Anpther cat. Need advice.

[Gracie]

So, it's been very lonely with MrG and Evie being gone. I have been looking for another cat but have not found one. I wanted one at least 2 years old, female, indoor only. Nothing available except kittens, so....no luck so far. Until today.

I was reading Craigslist for a cat and there was a new ad. Said rehoming, no charge, 2 years old, indoor only and she could not keep her any more. So I texted her. She was out of town, and said today I could meet her. Well...around 1pm, she texted me, said she had the cat in the carrier and in the car and could bring her to me. I said WHOA! Too fast! I want more info, to meet the cat, etc. She said she was leaving town right away and if I don't take the cat, the cat goes to the pound. I had to think fast. So..maybe stupidly and probably stupidly..I said ok. Bring her.

She arrives with the cat. Cat is howling. Her car is stuffed with stuff. Said she was kicked out where she was staying, and had to go to sacramento and move in temporarily with her boyfriend and his mother..that HER mother is in Sac ICU, that she lost her baby to a miscarriage 2 weeks ago, hated giving up her cat because the cat is so sweet and the best cat she ever owned and was crying her eyes out. So I take the cat and as soon as I have it in my arms (cat and carrier), cat shuts up. Never made a sound even on the elevator. I put her in the bathroom with a kitty litter box, food, water. And I spoke to her after opening the cat door in case she wanted out. She didn't. I checked on her again about 2 hours later and she was in the bathtub hiding behind the shower curtains. When she saw me, she climbed out, carefully walked past my legs, went back into the carrier and meowed once. So I backed out, sat on the floor by the bathroom door and talked to her again for about 20 minutes. Been going in to do that off and on since I got her. Googled, they said to play soft music, give her some tuna. So...I did. When I went in to check her..she was out of the carrier, not in the bathtub, and is now under the bed. So I consider that an improvement.

So..my questions are...

How long do they stay hiding?

Will she remember where the litter box is? (Approx 6 feet from her new hidey hole)

She needs to be vet checked but I know nothing about her, so how long do I wait? Until she is comfortable in her new home? I don't even know if I can pick her up without being clawed or bitten. (This is where I feel really stupid. What have I done taking in a strange cat...but wouldn't this also happen if I found one at the pound???)

Any suggestions on how to get her to feel more at ease? LIghts on the bedroom, with door closed to living room? Lights better off?

Her food is dry, another bowl with about a tablespoon of tuna, another bowl with water, about 3 feet from litter box..all in bathroom where she spent the past 10 hours in her carrier.

She did not pick a spot under the bed where Evie used to lay. Due to scent of a cat? (She is at the foot of the bed instead, between two pillows I stuffed under there in case she chose another spot.)

Any advice would be appreciated. I would hate to take her to the SPCA (no kill shelter) if she doesn't accept me.

Edit:

I closed the bedroom door. I was going to leave it open since it is such a small apt, but I don't want any surprises in the middle of the night, so she now has the bedroom to explore..IF she does. I also closed the slider door to the balconey. I don't want her freaked out, think its just a fence and sails over it only to fall 6 floors.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

She will hide for a few days. Almost all cats do. Then she will come out like nothing ever happened. Not too many days two or three.

 

[Gracie]

Anyway..I now have another living soul in the apt and am not alone. But...geeze....what have I gotten myself in to?

 

[Gracie]

She will hide for a few days. Almost all cats do. Then she will come out like nothing ever happened. Not too many days two or three.

Oh, I hope so. Google said 2 weeks to maybe months.

 

[Gracie]

She did talk to me when I peed...which is right next to where her carrier was. Not a warning. More like...who are you??? So I continued to talk to her while I peed. And whenever I have to go in the bedroom, I tell her I am coming in..so she is not startled.

Damn..I hope I am doing this right. Its what I did with Evie, who was a feral but a friendly one. Soon, she was coming in the window I left open for her. I hope this one does the same...meaning trusting me. She looks just like Evie, too. Her name is Juliette.

 

[Gracie]

I texted her owner because I felt so bad for her and her crying so much. She said she never gave her a shorter name or called her anything BUT Juliette. So..that's what I have been doing too. I also told her that if she gets settled where she can have her again, I would give her back if she missed her too much.

 

[Hossfly]

I texted her owner because I felt so bad for her and her crying so much. She said she never gave her a shorter name or called her anything BUT Juliette. So..that's what I have been doing too. I also told her that if she gets settled where she can have her again, I would give her back if she missed her too much.

My advice: Get the cat a boyfriend. Problem solved.

 

[Gracie]

Can't. One pet only and even if I could, I wouldn't.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Oh, I hope so. Google said 2 weeks to maybe months.

No way. The only cat I had that didn't hide was my beloved Courtney. He owned the place from minute one.

My son had a cat he named Caesar. Caesar was feral. He sort of moved in on his own. He never hid he just muscled his way in. The other cats we had just let him.

