Pawley - and all of us - could use your vibes

[goholistic]

Hmm...interesting about the litter boxes...definitely seems like some sort of scent / territorial / defensive behavior. I wonder, with Pawley being a stray/feral for however long, he is associating them peeing as territorial spraying? And/or maybe Pawley is trying to assert/develop his status among the others? 

Caesar used to do this to Sebastian until Sebastian had enough and kicked Caesar's a-double-s. 

  What is it with cats not liking closed doors?! Mine freak when I close a door. For the first four months after adopting Sebastian, he used to go around and open all the closet doors by pulling the bottom out with his paw (they are the v-fold doors on a track). I'd come home from work and every door would be open. 

  Anyway, maybe Spooky and Pawley will be best buddies! Maybe it was just a matter of the right cat coming in and being just what she needs. 

  Just another reason you and Pawley crossing paths was meant to be.

 

[sweetthangtx]

I can't help but laugh when I picture him whapping noses in the litter box. What makes cats so much fun is that they are all so different. All of the new cats that we have integrated into the house cat mode have been obsessed with litter boxes and their contents. As soon as one cat gets out the new one goes in and "landscapes". One of our newest ones, Sunny, is obsessed with droppings.

Pawley is a character. I'm so glad to hear that he has a friend. I could tell by the photo that he was in a playful mood. Please keep us posted. I'm always glad to hear what he is doing.

 

[feralvr]

AWWWWWW - Spooky :shocker: !!!!!!!!!!! What a love and I am so glad that she and Pawley have that wonderful connection. :bigthumb: It really is an awesome update overall except for the litter box whapping issue. I mean, especially when the crew is trying to accept him into their territory. I hope that (and think :nod that as the days go on and Pawley settles in more, feeling secure and established, then this behavior will stop. I certainly hope so. :cross: :cross: :cross: I have that problem with Wendall. He only will stalk the litter box when Perla is using it. I did have to put another box in another part of the house just for her. So she has a few options to do her business in private, away from the menace!!!!! I honestly think that what you are describing is a common issue/behavior with multi-family kitties. A BAD one - but is common. Not sure how to stop it other than as you say, redirecting them if you catch them in the act. With Pawley, maybe just moving towards him when you hear someone in the box will be enough to teach him to stop. I don't think that he will become afraid of you, sweetie !!! I think he is a really, really smart kitty and will figure out that momma doesn't want this new behavior.

He is still figuring things out. It is all new to him and he is trying to find a way to fit into the social dynamics of the home. HANG IN THERE!!!!!!!!!! Things couldn't be going any better other than that. :bigthumb: BE GOOD, PAWLEY !!!! :rub:

 

[jodiethierry64]

I just LOVE Pawley!!!!!!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Any Pawley updates??  So hoping all is going well.

 

[feralvr]

Any Pawley updates??  So hoping all is going well.

Yes - we want the details of the going's on over there the past few days !!!!!!!!! It has been TOO quiet here in the thread and you need to share !!!!!! (demanding, are we not?????!!!!! :bigwink Give that little litter box menace a little kiss for me.

 

[ldg]

Things are going AWESOME!

Well - knock wood.

To "solve" the attacking cats in the litter box problem, we started closing the crate at the late night meal and keep it closed until after breakfast - that's when most of the cats use the box most frequently. :lol3:

We'd done that one night, and the next night Flowerbelle went to the box when Pawley was in his crate for the late night meal, but I hadn't closed it up yet - and I heard screaming. He'd cornered her in the box, and she peed herself and got litter stuck all over her tail and behind. But when she was screaming, I "stomped" over there, said loudly "Pawley, NO!" And I lifted him out of the box (he doesn't like being picked up), put him in the crate, closed it all up - looked him in the eyes, and told him that he's being locked up at night until he stops attacking the other cats in the litter box.

:dk: That's the last time it happened. Though we are still closing him up at night, we'll probably stop that again soon.

He doesn't mind - he loves his "home" there. So much, we were worried about integrating him into the "rest" of our home (such as it is ). But little by little, he's coming out and exploring a little more.

I was making dinner last night, and glanced over to see if he was in his crate for the meal - and didn't see him at first. :lol3: He's usually up in the front dash - but he wasn't there!

