Thinking of sheltering my cat

[lisahe]

It's great to hear that Uno's getting in the carrier like that... and is happy to eat with you sitting by it!

Our cats had a lot of food issues, too, when we first brought them home: they'd been horribly underfed and felt very insecure about their food for months. Like ShadowsRescue said, they did come around.

One other thing I thought remembered, about playing: our cats especially like balls. They're an easy toy to use--to roll around, first slowly--when you're sitting on the floor with a shy cat. (Come to think of it, these cats particularly like to have things thrown, so they can run.)

I'm so glad you are committed to Uno, Seabear. I hope the vet appointment goes well!

 

[seabear]

Appointment is set for Thursday! 

I have a couple balls for him but they are all under the couch right now. He does like those. He likes the toilet paper roll centers too. 

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
Appointment is set for Thursday! 

I have a couple balls for him but they are all under the couch right now. He does like those. He likes the toilet paper roll centers too. 

Wishing you the best for the vet appt.  Just try to stay super calm yourself.  Remember to cover the carrier with a sheet or towel.  It really helps.  I don't remove the cover until we are safely in the vets exam room.  I am completely upfront with the vet too about how much/little I can handle the cat.  I always tell them that if needed they can sedate.  Yet, never has this been needed.  My vet and vet techs are super patient. 

I bet all will go great.  Keep us posted. 

 

[seabear]

Today is the day. I am getting ready to get him in his carrier. Hopefully this will go smooth. I will post the results when I get the chance. I have to go straight to work after I bring him home.

 

[lisahe]

 
Today is the day. I am getting ready to get him in his carrier. Hopefully this will go smooth. I will post the results when I get the chance. I have to go straight to work after I bring him home.

Good luck! I hope it all goes well.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Sending positive thoughts your way.  Just stay calm yourself.  Keep us posted. 

 

[seabear]

Sooo...getting him into the cage was terrible. He quickly figured out what I was up to. it took me about an hour to finally get him. I was able to calm him down and pet him, for the first time ever, and get him in the car. I took the stool samples and paper work with me. Off to the vet I went.

What happened;

No worms in stool.

2 Shots. 1 for tape worm and 1 for antibiotic. Tapeworm; Just incase he has it. vet said it wont affect him negatively if he doesn't have them.

They took blood, and I assume, skin samples. Looking to find problems with kidneys if they are there.

Claws trimmed. (He wasn't pleased lol)

Butt get probed for temp; 102. Safe. 

He has a weeks worth of a supplement, tuna flavored, for he digestion. Two a day, every 12 hours. He also has a once a day powder for his digestion. Described as Neuva yogert stuff for cats.

I hope i get some results back for him. I want everything to be good.

Side note-

Going to the vet really hit me hard once  I went in the back with Uno. I lost my dog in 2010 and I didn't know I was going to have a slight panic attack but I did. Seeing the table there really affected me in a bad way. I managed to pull myself together for the cat. A rough day for Uno and I.

I appreciate all the support from everyone. Especially you ShadowsRescue. I can't thank you enough.

 

[dandila]

Just wanted to say that one of my cats was afraid of Da Bird when I first got it.  I figured out that instead of waving it in the air I just wiggle it around on the ground and she loves it.  Sometimes you have to figure out how they prefer the toy to be used.  I'm hoping you can bond with Uno in no time.  You both deserve it.

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
Sooo...getting him into the cage was terrible. He quickly figured out what I was up to. it took me about an hour to finally get him. I was able to calm him down and pet him, for the first time ever, and get him in the car. I took the stool samples and paper work with me. Off to the vet I went.

What happened;

No worms in stool.

2 Shots. 1 for tape worm and 1 for antibiotic. Tapeworm; Just incase he has it. vet said it wont affect him negatively if he doesn't have them.

They took blood, and I assume, skin samples. Looking to find problems with kidneys if they are there.

Claws trimmed. (He wasn't pleased lol)

Butt get probed for temp; 102. Safe. 

He has a weeks worth of a supplement, tuna flavored, for he digestion. Two a day, every 12 hours. He also has a once a day powder for his digestion. Described as Neuva yogert stuff for cats.

I hope i get some results back for him. I want everything to be good.

