Do you think it's fair to keep a cat closed up in a room for the rest of her life??

[moosmom]

16 year old Lacie (aka Pinkie) does not get along with my other cats. I've tried and unfortunately it's not working as well as I thought it would. She needs to be in a home with no other cats. What am I gonna do? I'm afraid if I bring her back to the Grosse Ile Animal Shelter (where I volunteer), they'll put her down because of her age.

What am I gonna do?

[jazzcat]

I like her chances in your room better.

Would they be willing to try to help you find her a home while you foster her?

[jenluckenbach]

One of my fellow rescue volunteers has 1 cat (of her own) that lives its entire life in one bedroom. ALL her other cats HATE this cat and attack her. I never asked this lady point blank why she doesn't just find a home for her, but obviously she loves this cat and feels that this life is meant to be.
another example.
Our shelter building is loaded with cats that spend much of their life in 1 room. Many are unadoptable and will live there forever.

I think that if you feel you can spare her a room of her own then keep her, or at least keep her until another situation allows her to find a different home.

[Grace]

I agree with Jen. Better for a senior cat to have a room of her own, being loved and cared for - than some of the other options out there. If you can find another situation for her that would work equally well, fine. If not, she's much better off with you.

[Karen]

Ask around at local churches - maybe there's a lonely senior citizen who would love an "only cat" to keep them company!

[moosmom]

Thanks guys. I guess a room with a view is MUCH better than a cage 24/7. I do love her alot. I just wish MooShoo would DEAL WITH IT!!!!

[Grace]

Originally posted by moosmom
I just wish MooShoo would DEAL WITH IT!!!!

How about trading places? Put MooShoo in the room by herself, and bring Lacie out - switch them off every few days.

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by Grace
How about trading places? Put MooShoo in the room by herself, and bring Lacie out - switch them off every few days.

I go with that idea. Not every fews days but a couple of times a day seem better. Gives them both some time with mommy and those feeling of love they need. I had to do that with two of my dogs. We just gave each one of them there own time in the house with us, it only seem fair to both of them.

I also have Lita, who Bunny Butt and Trouble HATE!! We do the same thing with them. It seem to work out great, if you are willing to devote the time to playing the switching cat game.

[rosethecopycat]

Is it only Moo that has the problem with her? Or does she have a problem with Moo?

Is there severe agression involved? Anyone pee themselves upon confrontation? (no-seriously, that's a pretty bad sign)

Have you tried vanilla on the base of their tails. (the real stuff, not artificial)

It helps here sometimes. They think that the other cat smells like them.


Also:

Feliway.

Long and slow integration.


I agree, one bedroom is not the end of the world, considering the big E

Can you get her listed anywhere like petfinder.com ?

Just take it one day at a time, and it will reveal itself to you, Donna.

[kuhio98]

My friends had a similar problem. They took off the spare bedroom door and replaced it with a sturdy screen door. After several weeks of staring at each other through the screen, they decided to behave and learned to tolerate each other. She came home from work one night and they were curled up beside each other on either side of the door. Something about "the forbidden" that brings out a cats curiosity.

[moosmom]

I borrowed two baby safety gates and stacked them in the doorway so they could all see each other. Lacie is on the window perch. The cats come and go and watch her. I hope this works. I really don't know what else to do. At least I can keep the door open. Hopefully she'll come out of her shell and want to come out and be with the rest of the crew.

[leslie]

So sounds like you haven't yet given up on creative ideas yet Donna! jan and I were in a house last weekend that had screen doors up between at least 2 or 3 rooms for the purpose of socializing (I suspect anyway, I know she was doing a lot of foster care)- the woman had recently died of breast cance and was in the cat rescue circle here and everyone was in and out of her house trying to figure out how many cats she had and trapping etc... Sad. She had some beautiful show cats and at least 200 ribbons..). My point is, she had the wooden framed screen doors on rooms and I always thought I would want one (back when I was seriously fostering a ton of cats at a time!!). If worse comes to worse, and she truley becomes a "bedroom cat" you could consider this maybe?

[smokey the elder]

I think living in one room and being a pampered kitty beats the HECK out of the alternative. The baby gates are a good idea.

[moosmom]

Rose,

The aggression is with Moo. If I let him in the room, he goes right after her. He's very possessive of me. The rest of the cats are just curious. They sit by the door and watch her and she them from her kitty tent. I keep her food on the opposite side of the room so they can't see her eating. It seems she'll only eat when the door is closed, or if I'm in the room.

I tried putting Moo in the room and letting Lacie out. Unfortunately, she crouched down and was terrified!!! I might try and put ALL the cats in the room and let her out to explore alone. This way she won't feel so threatened.

She's not going anywhere. I couldn't give her up. She's such a sweet cat who likes to be combed and pampered.

[rosethecopycat]

Rescue Remedy for Moo?

I'd still 'vanilla' their butts and put a feliway in there too.

Take Moo a blanket of hers and let him thouroughly sniff it and keep it around.

Maybe he can't deal with the onslaught of sight, sound and smell of her all at once.


Now, Moo baby, you behave, and be nice to the poor girl.
She not hurt you, and she not take your mama, Moo.