I know it's not a good photo, but... When I'm standing up - it's not so obvious a cat is on that chair under there. :lol3:

_Pawley under crate 140328.jpg

• ldg
• Mar 28, 2014

(Yes, Sheldon is fully charged! ).

And he's been exploring a bit - he hasn't been on the cat trees yet, but he did investigate the window seats behind the trees. Billy did hiss at him when he checked out the short cat castle in the corner - but I was making dinner, and that is where Billy eats. Billy just sits on the tree platform closest to the counter while I'm making the meal. Pawley doesn't get intimidated when the others complain about him - though he did decide he'd head back to his crate to wait for dinner.

He LOVES playing!. He really enjoys toys with some kind of feather attached, and will play by himself for quite a while. :rub: When he tosses the toy outside of the crate (so long as it's that farthest door, towards the dash), he'll just run out and play with it there. He's tossed them out down onto the floor, and a number of times he's *almost* jumped right out after it. I'm sure he will soon. In the meantime, I'm leading him a bit with the wand toys.

Little by little.

Now that we see him moving around much more, we're starting to think his injured leg is in pain at least sometimes, as he doesn't just limp. Sometimes he doesn't set it down and favors it - though when he's lying down tossing around a toy, he uses it without issue (it just doesn't bend other than at the ankle). :heart2: In this first picture, the straight leg out front is his injured leg.

But mostly - he's VERY curious about everything. He has the cutest head tilt. He lets us know when he wants pets - both by murpling and by reaching out with his paw to "grab" our hand - but with no claws. He is SO gentle. We feed him treats, and he takes them SO carefully. :heart2:

_Pawley chillin 140327.jpg

• ldg
• Mar 28, 2014

_Pawley close up 140327.jpg

• ldg
• Mar 28, 2014

_Pawley pretty eyes 140327.jpg

• ldg
• Mar 28, 2014

 

[goholistic]

Look at him! So handsome!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Thank you so much for the update.  So happy all is going well.  He is just so adorable and I love the picture with all of the cat just lounging.  They all look so peaceful.

 

[jcat]

It's great to hear (and see) that he's settling in so well.

 

[jodiethierry64]

So Sweet!
Now Pawley, you let your brothers and sisters go potty!!

 

[feralvr]

_Pawley pretty eyes 140327.jpg

• ldg
• Mar 28, 2014

BE STILL MY BEATING HEART !!!!! :heart3: AWWW, Laurie, what a beautiful, beautiful boy. Gorgeous, striking yellow eyes. He LOOKS so healthy too now. I just can't get over it. Love can make miracles and this is one amazing love story. I know, I keep saying that. :lol3: But, you can see the love in his eyes that he has for you and for his new family. :heart2:

I am picturing you stomping over to the box. POOR Flowerbelle. I have a feeling that Pawley is extremely smart and wants to behave and be good. I know he will give this up, the litter box attacks, if he has not already. :cross: :cross: :cross: He is still fitting in, :nod: and figuring everyone out and trying to find his place in the social order. That is all. Once he is established in ranking and feeling secure in his "spot", then this behavior will (or has) cease. :cross: KNOCK WOOD. :lol3:

I had a good laugh at Sheldon and his charged up eyes. You captured the perfect picture which shows us that Sheldon will be the last one to welcome him fully. BUT, he will, in time. :nod: Your doing such a great, great job integrating Pawley into the swing of things and your kitties ALL know that you have their back and will make things progress as best and as smoothly as you can. FANTASTIC UPDATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bigthumb: And, LOVE LOVE the ix:

Better add in a few of these for good measure. BE GOOD, Pawley :rub: and YOUR SO SWEET!!! And some more for his leg poor little man, but he is SO lucky that you and Gary saved him (and you truly did. :heart3

 

[sweetthangtx]

Pawley is gorgeous. That last photo looks like he is giving you the "slow wink".

I was so excited this week because one of our grouch colony cats let me pet him. My euphoria didn't last long. Last night he was sitting up on the rail on the deck and I reached out a hand to him. ' low and slow'. He put himself into reverse when I did so and I moved away because if he backed up any more he would have run into the gate.