Side note-

Going to the vet really hit me hard once  I went in the back with Uno. I lost my dog in 2010 and I didn't know I was going to have a slight panic attack but I did. Seeing the table there really affected me in a bad way. I managed to pull myself together for the cat. A rough day for Uno and I.

I appreciate all the support from everyone. Especially you ShadowsRescue. I can't thank you enough.

So glad you made it there.  I was thinking about you today and hoping all was going well.  Vet visits are never fun.  Cats hate the vet, but it sounds like Uno did fairly well.  He may not feel the greatest for a day or so, but you can then keep working on his socialization. 

It sounds as though he was given a probiotic for his digestion.  That should really help things. 

I hope the blood work comes back normal. 

I can imagine how hard it was to be in the area where your dog had been.  I recently lost a cat that I worked so hard to keep alive.  We were to the vet 2-3x a week.  In the end I could not save her.  My first time back to the vet, I completely lost it.  I hardly could get inside the door. 

Give Uno lots of love, even if it is from a distance.  He should bounce back from the event by tomorrow or the next day.

Thanks for the updates and so glad we can all help you out.  Keep us updated.

 

[lisahe]

Seabear, I'm glad to hear that it went okay, despite it taking a long time to get Uno into the carrier. The good side of that is that you were finally able to pat him... maybe that's the start of something? I hope so.

I know what you mean about vet offices after losing another animal. I tear up whenever I drive by the vet office we took our previous cat to. That's not the reason we take our new cats to a different vet but I think I'd also have a terrible time even going inside, let alone seeing the tables.

Fingers crossed for the probiotics, the test results, and Uno's recovery from the trip out!

 

[seabear]

Well it has been about a week and here is an update...

Uno is doing great!  As I type this is he is running around like a maniac playing with his catnip toys!   He doesn't let me put him at all anymore because I am the 'bad guy' who put him in the carrier. However, my girlfriend can pet him when she feeds him. So thats good. His bathroom habits are much better. We switched to a multi cat litter even though its just him. We have the sWheatScoop. I hate the smell of it but most of the time now he covers his mess up. He is still very shy but he has made an insane progress jump this past week. 

I left my xbox box controler on the floor and he was playing with that because it has a purple light in it. I think maybe some light up toys he will enjoy. 

Thank you everyone with the advice and support. I also follow with the vet today.

I have one last thing. When I was at the vet, they had another cat at the vet that was free to adopt. When I was telling them about how shy Uno is they say maybe another cat whould help him socialize. I researched it a bit but I am afraid to have one of those Cats from Hell moments. Do you all think that would help Uno?

 

[shadowsrescue]

So happy to hear that Uno continues to make progress!!!  Keep working with him.  I bet he would love a laser pointer or a ball that lights up.

As far as another cat, it really just depends.  Some cats do really well right from the start and others will be like an episode of "My Cat From Hell".  Cats cannot just be thrown together and you hope for the best.  They have to go through an introduction process that can take weeks to months to longer.  It all depends on the temperment of both cats.  Unfortunately you won't know this until they live together.  If you really want another cat and are willing to put the effort into it, then you can make it work.  Just realize that if you bring a cat into the home and the cat is very dominant, Uno could retreat from fear. 

Maybe it is something to think about down the road when Uno is more socialized with you and your girlfriend and more confident with himself. 

If you do decide to get another cat, we are all here to help you with the adjustment. 

 

[seabear]

Would a kitten be better than an adult in that situation? This is't a tomorrow thing but rather an understanding for the future.

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
Would a kitten be better than an adult in that situation? This is't a tomorrow thing but rather an understanding for the future.

Possibly.  Yet you have to be sure that the kitten will be safe and not get injured.  It might allow Uno to feel more confident, but it still depends on the nature of the kitten.  Some kittens are so high energy it might drive Uno crazy.  Yet you don't want an aggressive one either.  A passive scared kitten might make them both passive.  Yet, whichever you decide, you can make it work with time, effort and patience.  There is never a perfect solution or answer.  I think you will know when the time is right.

 

[seabear]

Okay. Thank you again. 

 

[lisahe]

@Seabear, I'm very glad to hear Uno's doing so well... particularly that he's enjoying his catnip toys! It really is amazing how quickly they can adapt once they start feeling more comfortable. We found the same with our cats. Have fun with him!