Advice Wanted: Another cat coming to us! Small Update

[krazyaboutkatz]

She's gorgeous. I have two girls and their personalities are very different so they get along well. They will sometimes play fight but it's nothing for me to worry about. I'm sure that if you take things slowly that in time everyone will get along or at least learn to tolerate each other. Good luck and please continue to keep us updated.

[GILL]

What a beautiful girl. Got to love the Main Coons.
I agree with Donna. There may be some hissing, we still have some, but along as there's no blood your OK.
After 2 years Bailey and Chessie still DO NOT like each other. They will hiss, spit and swat. If they had nails we would have blood all over, but they happen to be 2 of the 3 de-claws we have.
It's funny to watch since both are mom's boys, she will have one on the arm of her chair and the other on the opposite arm, every thing is fine until one spots the other, then the hissing begins. She just has to grab one and hold him with his back to the other, then things quiet down again.
So love her and have fun.

[CultureJunky]

Misty has arrived. She came with her litter tray, toys, some food and scratcher. We let her out in the living room first and she had a look around then went behind the Tv for about an hour. I then managed to move the TV, pick her up and we've settled her in the spare room. She has all she needs there, water, food, litter tray and a nice bed in the corner with blankets and quilts, hers and Sunny's, a mix for some different smells. Sunny and Xavi have smelt some of her toys.
At the moment she has squished herself under the Computer desk, and is hiding away. I think in the night she may come out to have something to eat, we'll see in the morning.
She's a lovely cat, hasn't spat or hissed at us at all, and let us smoothe her when she walked past. She's just very intimidated and frightened right now.
I'll keep an update going to let you know how she's doing.

[orangemm]

Aww, she's probably very confused right now. But, a night in a comfy bed and some nice scritches will bring her around. She is so lucky to have you!

[catmandu]

It will take time. Tubster Panther had a few rough nights , and still hides in the basement sometimes but hes doing a lot better and is more social now!!!


We know that Misty being a Maine coon will come out of hiding and eventually become part of Your Fur Family.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I hope that she'll start calming down soon and that everything will go well when you start the introductions. Good luck.

[CultureJunky]

Another small update:

Misty has started to come out a bit and look around. She lets me smoothe her, and rubs her face on things, so I know that she likes me doing this, and that she's also marking her scent on things that are new to her. She has seen Sunny they just hissed at eachother then Misty walked away (Sunny was abover her on the bed) and Xavi and has hissed and growled but not become violent or anything, I think she's really scared of them, they're both interested in her. Xavi is just interested and curious but her growls have put him off going close to her, he's just stared from afar for now.
I'm happy for her to take her time to adjust, all I'm worried about is that she hasn't eaten anything yet.
She arrived Wednesday evening, so I assume she had had breakfast that day, but hasn't eaten anything since. She also hasn't had any water that I've put down. I've put food down, food that came with her, but she hasn't touched it. She has used the litter tray once.
How long is it normal for her to not eat? I'm just very worried in case it makes her ill? I'm most concerned about this and it's worrying me a lot?
Any answers or advice?

Kate

[Freedom]

Keep her in a room alone, and give it 2 to 3 days before you worry about the eating and drinking. She has to feel she is safe, as eating posture leaves a cat vulnerable to attack from predators. And just now, she feels even the very WALLS may be stalking her, poor dear. It does take time.

She has to get used to sights, sounds and scents. Her sensors are likely on overload at the moment. Being at peace and alone will help her feel safe enough to eat and drink. It also makes it easier for you to monitor the litter box.

She will come around, you DO know what you are doing, Kate!

[rg_girlca]

Misty is gorgeous. Bless you for taking her in. When I took in rescues, I had some that ate & drank right away, some took a day or two and some took as long as 2 days before they used the litter box and up to almost 4 days before they ate. So here's hoping that Misty will start to eat & drink today or tomorrow.

Prayers on the way that all will turn out well in the end with everyone.

