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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!
She is a cat. They don't think as we do.
Meanwhile..the previous owner lied to me. This cat is extremely timid and skittish. She apologized for not telling me in advance. I said if she had, I would NOT have taken the cat. She used me. I am not a happy camper.
I don't think this cat is tame at all. I think she is half feral and have tamed for one person only. The previous owner. So...I will give her one more week, then I will see if I can find a way to get her in her carrier and take her to the SPCA, which is a no kill shelter here locally. I hate to do it, but I have enough stress without having to tame another wild cat. All I've done today is sit in my car and cry. I miss my husband. I miss MY cat. And now I have a half feral living under my bed, not eating, not drinking, not peeing. It will be 48 hours at noon tomorrow since she did anything. Cats can hold their pee for 24 to 48 hours. Her time will be up by then. Or she will die under my bed.
Fuck.
I've been doing all that..to no avail.Well, hopefully it won't come to that. I've taken in and tamed a couple of feral cats--- both made the nicest pets you could ever imagine, but I've also seen one cat react badly to losing her previous owner and changing homes.
I was going to say that starting tomorrow, lift up the edge of the bed sheet and talk sweetly to her and try to tempt her out with something irresistible, a big piece of fresh cooked warm chicken or fish.
Let the cat smell that and see if she will come out to eat. If you see signs of interest but think best, put the food down not far from her on a napkin and leave it--- in a position that eating it puts the water and potty in good position and leaves her in a position to explore the house. Maybe then start trying to talk sweet to her in the doorway, inviting her into the rest of the home.
Good luck and best wishes.
I've been doing all that..to no avail.
This cat is supposed to be a remedy, a SOLUTION for you, not just another problem. Kitty better get her ass in gear--- she is burning up her second lease on life.
I've been told to try to play with her. Use a toy or a string and go around the bed. Well, I just now tried. She just laid under there, then slowly backed further into the back wall where the headboard is and a big pillow and crouched down.
I've decided I am fed up. I was lied to, used, and am now stuck with a cat under my bed. I'm going to find someone to help me herd her into the bathroom and back into her crate. I will close the bathroom door, leave the crate gate open, then take her to spca. I'm done.
It's been almost 48 hours. I am giving her until wednesday. After that...she gets gently herded into her carrier and off to SPCA. I plan to pay for her acceptance, shots, donate all the food, 2 40lb litter boxes, litter tray, new scoop, new toys, new brush, 2 bowls and maybe even donate her adoption fee to the approved adopter. Depends on how much it all costs, but the personal belongings and food will also be donated.It's your call and none of my business, but I'd ask you to give the cat 24 hours to get used to you and her new surroundings. Don't play with her, let her come to you. If she doesn't, well so be it. It ain't her fault you got lied to.
She needs time---to get used to you and the place. She likely misses her old owner--feels abandoned and is confused. All cats have different personalities--she won't be like your other cat. She will be her. Likely she was used to sleeping on the bed with people. She knows where the litter box is especially if she has used the box atleast once. She can smell where her food is as well. She is a stranger to you as she is to you----it will take time to get to feel like you are a family.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.
You're staff, you have no right to change your cat's world around.Sorry Gracie, I know you've had more than enough stress to deal with. Hang in there.
Cats are territorial and don't like change. Previous owner sounds like a real winner (*cough, cough*) so who knows what this cat has actually been thru before coming to you. Doesn't sound like she really cared much for the cat, to be so willing to get rid of it like that and lie about it. But I guess that's besides the point now. Atleast the cat isn't screaming, howling, clawing, biting or any other way aggressive. It's probably scared of all the new (car ride, new people, new places, new everything). It can take some time for it to adjust and learn to trust you. It may actually think more like you than you know.......'I miss my owner, i miss my home and I don't understand what's going on'. If you are willing to see it in that way, then you both have a common starting point, to build a new relationship. It just may take awhile for her to come around, depending on how 'feral or damaged' she was before.
Just a side story, hopefully to make you atleast smile, but to also see how cats don't like change..................My cat is fed on the kitchen table, not my preferred place cause I don't like cats on places with food but it's the only place I can feed her that the dogs can't get to her food first. It is, what it is.
About 2 months ago, I was redoing my kitchen floor and had to move the table, chairs and everything else out of the dining area to the living room, just a few feet away and I did that while she was outside........so when she came in and seen everything moved she had a fit and kept yelling at me for the disruption. MEOW, MEOW, MEOOOOOWW. (what have you done with my food?? My life is ruined, everything is different, I want it back the way it WAS).
I had to show her where the food was, and it took me 2 days to finish the floor and put things back and she cussed me the whole time. Once it was back to normal, she shut up. Spoiled brat she is, but we love her anyway
Cats are Coy------they like to play hard to get...and take their time deciding if they like you. You gotta play hart to get back, she has her basics---ignore her, don't stress over her. Let her make the first move---she will come out when she is ready. If you are not happy with a pet---spca may be the right choice, but you got time to make that decision and you shouldn't be stressing out in the meantime. She senses your stress. What will be will be...I've been told to try to play with her. Use a toy or a string and go around the bed. Well, I just now tried. She just laid under there, then slowly backed further into the back wall where the headboard is and a big pillow and crouched down.
I've decided I am fed up. I was lied to, used, and am now stuck with a cat under my bed. I'm going to find someone to help me herd her into the bathroom and back into her crate. I will close the bathroom door, leave the crate gate open, then take her to spca. I'm done.
Gracie maybe the cat feels the same as you do. Obviously the cat is suffering , give it a chance to settle in. I'm sure you two will become friends.I miss my husband. I miss MY cat.
She needs time---to get used to you and the place. She likely misses her old owner--feels abandoned and is confused. All cats have different personalities--she won't be like your other cat. She will be her. Likely she was used to sleeping on the bed with people. She knows where the litter box is especially if she has used the box atleast once. She can smell where her food is as well. She is a stranger to you as she is to you----it will take time to get to feel like you are a family.