On well. He's still a ypung cat, there may be time to get back go that. Too bad that I am not such a youngster anymore.

Keep us posted on his progress. He is my favorite soap opera now. Lol.

 

[ldg]

:lol3: Pawley - Reality TV in the RV.

 

[sweetthangtx]

We feed our colony cats on a table outside the back door. I have two colony boys that get special food. Sometimes I have to call for them several times before they show up. I got a little surprise tonight when I opened the back door and saw who was eating at my table.

It was a gorgeous raccoon who was not at all worried about me being at the door. His head is
the size of a basketball. I know that we feed skunks from time to time and there is a possum that we have watched grow from a mangy looking little mess to a really good looking possum ( if there is such a thing )

The raccoon is sort of scary. He is three times the size of any of the cats. The skunks and possums are wary of us but Rocky was totally self confident. I don't think we have a trap large enough for him or I would try to relocate him. Heck, we have
Probably been feeding him for two years now. Does that mean I have to TNR him? Just kidding.

I hope that PAwley's leg doesn't hurt him too much. Cats are so stoic it is really hard to tell. Let us know how that goes.

 

[lrosewiles]

Oh beautiful Pawley, what a handsome guy. LG I am awed by the limited space you have and yet so much given over to your kitties.  Reminds me to stop complaining about having five in a small house, and especially four of them often on the bed so we can't move ... who else has problems getting out of bed because of disturbing cats sleeping on you?

Raccoons, hmm.   I have a young one (Harley) who visits us from time to time and I do put out a dish of leftover cat food when I see him/her up in our lilac tree.  Probably shouldn't do that, but he/she is no problem and doesn't bother our cats, nor comes so often as to be dependent on our feeding, it's just that when Harley shows up I figure he/she is hungry and appreciates a meal.  I've seen him/her come down to eat it and then move on.  Our cats have seen this and don't seem to mind, there's never been a bad interaction.  I think it's just due to this terrible winter that Harley has been looking for extra food from time to time. I don't think raccoons normally need feeding and it's probably not a great idea to make a habit of it. 

 

[ldg]

It's been a couple of weeks, and things haven't changed too much.

We open his crate in the morning and close it at night. I think we're about to start leaving it open at night, because for the most part, he doesn't leave during the day, even though all the doors are open. He gets adventurous at the late night meal, and is usually out of his cage when it's time to feed them. I'm using attention and treats to help the other kitties associate Pawley with good things ... but he's making it a little bit difficult.

Pawley clearly believes that the best defense is a good offense. He's not doing the best job in the world of ingratiating himself into the family by whapping everyone all the time :lol3: Lazlo he recognizes as alpha and leaves him alone. But anyone else is fair game, and poor Flowerbelle always looks a little startled - like "what the heck just happened?" Ming Loy keeps her distance. The dynamics are primarily between Billy, Shelly and Pawley.

I have been touching Pawleys paws and pushing out his claws from very early on. I decided it was time to try giving his claws a clip. The perfect opportunity presented itself just the other day when he was asleep, draped out of the bed with his paws outstretched. I had two of them off before he even woke up. I don't think he realized I was doing anything different, so it went quickly and smoothly. I'm VERY happy about that, as most everyone has little scabs and scratches, and hopefully that'll stop now. :rub: Overall, I'm going to have to say the existing kitties are being VERY tolerant though. :heart2:

His eating spot is low-man-on-the-totem pole. I've successfully moved Ming Loy up to the bottom shelf of the cat tree, which leaves the floor for Pawley.

Not the best picture in the world, but here's the late night meal:

_Dinner time tree 140331.jpg

• ldg
• Apr 14, 2014

Chumley's on top, Sheldon underneath, then Ming Loy, and Pawley on the floor.


And he stopped using the hide-y bed completely. We figured it must smell like "sick" Pawley, so we replaced it with one of the cup beds. He LOVES it!!!!! (His favorite toy is tucked into his back foot here. :lol3: )

_Pawley cup bed 140410.jpg

• ldg
• Apr 14, 2014

Pawley absolutely LOVES feather toys, though that favorite toy is a kind of large mouse (compared to the little furry mice) that squeaks. And it squeaks really easily. When I first gave it to him, it drove him batty trying to "kill" it - and the thing wouldn't shut up. He was so confused - killing it over and over and it wouldn't stop making noise. But now he loves it - I think because it makes the noise. It's so darn cute.

