- Joined
- Dec 10, 2020
- Messages
- 8
- Purraise
- 15
Hi. New here. I adopted a cat 9 months ago. Dolly was born wild, rescued by the Humane Society when she was 1 year old. She had to have her right eye removed and one of her canine teeth. When she recovered, she spent about 9 months in foster care. They sent her back because they couldn't get her to let them pet her. She spent a few months back at the Humane Society. I adopted her when she was 2 years old.
Since then, I've let her do things at her own pace knowing that she needs more patience than anything. She loves to play with her wand toy and silicone teething balls on cloth elastic bands-funny story as to how that was discovered. She is able to eat around me. She has recently discovered my bed and she loves sleeping on it until I enter the room. She will sniff my hand and take a step back. She still is very skittish when I start moving around and she will run back into the bedroom and hide. And sometimes, she will sit and watch me even when I'm making noise.
I had a good routine for 5 months. She got food at the same times, I cleaned the litter at the same times, and I played with her whenever she showed interest. I met someone who spends every weekend here in my 600sq-ft condo-the small space makes it difficult to allow her to have a true safe space. This has upset her routine a lot even though I feed her at the same times and clean the litter at the same times. Being the concerned European person that I am, trying to make everyone fat, I always brought her food close to her so she would eat when he is here. Despite this, she spends most of her time under the bed even when we are sleeping.
Many people have told me that I am too patient with her and that I've spoiled her and now she doesn't feel the need to socialize. Some of the literature I read instructs to lock her out of her safe space which should train her to trust more. I am trying this but I can't help but feel it is wrong. It's been about a week. She started playing a little again after a week, but she sulks a lot, and goes to the litter less often. She has started meowing. Before I would get something like whisper of a meow when we play with the wand toy.
Am I doing the right thing? She desperately wants to go back into the bedroom, back to her favourite windowsill and back to my bed. I know she needs patience but if this isn't the right thing to do then I'm tormenting her and myself trying to be patient for no good reason.
Thanks,
Kris
Since then, I've let her do things at her own pace knowing that she needs more patience than anything. She loves to play with her wand toy and silicone teething balls on cloth elastic bands-funny story as to how that was discovered. She is able to eat around me. She has recently discovered my bed and she loves sleeping on it until I enter the room. She will sniff my hand and take a step back. She still is very skittish when I start moving around and she will run back into the bedroom and hide. And sometimes, she will sit and watch me even when I'm making noise.
I had a good routine for 5 months. She got food at the same times, I cleaned the litter at the same times, and I played with her whenever she showed interest. I met someone who spends every weekend here in my 600sq-ft condo-the small space makes it difficult to allow her to have a true safe space. This has upset her routine a lot even though I feed her at the same times and clean the litter at the same times. Being the concerned European person that I am, trying to make everyone fat, I always brought her food close to her so she would eat when he is here. Despite this, she spends most of her time under the bed even when we are sleeping.
Many people have told me that I am too patient with her and that I've spoiled her and now she doesn't feel the need to socialize. Some of the literature I read instructs to lock her out of her safe space which should train her to trust more. I am trying this but I can't help but feel it is wrong. It's been about a week. She started playing a little again after a week, but she sulks a lot, and goes to the litter less often. She has started meowing. Before I would get something like whisper of a meow when we play with the wand toy.
Am I doing the right thing? She desperately wants to go back into the bedroom, back to her favourite windowsill and back to my bed. I know she needs patience but if this isn't the right thing to do then I'm tormenting her and myself trying to be patient for no good reason.
Thanks,
Kris
