Kitty Update

[Lorelei]

I am so pleased you are going to keep her!!!

She is gorgeous, not many cats would feel as relaxed as she does to lay all out in a new home so soon! She will be very special you will see! I am glad we were all able to help and reassure you that all this hissing is completely normal! Huge pat on the back for you and Hubbie for doing such a great job! You won''t ever regret this decision to adopt this cat. Another thing, depending on how long she has been in a shelter, they can become a bit institutionalised - not being used to being in a home with furniture and people and household noise etc, BB has done incredibly well to adapt to so much so quickly!!

You will have a wonderful time with your two kitties!! Also Smokey has been brilliant, that is a good sign that he has taken to her that he wants to investigate her, he might not be this way with another cat. As for names, I love BUNNY BUTT thanks MMM

, but Bear would be a nice name. How much do you bet you will end up calling her Bunny Butt anyway?

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Thanks Lorelei and to everyone else!! Without your reassurance and support would I be able to calm my anxities as much as I have and let the 2 cats learn to get along....

I appreciate all your kind words...and I''ll keep posting pix as i can!!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Hi everyone!!

Well, Bunny butt is getting along better. We''ve begun letting her to sleep at night outside of her room. On Friday, she was locked in the bathroom for 10 hours and then we let her out when we got home at midnight! I felt so bad for having to put her back in the bathroom, I let her stay out all night. She did fine, so now we only put her in the bathroom when we''re not at home for long periods of time.

She''s tolerating Smokey better. She''ll still hiss when he gets too close, but that''s about it. They''ve gone nose-to-nose a couple of times...Smokey will get excited, it''ll startle her, and then she''ll hiss. So they''re making progress.

BB ended up with a kennel cold (what a surprise!

) and we took her back to the kennel for free treatment (for 2 weeks after the adoption, so we have until this Friday!). They gave me antibiotics and although it took some time for it to kick in, her energy is coming back and her eye (which was tearing up!) is looking much better.

On Saturday morning, while DH was still sleeping, I walked into the bedroom, found Smokey curled up in a ball next to DH and BB sleeping on her back inches away from Smokey!!! I think this cat is fitting in well...

 

[Matata]

Date: 10/10/2005 12:06:57 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna
On Saturday morning, while DH was still sleeping, I walked into the bedroom, found Smokey curled up in a ball next to DH and BB sleeping on her back inches away from Smokey!!! I think this cat is fitting in well...

Every vet I''ve ever had said that a cat will expose its belly only when it feels secure.....so I''d agree that if BB is sleeping with her vulnerable tummy pointing toward the ceiling, she''s feeling mighty secure. Congrats on a successful integration of a new family member!!

 

[Lorelei]

Excellent!!!!!!! Matata is right in what she says about a cat exposing it''s vulnerable belly only if it feels very safe! Congratulations you are all almost there!!

I am sure BB will feel better soon, this as you obviously know is common that shelter animals often get sick during the transition to their new home. Huge pat on the back to you all and I am so happy things are working out for you - I knew they would with a little time. I was wondering how you were all doing and so pleased to hear of this progress! Keep us posted

 

[widget]

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!

 

[AndyRosse]

Oh that is such wonderful news!!!

I am so glad you guys are keeping her, because she certainly doesn''t deserve to be back in the shelter.

Keep us updated and don''t forget some more pics

hehe

 

[HOUMedGal]

Yaaaay for BB''s exposed tummy!!! hehe! I''m so glad she''s feeling comfortable.

 

[MINE!!]

OK... As I have admitted in other threads.. I am not a real... animal person.... But I have really enjoyed reading and snooping on this thread and I am very excited that Bunny is coming along and I think she and smokey are going to be really good freinds soon.... (but don''t tell anyone that I said that..

)

 

[Blue824]

So wonderful that she''s getting more comfortable, I am so glad that after the frustrations everything seems to be working out for you and your kitties!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!!! Today, she took a little regression and had a stand-off with Smokey. So I put her in time out for an hour and when we came out of her room (which she doesn''t like to hang out in anymore), she came nose-to-nose with Smokey...they sniffed each other...no growling, no hissing...

So, I''m still having to intervene from time to time...but it''s not very frequent...

She''s sneezing again, but her eye is clearing up and she''s still on her antibiotics...she''s also eating and drinking fine, so I''m not too worried. She''s got her own collar now (pink)...

I tried to clip her front paws (nails) today...but she didn''t like that too much after the 2nd nail...oh well...

 

[moremoremore]

You''re making great progress!!

And LOL...did you only do the two nails? LOL....She''ll get used to it!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 10/10/2005 8:44:47 PM
Author: moremoremore
You''re making great progress!!

