Northern California has suffered some terribly devastating wildfires that have left whole communities destroyed. Hundreds of cats perished but an amazing number of them survived. Many had seared ears and paws, long hair scorched short, whiskers burned off. I cried every day I witnessed yet another injured and now homeless cat pictured on the rescue sites.
I recently adopted one such feline who lost home and family. She was well under a year old when the Camp Fire hit Paradise in 2018, and subsequently spent the next year in various rescue groups, and finally in a shelter, hundreds of miles away.
She was deemed to be aggressive and withdrawn and as such, was considered nearly unadoptable and I was up for the challenge. I love calicos and torties and she was too beautiful to be left without a home.
I have made great strides with Pyrra in the three weeks she has been here. She has gone from terrified to allowing me to pet her, she has taken to sleeping on the bed with me instead of under it, she has met some of my other feline family with some success. So much for unadoptable!
However, since she has lived in a cage for her first formative year, she will not play. She will bat at things, and seem interested, but she will make no effort to get up and chase. I've tried laser lights, all manner of toys, and some success with my homemade chicken feather on fishing line toy. Still, she will make no effort to get up and move.
It seems to me she would be happier and less likely to be depressed if I could just get her to move around a bit. My other cats spend their days chasing butterflies and each other and climbing our fruit trees, and I know how important exercise is for our wellbeing, feline or human.
Any suggestions on how to get her more interested in getting up and moving, or should I just be patient and give her more time to to adjust and decompress?
I recently adopted one such feline who lost home and family. She was well under a year old when the Camp Fire hit Paradise in 2018, and subsequently spent the next year in various rescue groups, and finally in a shelter, hundreds of miles away.
She was deemed to be aggressive and withdrawn and as such, was considered nearly unadoptable and I was up for the challenge. I love calicos and torties and she was too beautiful to be left without a home.
I have made great strides with Pyrra in the three weeks she has been here. She has gone from terrified to allowing me to pet her, she has taken to sleeping on the bed with me instead of under it, she has met some of my other feline family with some success. So much for unadoptable!
However, since she has lived in a cage for her first formative year, she will not play. She will bat at things, and seem interested, but she will make no effort to get up and chase. I've tried laser lights, all manner of toys, and some success with my homemade chicken feather on fishing line toy. Still, she will make no effort to get up and move.
It seems to me she would be happier and less likely to be depressed if I could just get her to move around a bit. My other cats spend their days chasing butterflies and each other and climbing our fruit trees, and I know how important exercise is for our wellbeing, feline or human.
Any suggestions on how to get her more interested in getting up and moving, or should I just be patient and give her more time to to adjust and decompress?
As you said, she is making progress, no more sleeping UNDER your bed.
. Patience is a virtue!
