Topic: 2 weeks in (Read 7671 times)

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2013, 17:41:04 PM »

Once you've gained his full trust you could clip his claws, I do both my cats as they like to 'paddle' on me which is agony! You can buy special clippers and it's very easy to do but as he's new to you would be inclined to wait until he's 100% settled.

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2013, 15:26:26 PM »

My 3 legged cat used to do that when his remaining back leg became older and weaker. Ouchy!

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2013, 12:04:39 PM »

aaaww - bless him

I suppose that is natural for blind cats, as taking a leap in the dark would be too scary for them, so they climb rather than jump

better wear heavyweight jeans!

princesskasren · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2013, 11:23:09 AM »

All good advice and points..thanks. Oscar just in the last few days has started climbing onto my lap...but he pulls himself up with his claws and when he moves he digs in...I def don't believe in de clawing cats taht is evil(IMHO) so I know it's love when I look at the scratches on my thighs! LOL

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2013, 22:21:54 PM »

doesn't sound as if things are going too badly to me - I do suspect that cats who have been on their own for a while find the introduction of a 'playmate' a challenge, but not necessarily an unwelcome one - Jez's life has suddenly got a whole lot more interesting, and that's no bad thing

she will insist on being topcat, and Oscar will almost certainly not dispute that - she'll go on regularly putting him in his place, and he'll go on letting her, and they will both understand the rules of the game and rub along together just fine

Liz · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2013, 22:04:49 PM »

It does take time, I have had Billie Jo since February and she had an awful lot of vet visits, eye creams and drops and decided to live in our downstairs study and hide everytime we went near her, she had an eye ablasion and that didn't work so her eye was removed the following week, now 5 weeks in she is sociable, friendly and now mixes with the others

I have some who choose to live upstairs during the day and others who happily mix upstairs and down, I have indoor only, indoor/outdoor and outdoor only and all get on well it takes time and lot of effort on my part as I have Feral, domestic and pedigrees and all are after a lot of work and time a happy sociable bunch unless we have visitors the ferals take a couple of days to come back to their spaces but it is worth the effort and time and love are the key

princesskasren · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2013, 20:29:46 PM »

Oscar has only been here for about 2 weeks. He was adopted from Cat's Protection and the vet says he may have been blind from birth. A lady found him wandering in the countryside and wanted to keep him but her husband was allergic so I adopted him. I just cannot imagine dumping any animal let alone a helpless blind one. From what I have heard it will prob take longer for them to like each other so I am ok to wait on them.

Oscar seems hesitant to go downstairs and if he does you have to lure him back upstairs with some food...lol...so maybe it will work out one floor(territory) for each cat. I would love it if they became best pals but I would be ok with everyone living harmoniously. I know what you mean about worrying that I have made a mistake but I would never give him back as I would worry if anyone would take him but it's difficult juggling both cats and trying to make sure neither is unhappy or scared...and not just for their sake as unhappy cats make for unhappy humans!

Lyn (Slugsta) · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2013, 20:20:01 PM »

I must be so worrying for you, I guess you are anxious that you might have made a bad decision that will make either cat unhappy? For how long has Oscar been blind? Is he just having to get used to his new home, or is he still adapting to the blindness too?

It sounds as if Jez has been mistress of her domain up til now, so of course she has had her nose put out of joint by the interloper. Today I was reading Milo's account of moving in with Sol, he said that she hissed at him if he tried to go upstairs for quite a while but eventually she settled and 'led' him up to show him the bedroom. I really hope that Jez and Oscar will settle down too, given time.

princesskasren · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2013, 20:06:18 PM »

The funny thing is is taht if Oscar does keep going towards the door Jez just runs away...it's all just posturing and everyone is still safe on their side of teh mesh screen.

princesskasren · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2013, 20:02:17 PM »

So one question answered today...Whilst letting Oscar wander the rest of the house I put Jez in Oscar's room so she could check it out and when I returned to check on her she was using his litterbox...perhaps she was marking it as her territory. I hope that now he will use it after her and not get freaked. Also Jes seems to be always at the door of his room watching when I am in there with him and whenever he makes a move towards the door she hisses at him as if she's trying to make him stay in this one part of the house...the rest is hers!!! LOL He's actually not that bothered anymore. He would growl at first but now he just turns and walks over to his bed or food.

princesskasren · « **Reply #10 on:** May 04, 2013, 20:44:31 PM »

Quote from: Liz on May 04, 2013, 19:09:25 PM

Hello, he as the moment trying to remember the space he has been given and memorise and scent walls, door frames etc so he can move on to the next part of the house

Also you could try having an extra tray so they could both use it and then it would smell of both of them

Little steps in the key as their other senses are heightened when they loose one of them

The yowling is quite normal it is their way of letting another cat know they are around and you where they are I know our blind boy yowled when he thought we couldn't see him when he was in the garden once we had stroked him he went off on his wanders again