And LOL...did you only do the two nails? LOL....She''ll get used to it!

Yeah....2 nails was as far as I got...usually DH is home to help scruff the animals when I trim nails, but I was flying solo when I took on this feat. I''m surprised I got 2 nails! LOL!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I''m feeling a little disconcerted today...

Over the last 2 days, there''s been more than hissing and growling on BB''s side. She has been physically lashing out at Smokey. Now granted, he provokes it by closing in on her while she''s growling and hissing...she feels threatened and lashes out...I just want the 2 of them to get along...

I''m feeling like "What if it doesn''t happen?" Am I looking at this all wrong??

 

[Maya Moonstone]

Hi

We have two cats. Blue and Zoey are from the same breeder and have lived with us for nearly 5 years.

Zoey tends to hiss and swat at Blue at times, even though she is only 6 pounds and he is a whopping 15 pounds! She is obviously the alpha cat in our home and has remind to him when he forgets it.

I think what you are observing is "normal" cat behaviour - dare I say female cat behaviour?

At the moment BB and Smokey are trying to establish a hierarcy in the house.

Good luck
Maya

 

[Lorelei]

Poor Achio!!! I do feel for you - try not to worry as this is again normal!!! She is trying to remind Smokey that SHE is now in charge and they have obviously agreed to this but she is displaying her Queenship a little with Smokey as Maya said. Maya hit the nail on the head. BB and you all have done so well, try not to second guess yourself with this cat, she IS doing fine and so is Smokey - like I said earlier a month is not to long to let things truly settle and it hasn''t been 2 weeks until tomorrow? Try to step back and let them get on with it and also avoid inadvertently sending out oh no vibes - the cats will sense them and it will make them worse.

Heres the thing. Smokey knows EXACTLY what he is doing by closing in on her while she is having a hissy!!! Funny story, with two of my cats, one of which died 5 years ago they used to do this all the time. I made a modesty curtain for their litter box which was quite cute after a moment of inspiration to give them some privacy. They loved it but it soon got ripped to shreds. My little girl cat would go under to do her business in the box and my boy cat would sit half under the curtain and stare at her while she was going potty. I could hear this awful yowling and think on no there they go again! This was a daily occurence! The little boy was gloating afterwards, honestly - it was great fun to him! Don''t think about what will happen if they don''t get along, I understand you are nervous but you could go through hundreds of cats and have far worse happen, honestly. Whatever cat you choose, you will get this behaviour, it is unavoidable and necessary to the cat''s mental and physical wellbeing. Smokey is just pushing his luck with her at the moment, like a naughty child seeing what he can get away with. Honestly don''t think you have got the wrong cat because that isn''t the case. Bringing an adult cat into a household with an existing cat is always a challenging time, is the return timeframe what''s bugging you? I really think you have all done so well in a short time.

 

[AndyRosse]

Oh I''m sorry they seem to be taking a big step backwards!! But as everyone else has said, this is normal. They just need to figure out their boundaries.

Are you worried about the two week deadline?? Because honestly, how much do you pay for BB? At a shelter, it can''t be like purchasing a pure breed from a breeder, right? I would stop worrying about the deadline because honestly, if things don''t work out, at least know that you gave Smokey and BB the time they needed to TRY to work things out. I would personally just wait at least a month to see how things work out. And if then things are still not working, I would consider bringing BB back. Worst case senario is that you gave the shelter a little extra donation, which they need anyway. But please don''t let a little $$$ make you bring her back because you are unsure. Let things work out for a while, and only bring her back when you are sure it is not going to work. That is the least that BB deserves, as well as Smokey.

Also, remember that bringing new cats in the household is also traumatic for Smokey, so before you parade more cats through the house, give BB the benefit of the doubt for another two weeks. If you look back at the beginning of this thread, you will see the AMAZING results you have gotten in just TWO weeks!! Imagine what another two weeks will bring!!

 

[Lorelei]

Great post Stretch! I think we all feel the same that it is early days and you have all done brilliantly!

