- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #41
If we can work with Gracie more then we may try another trip but try a vet specific to cats.
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We found a feral kitty, now what?
- Thread starter hey jude
- Start Date
Let me know if you find a good vet, I am not that far from you.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #43
thecatpracticepc.com
They are in Birmingham, Mich. Where are you?
They are in Birmingham, Mich. Where are you?
We are in Roseville, but our last vet was in Madison Heights, Birmingham isn't too much of a trek.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2014
- Messages
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- 117
What awesome kitties !!!!Here's little Dusty, 4 lbs ,a work in progress.
Gorgeous.
Bless you for your effort.
Also anyone who buys The World's Best Scratching post won't worry about cats scratching wood.
Hi there
What a pretty kitten
We have 4 scratching posts around our cottage and the kittens use them all the time.----sometimes they will have a go at the carpets but never the furniture
Maybe we just have two exceptional kittens---
Best regards
Tony and Kat
What a pretty kitten
We have 4 scratching posts around our cottage and the kittens use them all the time.----sometimes they will have a go at the carpets but never the furniture
Maybe we just have two exceptional kittens---
Best regards
Tony and Kat
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #47
Well, just an update to our socialization for Gracie. She was coming along amazingly well up until yesterday. She went from literally climbing the walls back in April to sitting on my lap while eating tuna this week. She has graduated from the crate to the whole bedroom, (her own choice, not ours - one day, she just decided she was ready to walk out of her crate), which has been kitten-proofed and filled with great toys and soft places to land. We also made her an eye-level scratching post with top perch and middle shelf, which she loves dearly. We were just getting to the point of being able to gently nudge her around from one food dish to the other, and of picking her front paws up off the floor for a second or two. She has had all 4 paws on my lap and laying down to nibble turkey or tuna. We have her in one of our bedrooms we previously used for exercise, so there is nothing in there but our treadmill, stair master, etc, which have all been blocked off so she cannot hide underneath. We have her set up with a cardboard box with a cat bed in it, where she likes to take her day-long naps. In this room, she seems to really flourish, and has come along very nicely, up until yesterday, that is.
I got the idea of putting a patio screen door on the bedroom entrance instead of always closing her off with the wooden bedroom door. This screen door is duct taped to the woodwork, and works really great - just swings open and is velcroed to the other side. This way she can see the goings on of the household, my other 3 cats can see her, and she can see and smell them. It has been a successful pre-introduction for all of them. They play footsie from under the door. All was great, until I walked in there yesterday, with tuna in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, and she flew out the door like a flash. Up until then, she would greet us at the door, then would always back up to her own safe distance until we got inside, then come to us for pets and brushings. This time, she darted unexpectedly, ran into our bedroom right next to hers, and underneath a dresser, where she has decided to stay. Nothing we do can get her out, not tuna, not turkey. Although she came out in the middle of the night to eat and use her litter box. When I got more persistent, she growled, so I thought I'd leave her alone. We have to keep the bedroom door shut of course.
She has a small amount of dry food, (I don't want her to be full, or she may not come out for turkey or tuna bribes) water, kitty litter, and her small bed in there, also her cat carrier. Do you have any no-fail ideas to get a scared cat out from under a dresser? Do we withhold food in order to get her out? I have a feeling she's very stubborn, and that could backfire. The dresser is up against the wall and really heavy, so moving it isn't an option, and there is only one access from the front of the dresser where she can come out. She will not come out while we are in there. She did come out last night while we were sleeping, to eat the tuna we left and use her kitty litter, but that's it. I'm afraid at this point, we have her so scared, she may never come out. We just want her back in her own room where it is set up for her and user friendly, and we can move on with her socialization.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
I got the idea of putting a patio screen door on the bedroom entrance instead of always closing her off with the wooden bedroom door. This screen door is duct taped to the woodwork, and works really great - just swings open and is velcroed to the other side. This way she can see the goings on of the household, my other 3 cats can see her, and she can see and smell them. It has been a successful pre-introduction for all of them. They play footsie from under the door. All was great, until I walked in there yesterday, with tuna in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, and she flew out the door like a flash. Up until then, she would greet us at the door, then would always back up to her own safe distance until we got inside, then come to us for pets and brushings. This time, she darted unexpectedly, ran into our bedroom right next to hers, and underneath a dresser, where she has decided to stay. Nothing we do can get her out, not tuna, not turkey. Although she came out in the middle of the night to eat and use her litter box. When I got more persistent, she growled, so I thought I'd leave her alone. We have to keep the bedroom door shut of course.
