Project Saving Gracie" - Intro Day 20 - need Reassurance...

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by Carolina

Oh Nat, thanks for this info - very good to know, and something I had not thought about it... Do your outside cats ever turn around?
Put it bluntly, Do I have hope here?

If Tabitha can socialize & integrate into my household, Gracie can fit in there!

 

[stephanietx]

It's hard to remain positive when you want so much more for your kitty than what they currently have. I went through this with Callie when we introduced Hannah. After 2 years, I actually got a BETTER Callie than I had prior to Hannah. However, it was a very slow and long road. There were many times I'd lay on the floor petting Callie and crying because she was so unhappy that Hannah was in the house. Now, though, she's learned to co-habitate with Hannah and has lots of places to chill out. She's not scared of Hannah and Callie is now a lap cat! She never did that prior to Hannah. Callie's also such a happy girl, even with the addition of Tumbles in July. It just took lots of love, patience, and perseverance.

Also, if thyroid problems in cats is anything like in humans, one of the "symptoms" is lethargy. Even with the appropriate amount of medication and treatment, a thyroid patient may remain more tired than a normal person and have little get up and go.

 

[white cat lover]

Now that I have more time, allow me to elaborate. When Tab moved in, she was scared of everyone/everything. She'd flip out at the other cats, pretty much lived under a dresser. She had a kitty bed to hide in under the dresser, in addition to food/water, & a litterbox "protected" like a cave right next to the dresser. I never saw her leave that 5' area for a very very very long time. I eventually moved her into the closet, giving her food/water in the closet & again a litterbox in a protected area right by the closet.

With time, she warmed up to the idea of the other cats, once they lost interest in her & weren't so nosy - she could monitor them w/o them knowing she was watching their every move. Once she learned how they functioned, & that they had no intent upon harming her, she started to sniff noses/get close to them. This was probably 3 -4 months in. And I have all kinds of purr-sonalities. Alpha, submissive, & everything in between.

It's now somewhere around a year later & I can pet her, approach her. She'll play when I'm in the room & plays chase with Gumby Gut. Yeah it took a very long time, but hey - we got here.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by stephanietx

It's hard to remain positive when you want so much more for your kitty than what they currently have. I went through this with Callie when we introduced Hannah. After 2 years, I actually got a BETTER Callie than I had prior to Hannah. However, it was a very slow and long road. There were many times I'd lay on the floor petting Callie and crying because she was so unhappy that Hannah was in the house. Now, though, she's learned to co-habitate with Hannah and has lots of places to chill out. She's not scared of Hannah and Callie is now a lap cat! She never did that prior to Hannah. Callie's also such a happy girl, even with the addition of Tumbles in July. It just took lots of love, patience, and perseverance.

Also, if thyroid problems in cats is anything like in humans, one of the "symptoms" is lethargy. Even with the appropriate amount of medication and treatment, a thyroid patient may remain more tired than a normal person and have little get up and go.

Thank you Stephanie... This gives me hope...
About the Thyroid, I can feel she is doing much better, thank goodness! Her appetite was monstrous when she got here, she ate non-stop... Now it is more in check with her size - a sign that her hormones are more balanced now... She has also put on weight - she was skin and bones on her first day in... Not anymore - I can no longer feel her spine

Her fur was completely dull and now it is getting shiny again... another sign she is getting healthier...
Her eyes had weird spots all over, you can barely see them now...
All and all, healthy-wise, she is much, much better, that is for sure. I am sure not eating meow mix anymore has a lot to do with it too, but I think mainly being on the medication...

 

[Ms. Freya]

Just to chime in on the older cats who were outdoors thing...Cotton spent the entire first month he was with us living in a 1ft x 2ft space between the computer desk and a garbage can. If he wasn't in our lap, he was in 'his cave.' Even though Freya wasn't being particularly nasty to him, he jut couldn't seem to handle coming out of his safe spot for quite awhile.

I know you're worried about her, but from your posts, it does sound like Gracie is slowly starting to get used to things.

 

[ldg]

Sorry Carolina, I meant does she enjoy alone time with you. And obviously the answer is yes.

Given that... I think it's just a matter of time.

As to your question about bullying vs. the hierarchy thing.... we didn't bother trying to figure that out. If Billy was crouched, running, or cornered - basically, if he was scared and felt intimidated, we intervened.

 

[bastetservant]

I'm with LDG regarding the bullying vs. hierarchy issue. I can't even tell you who is the alpha cat in my house. Actually, I am.

I don't approve of bad manners. Everybody has to be nice and get along.

At least when I'm home.

Robin

 

[stephanietx]

Also, remember she is older and not only is she learning a new house and all it's sounds and such, learning to trust you, she's acquired 3 curious siblings. On top of all that, she's trying to beef up and get back to health. I can't think of anyone (human) who would want to do all that while not feeling 100% well. She's undergone a big change in her life and she's still learning the ropes.

It speaks volumes that you're so concerned about her well-being. I think if she does choose to live in your bathroom and is in good health, eating well, maintaining her weight, and enjoying your company, then that's much better than the life she was living.

 

[carolina]

Well... today we had a small, but worthy telling breakthrough!
I was sitting by my laptop in the living room, and who do I see coming? Yep! Miss Gracie!

Lucky and Bugsy were in my bedroom, and Hope was on the top shelf; she had some time alone to play with the turboscratcher, stretch a little, and then came over next to me for some loving

After some exploring around she ran back to under my work desk in my office (dining room transformed into home office) which is her safe place. It was not a long time, but nonetheless, a improvement I guess!
I have moved her litter box to the office as well, so she doesn't need to cross the house to go potty.
The water fountain remains in the office as I want her to keep seeing the kitties as much as possible...
Bugsy continues to visit her several times a day... he gets bout 1/2 foot away from her, head butts the desk foot as though he is saying please, be my friend

... She only hisses and hisses.... but he doesn't back away

One day, I hope, she will accept him

I guess I found out why she has such strong hisses....... She is declawed! She finally trusted me enough to examine her front paws, and sure enough, the poor thing is front-paw declawed... How, why, would someone declaw an outside kitty? It makes me livid!

Now I know for a fact I did the right thing bringing her inside... My doubts are over, and I will do whatever it takes to make this baby girl happy, healthy and safe inside with all of us

 

[tink80]

Sounds like you've got everything under control. Just wanted to jump in and say that she sounds very much like my Hestia..(who was rehomed to me at the age of ten, declawed). It has been a few years and Hestia is still the bottom of the totem pole around here. But it's not in a miserable sad way. It's just that she is so defensive it makes it very hard for her to establish any relationship with any kind of animal (I have a disabled ferret that she will run and hiss at and he can't even walk straight let alone pester her). Thing is though she LOVES attention from me and my OH..she is all about people. Also, once it was established which part of the house was "her" territory and such then there wasn't really any problems. I finally figured out she is just never going to be "friends" with the other fuzzies and that is okay, she is older too and spends a lot of time sleeping on her own on her turf. But she also comes to me and OH for cuddles and purrs and "makes muffins" and such. It makes me sad to think how confident of a cat she would have been if she still had her claws, but what's done is done and I know she is happier here than where she came from. The first year she was here was the rockiest..we'd have progress then go backwards a little.
I don't really have any advice, I just kind of wanted to say "hey, i've been there and it all turned out alright" or some kind of reassurance