None of our other cats liked anything other than furry mice, ping pong balls, or those springs, so we had to get some new toys (I mean as far as toys that aren't wand toys go). No,our cats aren't spoiled.

(Again, sorry it's not a very good picture!)

_Pawley surrounded by feathers 140410.jpg

• ldg
• Apr 14, 2014

He is just the sweetest thing to Gary and I. And he looooooooves being petted. He knows his name, he'll look - and in his cage, if I stand at the front and call him for pets, he'll leave his bed to lie on the scratcher for them. But out of his cage he is still so very, very, VERY skittish. You can't approach him, he runs to hide. So far he has under the couch, the litter box under the step thingies in front of his cage, and he'll also run up the steps, up onto the dash, across it and around into the tube. :lol3:

Shel and Billy were both on the couch when this happened a couple of days ago - and they wouldn't let him out. I did get treats for everyone to break the tension. And then I tossed his squeaky mouse in the tube, and he played in there for 15 or 20 minutes. I wonder if that squeaky mouse is driving the other cats batty? :lol3:

_Pawley in tube - Shel and Billy staring at him 14

• ldg
• Apr 14, 2014

He is pretty comfortable up on the dash. He loves the coveted white kitty pillow/bed thingy as much as the other cats. You can see here that even just sitting up, he definitely favors that broken leg though.

_Pawley sitting up so cute 140411.jpg

• ldg
• Apr 14, 2014

Yep - bad lighting. But if I didn't share bad pics of Pawley, I'd have so few to share



So that's pretty much it! Slowly but surely. Everyone's a little leery of him, and understandably so. He will still every once in a while attack someone in a litter box - or start to. He jumps out his cage, and I get up - and he settles down in a tense "I want to go lunge in there" position on the chair in front of his crate - but he restrains himself as long as I just stand up and look at him like I'm going to move towards him. So .... cat in litter box. Pawley in position to lunge.. mommy in position to lunge... it's some kind of comedy routine!

We did set up the bedroom to have a litter box in it. And it has been used exactly 3 times in ... what - 3 weeks? :dk: They all know it's here. Once he's out at night, I guess we'll find out if they want the "Pawley by-pass litter box."

 

[goholistic]

LOL...love the tower of eating cats. 

  Pawley is a doll...attitude and all. 

  Thanks for the great update and pics. 

 

[feralvr]

I SOOOOO love this update and ALL of those darling photos. I am cracking up over the one with Billy and Shel staring down Pawley in the tube. I think Bill and Shel have it pretty much covered and Pawley is learning his place. How cute for Mingle - she has moved up in the world !!!! YAY. This makes Presley :heart3: very pleased. :bigwink:

I love the mommy getting ready to lunge story. I think I have had to micro-manage Pip at times this way too. We have to become the mediator, the ref :ref:, and the coach. I think Pawley is learning to share space. period. He has no other choice and is slowly realizing that he will not have to fight for food, shelter or love anymore. In the long run, I think he will become a much loved member of the gang. :nod: :bigthumb: He does sound so, so, so, so very loving and sweet. Such a happy boy and hopefully sooner than later, a well-adjusted boy in all the areas of learning to live indoors and sharing. :happy3: :winkblue: :rub: :heart3:

Thanks, momma, for sharing his story with us. :heart2: :sun:

p.s. About Billy's short tail in the photo?????!!!!!! Did I miss something about his past OR is it just tucked away somewhere. :lol3: I guess you get the prize for one cat having the longest tail - Lazlo, and one for the cat having the shortest tail ?!

p.s.s. Chunky Monkey really looks chunky (in both photos above) even though I can only see the side of him. He certainly looks well maintained. :lovegrin:

 

[jodiethierry64]

Awww Pawley, Pawley, you're still trying to establish the pecking order.
My kids do the same thing. My Halle Berry is just a butt head and torments as a game but Jack wants to not be at the bottom and so he tries to earn respect. It hasn't worked.

Your fur babies are adorable. I just Love their cat tree. I showed my husband yours. I would love to have one.

Pawley you have won my heart!!!