care.

 

[kitkaturday]

Originally Posted by MaryInBoise

So, I am hoping that some of you here might be able to offer some advice, and give me your insights.

I have a full grown cat that I had seen around the apartment complex for at least three years. I always thought he was feral because he was unapproachable. But by happy accident, about 6 months ago, my husband was cleaning fish on our patio, and the smell enticed him. I offered him some cooked fish, and he began to come around regularly in the morning and the evening to be fed.

Not long after this, my conclusion that he was feral changed to the conclusion that he was an abandoned or lost former pet because it didn't take long for him to warm up to me and hubby and he really loves being petted. He will headbutt and get up on his hind legs to reach my hand for some ear scratching.

We have slowly been working on getting him inside, but anytime we have brought him in, he has freaked out, (by that, I mean scratching wildly at the door and yowling). I was hoping that with time and patience we could get past this. But then something happened that forced my hand. Our city got hit with some arctic weather that dropped temps way below normal. Last night, with the wind chill, it was close to zero. So, when he came for his afternoon meal, I catnapped him. I used a towel to pick him up (which surprisingly, he didn't resist too much). I brought him into our bedroom (I don't have a spare room.) I had the food, water, and litter set up. Of course, immediately the meowing commenced. He's not really yowling. Instead he's doing a loud meow at about 2 second intervals. You would think at this point, his little voice would be croaky and hoarse!

I have another cat, Sasha, who was a feral kitten that I was able to tame, and that went completely differently --I'm guessing, of course, due to the fact that she was feral. (I am keeping them separate, although they actually have met briefly at the patio door, and they instantly got along, giving each other head butts.) But I digress. Taming Sasha was a completely different experience, so I am at a bit of a loss on how to deal with my new boy (we haven't given him a name yet). Here is what he is doing: he will do his meowing thing, but I can go in the room, pick him up and set him on the bed. If I start petting, eventually, the meowing subsides, and he starts getting really affectionate (major bread kneading and head butting). He will go to sleep, but then after awhile, he starts up with the loud meowing again. I was actually able to lay next to him on the bed for a couple of hours and nap last night.

My husband and I took turns lying in the bedroom with him, petting him despite the meows, while the other one took the couch for some sleep. (We were joking that it was like taking care of a newborn baby.) But here are my questions (sorry about taking so long to get to them):

1. Should I let this cat back outside when the weather gets warmer? If I do, will it be likely that he will never come back again?
2. How long will this meowing go on? Is there anything I can do to help him get past this stage?
3. Should my husband and I continue to take turns keeping him company, or should we let him alone for awhile?

OMG, my little Shunra made exactly those noises, like a hoarse wailing, when we first "tricked" her into coming indoors. I thought my heart would break, I'm tearing up just remembering how terrified she was and how helpless I was to explain to her that it was really for the best. Poor little baby. And with such pointy claws that I couldn't even sweep her into my arms and just cuddle her, either!

It took time, but everything worked out. The wailing stopped after a few hours, maybe a day, not that it helped, because she was still so terrified that I myself couldn't function at all, just overcome with how scared she was, and what could I do (not much). It took a few days for her to even move from the initial high perch she ran to, panicked, when she realized she was trapped indoors (at the top of the stairs to the attic). Eventually she got hungry enough and came down at night, when she thought no one was awake, to eat (and poop). After a few more days, she officially moved into her temporary home Under-The-Bed, and spent a couple of months there. I don't know how many hours I lay there with her, squeezing under the bed, singing off-key choruses "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...", and reading the day's headlines, anything, to get her used to my voice.

Two years later, she's a happy, purring kitty who kneads on me for half an hour at a time till she falls asleep, with her head burrowed deep into my side. She doesn't much care for other people and will probably never be socialized, but what's important to me is that she feels safe and warm and snuggly. I can't describe the elation the first time I heard her purring - after more than a year indoors. By then I had given up, I just thought she was one of those cats that doesn't purr. Actually, she has a purr so loud I wish I could tape it and sell it as a relaxation aid.

It will take time, but everything will be fine (and the initial wailing, that is so heartbreaking to hear, will stop pretty soon, although the cat will still be quite scared for a while). I never thought about putting the cats back outdoors (there are two, one came in earlier and much less traumatically), and today they would certainly not be able to cope with life outdoors whatsoever. Shunra lost all her teeth within a couple of months of being indoors, and if she had continued to be outside, I don't think she would have survived. Of course here at home she gets medical care and proper food, and is thriving.

The first few days are awful, I know, I am reliving it as I read your post. Terrified kitty, human anxious about whether she made the right decision, it's an extremely difficult time. But it will work out, and you just have to keep reminding yourself - this little kitty won the stray cat lottery, to have found a human as good as you, who took her in and will see to it that she has good food and love and a warm place to snooze for the rest of her life. Keep reminding yourself that you know things that she doesn't realize, that she will never have to be outdoors in the cold trying to find some shelter under a car or between two buildings. Kitty lives in the moment, and at the moment, she's terrified. But you did the right thing and she will soon become accustomed to living well

.

 

[addiebee]

Good on you for helping Peachy-boy! For his mouth, ask the vet about Biotene Veterinary products. They have helped cats with inflamed mouths on here... mine included.

 

[reginakitty]

GOD BLESS YOU and YOUR HUSBAND

for rescuing this boy!
He was crying for fear, his mouth hurt and who knows....
He was talking to you!

We have 7 cats - 2 of the 7 were born outside and both rescued
around one year or so old. They are joys and adjusted fantastically.

Your new boy will continue to be a charmer - he would have died a slow
death out there - but you came along and saved his life!

You both are wonderful!

 

[lovewhiskers]

I have no idea how I missed this thread! What a gorgeous loving sweetheart of a kitty boy you have there. I am so very happy that he came into your family

I can only imagine how much better his mouth feels...