New cat

My grandma got really sick a week ago from the heat, and had to go to the hospital. Now she has to live in a nrsing. I had to catch her cat, and take her home with me last night. I had till this weekend to get he rout of there. Since she runs from everyone else but grandma, I had to chase her from under a board she was hiding under, under the sink. The only way I could get he rout was by drumming on it with the end of a flash light. She ran into the back bedroom, where I was able to chase her into a live trap. I threw the insulation part of a matress over it so she would think it was something to hide it. She ran into it, and I got her. Thank goodness my uncle had stopped in either and tore down the bed she hides in. Otherwise I would have never got her out of there. Surprisingly, she didn't cry at all on the way home. I have her upstairs in a dog kennel, where it is quiet, and she has a box to hide in. Poor thing is so traumatized, that she hasn't touched her food, nor moved from that spot all night. I gave her a can of tuna before I left today. I hope she eats it since nobody will be bothering her. My mom and I weren't crazy about taking her at first. We called every vet, petshop, and rescue we could think of. Nobody wants an older cat with hiding issues. Though the one group wa svery helpful on how to get her to adjust to her new home. A nurse at the nursing home might take her. Though I am hoping grandma would want her to stay with us. I would like to kepe her. But I would also like to get her to eat. Maybe she will in time. If she wasn't a one person cat, it would be no problem, and I can let her out to do what she wants around the house. The only issue would be my pet birds. As it is, she runs from peope she doesn't know. My other cat, sassy, is not happy she is here. LOL. Anyone have any tips on getting a very scared kitty to eat? Will share pics later tonight. She is a beauty for being 12 years old.

Hope things work out for you and the cat, Chinbunny. It is very hard on an older cat making an adjustment like that. I don't have too much in the way of suggestions to make, but just give her plenty of space, peace and quiet, and try not to startle her when you go in to check on her.

do you have any of her old food available to you? can gramma tell you what she was eating?

cats are funny critters...they can starve themselves to death if they are traumatized AND have a change in their diet.

for the most part with traumatized cats best thing to do is ignore them for a spell. Don't look at them, talk to them or nothing. Just give them food and walk away. over time start talking without actually looking at the cat, just go about your daily routine and talk.

An older cat that lives by hiding, isn't going to change all that quickly. All you can really hope for is a cat that eats, that you see occasionally, and doesn't make a mess outside the litter box. THE BEST you can hope of is that over time she'll adjust to you and not think of you as strangers. She'll adjust to your cat. Your cat will adjust to her.

As to getting the cats used to each other....exchange bedding material. And after a while, exchange rooms that they go into so they can sniff each other out and get used to each's others smells. It's no quick fix.

hope that helped.

Thanks. I have her old cat food. Grabbed it with her things last night. My cat has the run of the house, so getting them used to each other shouldn't be a problem. So far they have met with no bloddshed yet, but you can tell my cat is not very happy about it lol! Ive been leaving her alone. She will be by herself during the day. She has a blanket over the cage to make her think she is in a place where she can hide. The one rescue I talked to said to keep it covered for a few days, while she adjusts and then gradually take it off. But to leave her in it for awhile. They said to be prepared for the worste, just in case, cause some cats like that start to go downhill once they are away from their owners. I hope that won't be the case with her. They said she'd be ok in the kennel even if she never does warm up to us, and she is better off with people she is framiliar with. I'll just leave her alone, and let her come around on her own. Will post a pic as soon as I get home.

__________ Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:36 pm __________




Here is a picture of her. The pillow is no longer in there. Took that out last night, and replaced it with a cardboard box. she came out of it sometime today, and is sitting in the litter box looking like she is content. Offered her tuna twice today, and she hasn't touched it. I am also wondering if she won't touch because it has my scent on it, and I am one the evil person that took he rout of the house I have never run into a cat that does not like tuna. Maybe she is one of those? Looks like she might have possibly ate some of the cat chow that's in there. I am going to find out what kind of canned food she likes, when i see my grandma. I know she had her on some before my aunt went and switched her to cat chow.I think it was friskies or nine lives. I need to go back and get her toys too. Since I forgot to grab them last night. I saw these carpet padded toys with holes on the side at walmart, that cost about $11. Thinking about getting her one of those to hide in instead of the box.

you are right, she is very pretty. Cats can be weird. We caught a kitten, feral, in our complex last we (or rather, we didn't CATCH him, someone else did) and we took them in to foster so they could find new homes as tame kitties. Well, Henry found a new home as a kitten (it ended poorly) and when Henry left, Wallace, who I had fallen in love with, stopped eating, although we didn't realize it for a while. He would eat scraps, and canned cat food, but we couldn't afford it at the time and mistakenly believe he would get hungry enouhg and eat it. Big mistake. He almost died before we fixed the problem, and even then he never gained weight. He is stunted now, as an adult, due to our ignorance, and his stubborness. When I realized how dire the situation was (he is a long hair so we couldn't readily see his condition) he was to the point that I had to force feed him for a while. After that, he ate canned cat food. Now he is outside, and changed over to solid food somehow. I am happy, because it is cheaper. Also, for some reason he has finally gained weight, although he is still thin. Healthy, but very thin.

This was all to say, try to find something she will eat, because after going hungry for a while, sometimes they need force fed before they will start eating again. I learned this after researching kitty anorexia.

Maybe try canned baby meat. Some cats really love it, and it is useful to mix with food to help gain weight, IMO. I also used some fat from hamburger to drizzle on his food, and he seemed to like it.

Thanks I will try the baby meat if all else fails. I went and bought her a pet bed she can hide in, to get her out of the litter box. She seems to like it. And I got her the food she likes, and new self feeder, and waterer. I guess the nurse isn't going to take her. My grandma didn't remember him asking her. So she is going to be mine. She is very, very happy that I have her. She almost cried when I took a framed picture of her to her tonight. She misses her baby. If it gets to the point where I have to force feed, then I may just have her put down. Until then i am going to leave her alone as suggested above, and give her time to adjust. Either way she goes, she will still be cared for. Nursing home said I can bring her to visit once she is settled down. I really like her, and hope she eventually settle sin to where I can let her out. But if she doesn't, and as long as she eats, that will still be great.

I got her for my grandma as a gift 12 years ago. her husband had died, and she said she wanted a calico kitten. Well, almost a year later I got her from a coworker, and it was love at first site.

Very sweet. I hope she comes along alright.

Lol she kept me awake last night by fighting with my other cat, and trying to escape the crate. Looks like she usedher litter box, and she has cat food and litter everywhere! Starting to love her head rubs, though she won't purr for me.<br /><br />__________ Sun Aug 01, 2010 3:21 pm __________<br /><br />A little update. She is settling down. She won't come out of her cubby hole toy. Did hear her eating a little last night, and found cat food up on top of the toy. Today a lot of progress! She was loving her head rubs, purring, and doing the im a cute kitty play with me/rub my belly kitty rolls inside her her toy bed. now she is looking at me like, where did you go?she is such a beautiful kitty. I am so glad we kept her. I love her already! her purr wasn't like a real purr, more like heavy breathing. The one calico cat i had PTS a few years ago purred like that too. She was 14 when she died, and her face marks are just like missy's. Only she had more black and orange on her back.

yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so she's not a real hard case. that's a good thing.

I'm glad to hear she is settling in and has taken to you, Chinbunny. Calicoes can be a bit stand-offish at the best of times, so her progress is quite amazing. :goodjob:

Ok an update. She is eating now. She likes fancy feast canned food. What a relief! i just wish it wasn't so expensive!