If I was ever to believe in reincarnation it would be Caesar. He had to have been a biker or truck driver in a previous life. When my boyfriend would work on the car, Caesar was sitting on the fender peering down at the engine offering sage advice. Sometimes under the car, laying on his back watching what was being done. He loved sports and would sit with whoever was watching football or his fave, wrestling. You could almost hear him say "bring me a beer".

 

[gtopa1]

So, it's been very lonely with MrG and Evie being gone. I have been looking for another cat but have not found one. I wanted one at least 2 years old, female, indoor only. Nothing available except kittens, so....no luck so far. Until today.

I was reading Craigslist for a cat and there was a new ad. Said rehoming, no charge, 2 years old, indoor only and she could not keep her any more. So I texted her. She was out of town, and said today I could meet her. Well...around 1pm, she texted me, said she had the cat in the carrier and in the car and could bring her to me. I said WHOA! Too fast! I want more info, to meet the cat, etc. She said she was leaving town right away and if I don't take the cat, the cat goes to the pound. I had to think fast. So..maybe stupidly and probably stupidly..I said ok. Bring her.

She arrives with the cat. Cat is howling. Her car is stuffed with stuff. Said she was kicked out where she was staying, and had to go to sacramento and move in temporarily with her boyfriend and his mother..that HER mother is in Sac ICU, that she lost her baby to a miscarriage 2 weeks ago, hated giving up her cat because the cat is so sweet and the best cat she ever owned and was crying her eyes out. So I take the cat and as soon as I have it in my arms (cat and carrier), cat shuts up. Never made a sound even on the elevator. I put her in the bathroom with a kitty litter box, food, water. And I spoke to her after opening the cat door in case she wanted out. She didn't. I checked on her again about 2 hours later and she was in the bathtub hiding behind the shower curtains. When she saw me, she climbed out, carefully walked past my legs, went back into the carrier and meowed once. So I backed out, sat on the floor by the bathroom door and talked to her again for about 20 minutes. Been going in to do that off and on since I got her. Googled, they said to play soft music, give her some tuna. So...I did. When I went in to check her..she was out of the carrier, not in the bathtub, and is now under the bed. So I consider that an improvement.

So..my questions are...

How long do they stay hiding?

Will she remember where the litter box is? (Approx 6 feet from her new hidey hole)

She needs to be vet checked but I know nothing about her, so how long do I wait? Until she is comfortable in her new home? I don't even know if I can pick her up without being clawed or bitten. (This is where I feel really stupid. What have I done taking in a strange cat...but wouldn't this also happen if I found one at the pound???)

Any suggestions on how to get her to feel more at ease? LIghts on the bedroom, with door closed to living room? Lights better off?

Her food is dry, another bowl with about a tablespoon of tuna, another bowl with water, about 3 feet from litter box..all in bathroom where she spent the past 10 hours in her carrier.

She did not pick a spot under the bed where Evie used to lay. Due to scent of a cat? (She is at the foot of the bed instead, between two pillows I stuffed under there in case she chose another spot.)

Any advice would be appreciated. I would hate to take her to the SPCA (no kill shelter) if she doesn't accept me.

Edit:

I closed the bedroom door. I was going to leave it open since it is such a small apt, but I don't want any surprises in the middle of the night, so she now has the bedroom to explore..IF she does. I also closed the slider door to the balconey. I don't want her freaked out, think its just a fence and sails over it only to fall 6 floors.

It's a cat. She's sizing YOU up to see if you'll do at a pinch. It's over two so just be patient; she'll come round. It's a good thing you've done, and I don't even like cats.

Greg

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

Get another cat so your cat won't get lonely.
Let your cat watch some of the cat channels on Youtube.

 

[toobfreak]

So, it's been very lonely with MrG and Evie being gone. I have been looking for another cat but have not found one. I wanted one at least 2 years old, female, indoor only. Nothing available except kittens, so....no luck so far. Until today.

I was reading Craigslist for a cat and there was a new ad. Said rehoming, no charge, 2 years old, indoor only and she could not keep her any more. So I texted her. She was out of town, and said today I could meet her. Well...around 1pm, she texted me, said she had the cat in the carrier and in the car and could bring her to me. I said WHOA! Too fast! I want more info, to meet the cat, etc. She said she was leaving town right away and if I don't take the cat, the cat goes to the pound. I had to think fast. So..maybe stupidly and probably stupidly..I said ok. Bring her.

She arrives with the cat. Cat is howling. Her car is stuffed with stuff. Said she was kicked out where she was staying, and had to go to sacramento and move in temporarily with her boyfriend and his mother..that HER mother is in Sac ICU, that she lost her baby to a miscarriage 2 weeks ago, hated giving up her cat because the cat is so sweet and the best cat she ever owned and was crying her eyes out. So I take the cat and as soon as I have it in my arms (cat and carrier), cat shuts up. Never made a sound even on the elevator. I put her in the bathroom with a kitty litter box, food, water. And I spoke to her after opening the cat door in case she wanted out. She didn't. I checked on her again about 2 hours later and she was in the bathtub hiding behind the shower curtains. When she saw me, she climbed out, carefully walked past my legs, went back into the carrier and meowed once. So I backed out, sat on the floor by the bathroom door and talked to her again for about 20 minutes. Been going in to do that off and on since I got her. Googled, they said to play soft music, give her some tuna. So...I did. When I went in to check her..she was out of the carrier, not in the bathtub, and is now under the bed. So I consider that an improvement.