Hope our experiences help to reassure you a bit Achio that this is totally normal and time is the thing here. I really think the cats have made amazing progress in a very short time, as Stretch says, in another couple of weeks think how great things will be then! BB is a gorgeous cat and she has done so well after being in the shelter, as I have said they can get a bit institutionalised and BB has been terrific! Try to put yourself in her shoes a bit, she has been out of a home environment for so long, had the stress of the shelter - I know the staff do an amazing job but it is still stressful, she has arrived in a totally new house with new people she doesn''t know from Adam, plus a new cat, new routines and been sick and back to the vet - all in 2 weeks. Poor little girl is just trying to find her feet and get used to things. She is a little star IMO - try not to worry and keep telling yourself this is completely normal, which it is and let them sort it. If you take her back to the shelter, it would be heartbreaking for you both and you would have to go through it all again with another cat and it could be much worse. Stick with her and try not to worry, they are doing fine truly!! Try to look a bit longer term also, remember familiarity breeds contempt, it is so true. They will get bored with the swearing soon, but this is necessary for them to sort out their laws and boundaries and it would be unheard of for 2 cats who are new to each other not to do this. Hope this helps! It really hasn''t been much time for them, keep going!

 

[moremoremore]

AChi...I''m a little pressed for time so I didn''t read the above responses which I''m sure give great advice...

BB is not being aggressive...just trying to protect herself when she feels threatened. So I think you''re fine. If she was being aggressive you''d have trouble....

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Stretch and Lorelei...

Thanks for your feedback. First, let me clarify that this isn''t about the money I donated to the shelter. I''m not worried about $80 at this point...it''s the least of my concerns.

I''m just concerned that Smokey has already gone through so much (losing Sasha, readjusting to a household without Sasha, and now bringing another cat in), that I want this new cat-friendship to work for him. He''s accustomed to being able to rough house with his playmates and I would hate to deprive him of that because BB isn''t the cat-interactive type. I agree we''re making strides...in fact, last night DH and I were sitting on the couch with Smokey watching TV. BB wanted attention and decided to jump on DH''s lap, knowing that Smokey was also on the couch. She even put her paw on his tail as she slept! But then Smokey startled her and the hissing started up again.

I know we''ve made strides, I''m just concerned about Smokey I guess....

Makes sense??

 

[Lorelei]

Yes it does make sense, as MMM and Stretch said she is just trying to protect herself with the hissing, but you are doing so great and that is incredible progress that they are sharing a sofa together already!! With the two of them playing , again it is a matter of time, BB is still probably trying to adjust to her still very new circumstances and will startle easily, but that will ease in a while as she gains confidence. Unfortunately there are no guarantees that you can find a cat that will definitely bond with and play with Smokey and BB has done so well. If I were in your situation as I have been many times I would be very pleased with their progress! Try not to worry so much, it really is very normal and they will be just fine together - try not to stress about it if you can, as the cats will pick up on it and BB will be able to sense that too and feel very unsure as to what will happen. Try to relax a bit and not put so much pressure on yourself, you have done a geat thing for Smokey and BB - things are going very well indeed, try to step back and let them get on with it. Also remember cats will interpret the hissing and their vocal and body language far differently to us. It may sound aggressive and upsetting to a human, but to a cat hearing a cat hiss at them will mainly see that as an " I''m scared "indicator and not a big deal, or be upset about it. Try to keep this in mind and congratulate yourself with the progress they have made! The fact that they are already sharing a space on the sofa and bed and having some physical contact is pretty good in my book. Please try to remember too that BB is still wary, she also has been through many changes and with lots of love and reassurance that you are giving her she and Smokey will be fine. BB is still a little scared and uncertain, time and love are the only cure for this - HANG IN THERE! Also a sense of smell is very important to a cat, it will take BB a little while to adjust to the smell of your home and Smokey - a smell not detectable to humans BTW

and for Smokey to adjust to hers, soon they will smell similar as they are in the same environment and this " scent" also takes a while to build up. Cats rely on scents for their survival and to help them breed and locate familiar areas.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Lorelei...thanks for your feedback...I''m trying to keep all of what you said in mind....

On a good note, I''ve ordered the Softpaws and BB let me and DH trim her front claws (she growled the whole time, but enver showed any other aggression), so that''ll help during their altercations. I''ve always trimmed Smokey and Sasha''s back claws, so it''s not foreign to me and I''m comfortable trimming cat claws...I also read that they need to be trimmed anyway before applying the Softpaws, so this was a good test...

 

[AndyRosse]

Baby steps, baby steps

.

And sorry AChiOAlumna if I came across wrong in my other post. I just hate to see BB not get a full chance to fit into your family.

But I''m glad you are not worrying about the $$, so hopefully you guys will give her at least another two weeks to see if her and Smokey can become better friends.

 

[widget]

AChiO....you are all doing such a wonderful job, and have made SO MUCH PROGRESS in a relatively short time!!

I do have one thought that I want to share...and hope someone will jump in and correct me if I''m wrong.