It all sounds normal and please don't be put off by some sharp comments just continue doing what you are doing and things should work out fine, also if you have a Feliway or air freshner plugged in near the grit box my advice would be move it as the scent can be off putting for your blind boy and confuse his sense of smell

Hiya, I do have a Feliway but it's plugged in on the other side of the room but just in case even that is too close I will move it to the furthest corner from his littertray. I have a small uncovered littertray that I have placed outside his room so when I let him explore upstairs(with Jez locked in a room downstairs he could use it. He indeed does use it but Jezabel will not. She put her head above it gave it a big sniff then turned around and did her fake spraying posture she does when she is not amused!!! LOL
Thanks so much for the advice.

princesskasren · « **Reply #9 on:** May 04, 2013, 20:38:03 PM »

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on May 04, 2013, 18:25:49 PM

14 days is a few days!

LOL you measure time differently then as a few for me is 3 or 4!

Liz · « **Reply #8 on:** May 04, 2013, 19:09:25 PM »

Hello, he as the moment trying to remember the space he has been given and memorise and scent walls, door frames etc so he can move on to the next part of the house

Also you could try having an extra tray so they could both use it and then it would smell of both of them

Little steps in the key as their other senses are heightened when they loose one of them

The yowling is quite normal it is their way of letting another cat know they are around and you where they are I know our blind boy yowled when he thought we couldn't see him when he was in the garden once we had stroked him he went off on his wanders again

It all sounds normal and please don't be put off by some sharp comments just continue doing what you are doing and things should work out fine, also if you have a Feliway or air freshner plugged in near the grit box my advice would be move it as the scent can be off putting for your blind boy and confuse his sense of smell

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2013, 18:25:49 PM »

14 days is a few days!

princesskasren · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2013, 16:17:31 PM »

Quote from: Kay&3Ts on May 04, 2013, 16:14:16 PM

his reaction seems quite normal to me, given that cats in the wild mark their territory with urine - so when he smells Jezabel's he is naturally wary - so another thing you could try is adding some of his used litter to her tray, and vice versa, to mix the scents up

another thing you could try, assuming it's an open litter tray, is swapping it with a covered one, to minimise the smell of the litter

Ok thanks taht was sort of what I wanted to do...put a little bit of Jezabels' litter in a plastic little tub next to his at first just to see if he would go near his litter with her smell there and then if he was fine with that I would do as you said and mix then them a bit. They are both covered boxes but with no doors as neither of them would use it with the door...lol. He has smelt Jez before as I rubbed her with a sock and then stroked Oscar as he likes to be groomed and mixed their scents but I guess urine is so much more potent perhaps it scared him. I just want to do this right and not rush either and I know it is going to be trial and error.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2013, 16:14:16 PM »

his reaction seems quite normal to me, given that cats in the wild mark their territory with urine - so when he smells Jezabel's he is naturally wary - so another thing you could try is adding some of his used litter to her tray, and vice versa, to mix the scents up

another thing you could try, assuming it's an open litter tray, is swapping it with a covered one, to minimise the smell of the litter

princesskasren · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2013, 16:08:42 PM »

...there's really no need to be snappy and I have no problem being wrong and people pointing it out.

princesskasren · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2013, 16:04:36 PM »

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on May 04, 2013, 13:03:01 PM

Which bit of do things very slowly do you not understand?

This could take months not a few days.

Yes you are forcing it too much, just let Oscar take his own time

Ummm it hasn't just been a few days and I understand it will take more time. I am not talking here about introducing them but just ketting Oscar explore more of the house bvut he cannot do that if he won't even go past the litterbox so i thought there was something i could do to habituate him to the smell...that is all.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** May 04, 2013, 13:03:01 PM »

Which bit of do things very slowly do you not understand?

This could take months not a few days.

Yes you are forcing it too much, just let Oscar take his own time

princesskasren · « **Reply #1 on:** May 04, 2013, 10:39:57 AM »

So today I tried to let Oscar go to the end of the hallway and downstairs again but as soon as he got to the ened he started yowling and growling and I think it's because that's where Jezabel's litterbox is. No point in moving it I mean let's be honest the whole house smells like her but this si the first time he has had such a strong reaction to it. He just wouldn't move and I had to pick him up and take him back to his room and he is now sittin on my lap as I type this.
So...what's the deal? I have been mixing scents and he's sleeping in one of her old cat beds. She has been in his room numerous times and he has been to the end of the hallway before. Maybe her scent is just really strong today? I have even started leaving his door open at night but keeping the mesh screen up so no-one can get in or out.
I was thinking of maybe getting a plastic tub and just put a little of Jezabel's used litter in the bottom and stick it in a corner of his room? OR is that forcing the issue too much?

Author Topic: 2 weeks in (Read 7671 times)