So..my questions are...

How long do they stay hiding?

Will she remember where the litter box is? (Approx 6 feet from her new hidey hole)

She needs to be vet checked but I know nothing about her, so how long do I wait? Until she is comfortable in her new home? I don't even know if I can pick her up without being clawed or bitten. (This is where I feel really stupid. What have I done taking in a strange cat...but wouldn't this also happen if I found one at the pound???)

Any suggestions on how to get her to feel more at ease? LIghts on the bedroom, with door closed to living room? Lights better off?

Her food is dry, another bowl with about a tablespoon of tuna, another bowl with water, about 3 feet from litter box..all in bathroom where she spent the past 10 hours in her carrier.
She did not pick a spot under the bed where Evie used to lay. Due to scent of a cat? (She is at the foot of the bed instead, between two pillows I stuffed under there in case she chose another spot.)

Any advice would be appreciated. I would hate to take her to the SPCA (no kill shelter) if she doesn't accept me.

Edit:

I closed the bedroom door. I was going to leave it open since it is such a small apt, but I don't want any surprises in the middle of the night, so she now has the bedroom to explore..IF she does. I also closed the slider door to the balconey. I don't want her freaked out, think its just a fence and sails over it only to fall 6 floors.

Leave her alone. Let her come to you. She knows where the litter box is and food and stuff, give her time to adapt and discover her new place and discover it is hers and you are her new friend. Doesn't sound like she had a very good home before.

Protect her from getting out or falling, once she is all settled in and the two of you are friends, you can worry about vets and stuff.

 

[Devils_Advocate]

New place, so she will be scared for a few days but just ignore her and when she comes out just talk to her like she is your kid and she will warm up to you.

I have four indoor cats and one dog that all were rescued and thirteen outdoor ones that come and eat daily and all of them have their own quirks but let her have a few days and she should start crawling up on you wanting loving…

As for potty training she should know where her litter box is at and hopefully was trained but make sure it is her old one from her old home or a new one and not your cat old one because of the scent in it.

Years ago I had a cat that stopped using the litter pan after my female cat died, so had to get a new one.

Just be patient because she is as scared as you and just treat her like she is your kid and just talk calmly and all will be good…

Leave music or the TV on when you are not home to give her something to listen to and it will keep her calm…

 

[Dekster]

Anyway..I now have another living soul in the apt and am not alone. But...geeze....what have I gotten myself in to?

Cats need time to adjust. My advice is to just give the cat free access to the place and then largely ignore it. Eventually it will start to explore on its own. They are very territorial by nature and she thinks it is in someone else's territory and at risk. When we moved 6 years ago, my male cat freaked the hell out the second I let it loose in the new house. I had to open the door and let it bolt to keep him from hurting himself as he was bashing into everything screeching trying to find a way out. He took a few days before he would even come back to the house from the woods to eat and about a week before I could get him to willingly come back inside.

 

[monkrules]

If I were suddenly moved to a new home I'd be plenty shy, too. It's sure to take a bit if time for the cat to get over the shock of the move. He'll soon feel comfortable, and know it's safe to do some exploring.

Sounds like you're doing everything needed to make a new best friend. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I have absolutely no info on a cat.
Mainly because I dont care for them.
But good luck on making it comfy in it's new home.
The last and only cat that entered my home was my mothers when she stayed with us when her dementia set in.
It was a very bad situation with my two Boxers. It never came down stairs since that was where my Mother's room was and it would sit on the railing that overlooked the living room and of course that drove my dogs nuts.
When I tried to approach the demon cat it would arch it's back and hiss at me. At that point it was the cat or my mother.
She refused to get rid of the cat and I considered killing the damn thing but we ended up having to put my mother in assisted living where they allowed cats.
It worked out in the end when my mother passed away and the old lady next door took it in.

 

[Gracie]

I have this on the tv in there

 

[monkrules]

I have this on the tv in there

I have a message onscreen saying, this video is not available."

 

[Gracie]

I know. I just checked it. Sorry.
Its on youtube under search for Music For Cats Anxiety.

Meanwhile....I just checked on her. Ive been asleep since that last post...in the recliner. She is still under the bed. No food eaten, no litter box used. I hope she does not pee and poo under the bed!

 

[AyeCantSeeYou]

She's trying to figure out what's going on and why she's somewhere new. Give her a little time. When you expect it, she'll be sneaking around corners staring you down to see what you're all about. Get ready for things that go THUD in the night and waking up to beady little eyes staring you in the face.

If you've got some cat toys like string and feathers, dangle them around her and see if she'll play a little.