I''m wondering if you might have slightly unrealistic expectations IF your hope is that someday BB will become the loving, roughhousing "playmate" for Smokey that your other beloved cat was? She might, and she might not

Cats are all such enigmatic individuals, and I''m sure that BB''s and Smokey will eventually settle into a relationship that suits them. I''ve had multiple cats over the years and most of them lived happily in sort of "peaceful coexistence" rather than "best friends".

Just a thought...

Hang in there! You''re doing great!

widget

 

[FireGoddess]

AChi - you should be very proud of what has been accomplished already! BB sounds like she's really starting to feel comfortable, even letting you clip her claws and being brave enough to jump on the couch and touch Smokey's tail!

When my parents took a stray cat in their first cat (Midnight), who had been king of the house for 9 years, was NOT happy about it. The newbie was content to walk right past him and taunt him, but he despised her. He later grew to tolerate her and while they didn't really "play" they were companions for each other and let me tell you - when Midnight got sick the second cat had a VIGIL around him and would call out for him - and after he had to be put to sleep she was so depressed. So if it can work for a cat who's been alone for 9 years, Smokey will learn to deal, and likely appreciate her!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 10/13/2005 9:14:06 PM
Author: widget
I''m wondering if you might have slightly unrealistic expectations IF your hope is that someday BB will become the loving, roughhousing ''playmate'' for Smokey that your other beloved cat was? She might, and she might not

widget...you may have a point there...I do want to see them get along and Smokey is very playful and I would like him to have a playmate...I do recognize that Bunny isn''t Sasha, but I''m hoping they''ll get along more than 2 ships passing in the night under the same roof...all in good time I guess...

FG, Rascal and widget...thanks for the encouragement. Rascal, I didn''t take anything personally about the $$$ issue. I can understand your concern for that as when we first got Bunny, that was an initial concern, but honestly at this point, it''s not...FG...thanks for your story about your 2 kitties...I''m hoping that in the long run they become friends...DH & I are gone for long periods of time and I''d hate for Smokey to be lonely...

Tonight, she''s being tempermental and even tried to bite me...that got a small swat on the nose, which resulted in her running away....she can vie for ALPHA with Smokey, but that won''t work with me!!!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 10/13/2005 1:39:45 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna
Lorelei...thanks for your feedback...I''m trying to keep all of what you said in mind....

On a good note, I''ve ordered the Softpaws and BB let me and DH trim her front claws (she growled the whole time, but enver showed any other aggression), so that''ll help during their altercations. I''ve always trimmed Smokey and Sasha''s back claws, so it''s not foreign to me and I''m comfortable trimming cat claws...I also read that they need to be trimmed anyway before applying the Softpaws, so this was a good test...

Fantastic!!!!

It just might be possible as well that she is a " grumbler", and Madame is just vocalising her disapproval at having her manicure and being startled by Smokey

She will get bored with it!!!!

Huge Kudos to you!!!

 

[moremoremore]

I just did a quick read up on the manx...that they may have a harder time adjusting to new situations than other cats and that they can be a little protective until they get situated...and that they''ll low growl (or attack which she isn''t doing).... So this is totally normal!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 10/14/2005 9:26:20 AM
Author: moremoremore
I just did a quick read up on the manx...that they may have a harder time adjusting to new situations than other cats and that they can be a little protective until they get situated...and that they''ll low growl (or attack which she isn''t doing).... So this is totally normal!

That''s what she does...this low growl, which turns into a hiss. Usually it stops there unless Smokey gets too close, then it''ll turn into a (what I call) protective lash, where she lays on her back and starts showing off the claws. Maybe that''s why Smokey isn''t threatened...because BB is on her back while lashing her claws at him.

Thanks for that information about Manx behavior...that''s really interesting...and helpful!

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 10/14/2005 12:19:56 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna

Date: 10/14/2005 9:26:20 AM
Author: moremoremore
I just did a quick read up on the manx...that they may have a harder time adjusting to new situations than other cats and that they can be a little protective until they get situated...and that they''ll low growl (or attack which she isn''t doing).... So this is totally normal!

That''s what she does...this low growl, which turns into a hiss. Usually it stops there unless Smokey gets too close, then it''ll turn into a (what I call) protective lash, where she lays on her back and starts showing off the claws. Maybe that''s why Smokey isn''t threatened...because BB is on her back while lashing her claws at him.

Thanks for that information about Manx behavior...that''s really interesting...and helpful!

If BB is on her back lashing her claws at him, I doubt it is because she is afraid. Maybe she is trying to get him to play??? I think we have all established that a kitty won''t lie on her back if she is scared. Though I would definitely want some Soft Paws on those claws before they take a tumble together! For Smokey''s sake, and yours!!