She has a small amount of dry food, (I don't want her to be full, or she may not come out for turkey or tuna bribes) water, kitty litter, and her small bed in there, also her cat carrier. Do you have any no-fail ideas to get a scared cat out from under a dresser? Do we withhold food in order to get her out? I have a feeling she's very stubborn, and that could backfire. The dresser is up against the wall and really heavy, so moving it isn't an option, and there is only one access from the front of the dresser where she can come out. She will not come out while we are in there. She did come out last night while we were sleeping, to eat the tuna we left and use her kitty litter, but that's it. I'm afraid at this point, we have her so scared, she may never come out. We just want her back in her own room where it is set up for her and user friendly, and we can move on with her socialization.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
First of all, hats off to you for taking this little kitty in. I have had 2 feral cats that I found nearly 9 years ago, they were about 3 weeks old. It has been a journey that was like no other. My best advice to you while it is still young is to try your best to make her social. Holding her is the most important, even if its only for a few seconds. Its hard to say how long it might take for her to calm down but the sooner she knows she can trust you the easier it is. I won't sugar coat my experience because it was so hard. You want to hold them and have them come up to you but with me that didn't happen for many years. Its even harder when there are two of them. They still don't like to be held, but they are very affectionate and loving, however they are a one person cat. One of them will still try to claw at my two sons who are adults.
its gonna take lots of time and love and bandaids..I wish you all the best. In the end I promise you wont be sorry...Cuppy and Cake are my best friends, I love them with all my heart.
its gonna take lots of time and love and bandaids..I wish you all the best. In the end I promise you wont be sorry...Cuppy and Cake are my best friends, I love them with all my heart.
I would keep her litter box and put her food in her room only. Leave the door open and go about your business. She will have to go into her room at some point. No feeding or bribing in your room. Go about this as if everything is perfectly normal. If you hear her get up at night to use the facilities, you may be able to close her in again.
If not, maybe this is as good a time as any to let things be. Does the fact that she has access to your room impact the other cats? I mean, are they also used to being in your room? If so, your challenge is a little bigger but not insurmountable. You may need to switch out the rooms - allowing her access to the rest of the house while the others are locked safely in another room.
It does go to show you - all good plans can be messed up by a determined little cat!
If not, maybe this is as good a time as any to let things be. Does the fact that she has access to your room impact the other cats? I mean, are they also used to being in your room? If so, your challenge is a little bigger but not insurmountable. You may need to switch out the rooms - allowing her access to the rest of the house while the others are locked safely in another room.
It does go to show you - all good plans can be messed up by a determined little cat!
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #50
Hi All,
thanks for your replies and suggestions. If you notice, my last post was in mid May. We have made great strides with Gracie since then, and she is one of the gang now (4 cats altogether). She has 3 brothers, and they love to all play together, with the exception of my older cat Jacob, being 12 years old he just tolerates as best he can!
Gracie lets us pick her up but it is only for a short time. I am trying to get her to allow us to hold her, as we do with my other cats. My one guy, Casey who is closest to her age, has been a wonderful mentor for her. She absolutely loves him, and they play, chase and wrestle, no claws or growling, although occasional neck biting! But I never have to break it up.
Gracie is still very skittish and we have to walk slowly and make slower motions so she won't get scared. We have a cat video I put on the TV and she nearly crawled inside the TV to get to the birds and squirrels. So only under supervision can I play that.
She has graduated to full house, no more isolated room. They all use the same 5 litter boxes downstairs, and all eat together in the kitchen. Like I said she is one of the gang now, and really quite a success story. It was NOT easy, and took a lot of patience, but I was determined that this little one would have a happy life after spending the first 4 months of her existence in the sub-freezing temps with no human contact or knowing what love is. She is a permanent family member, but still a work in progress. Being still a kitten, she has so much energy, its best to try to work with her when she is sleepy!
The one thing I have found is she definitely has a girlie attitude. My boys are easy-peasy, but Gracie thinks of herself as part princess now.
GRACIE - LITTLE PRINCESS
CASEY AND GRACIE
thanks for your replies and suggestions. If you notice, my last post was in mid May. We have made great strides with Gracie since then, and she is one of the gang now (4 cats altogether). She has 3 brothers, and they love to all play together, with the exception of my older cat Jacob, being 12 years old he just tolerates as best he can!
Gracie lets us pick her up but it is only for a short time. I am trying to get her to allow us to hold her, as we do with my other cats. My one guy, Casey who is closest to her age, has been a wonderful mentor for her. She absolutely loves him, and they play, chase and wrestle, no claws or growling, although occasional neck biting! But I never have to break it up.
Gracie is still very skittish and we have to walk slowly and make slower motions so she won't get scared. We have a cat video I put on the TV and she nearly crawled inside the TV to get to the birds and squirrels. So only under supervision can I play that.
She has graduated to full house, no more isolated room. They all use the same 5 litter boxes downstairs, and all eat together in the kitchen. Like I said she is one of the gang now, and really quite a success story. It was NOT easy, and took a lot of patience, but I was determined that this little one would have a happy life after spending the first 4 months of her existence in the sub-freezing temps with no human contact or knowing what love is. She is a permanent family member, but still a work in progress. Being still a kitten, she has so much energy, its best to try to work with her when she is sleepy!
The one thing I have found is she definitely has a girlie attitude. My boys are easy-peasy, but Gracie thinks of herself as part princess now.
GRACIE - LITTLE PRINCESS
CASEY AND GRACIE
oh good stars! I sure missed that your post was from May. Well, glad things are going so well. Gracie has such a sweet face - so happy to hear she's integrated now and part of the gang. She's a lucky little kitty!