[jenluckenbach]

Glad to hear that Misty is HOME. It may be a few days before she feels comfortable enough to eat. But you could still try different choices in case she is a finicky type. A rescue-veteran friend of mine and I seem to agree that most all cats will eat by day 5 if not sooner.

[CultureJunky]

Misty has now eaten some treats and drank a small amount of water, to which I am relieved to say the least, I was getting very stressed about her not drinking. At least a little is better than nothing, I'm hoping that she will have eaten something by Monday, I've put Tuna, and some Chicken breast down for her aswell as dry food and water, plus a bowl of milk. There is a lot of choice there, so hopefully something will suit her tastes.
I know cats are not supposed to have cows milk, but I was just desperate for her to drink something.
Kevin has been brushing her for ages and she loves it, and she's also flirted and shown her belly with him for a while. She seems to really like Kevin. We have spent time with her in the spare room, just us and her, for a couple of hours. Hopefully this will start to make her realise this is a nice place to be

[phesina]

Welcome home, Misty! You can eat and drink all you want, when you are ready to.

God love you and bless you for all you are doing for her, Kate.

[CultureJunky]

Unfortunately the situation with sweet Misty hasn't worked out as we had hoped. She arrived on Wednesday and has not settled well at all, it's quite clear that she needs to be a one cat household with no other animals and attention lavished on her only.

She has eaten only a few treats and had a few sips of water since Wednesday, she has also kept us up nearly all night three nights in a row which has been horrendous and we are both feeling quite ill through lack of sleep. She's been pulling up the carpet, banging the doors and generally being so stressed it's a wonder she hasn't had a heart attack poor thing.

So I have contacted her owner and said for her sake she needs to go back home to her as the way things are going she's going to end up hospitalised due to lack of food or a severe stress related problem.

I have found information online regarding allergies and came across a product called Petalcleanse which has proved very successful and was proven to alleviate the symptoms of 90% of sufferers. I have printed this out to give to her owner.
I have also found a lovely sanctuary that rehomes cats in the same place as where Misty's owner lives , she did in fact email these but it came back. I rang yesterday and spoke at length with the receptionist and they have an 8 week waiting list but then as soon as a space comes up, they take the next cat in. If Misty's owner puts her on the waiting list tomorrow (Monday) then it shouldn't be too long (around 2 and half months or so) until she can get a place here. There is alink here to the rescue place, it's a lovely centre that rescues and rehomes all sorts of animals and have recently had a new cattery built.
http://www.allcreaturesgreatandsmall.org.uk/

I am devastated that it hasn't worked out for Misty, but she is so sensitive to Sunny and Xavi's presence that it's making the poor cat ill. It is also making us feel really ill due to lack of sleep, and as we both work, we do need to have a settled nightime routine, this seems to be Misty's main time for being petrified of being alone, but she will not settle and meows constantly because She can smell our other cats.
She is a lovely cat, with a sweet natured personality, but needs to be the only cat for whoever eventually adopts her.

I am really hoping her owner will keep her, and try to find a way around her situation with her stepmother's asthma and allergies.
I have asked her owner to let me know if Misty does go to the sanctuary or if she stays, as I am interested naturally in her welfare and where she goes (as I am with all animals)

I just feel like a total failure at this moment in time, but I did all I could to, everything in the book of cat care, but it hasn't worked. I feel physically sick also through lack of sleep and know that I can't go weeks without sleep when I'm trying to hold down my first ever job.

I hope I haven't come across as being selfish or dismissive, but I really did try so hard to settle Misty into our household, but it just hasn't worked.

I feel very sad and gutted right now

Kate

[krazyaboutkatz]

Kate, I'm so sorry to hear this but you're doing what's best for Misty so please don't beat yourself up about it. Hopefully her former owner will be able to find the right kind of solution for her stepmother's asthma and allergies. At least she also has the cat sanctuary as another option. You are doing what's best for your home, your health, and for Misty so please don't forget that. I hope that everything will go well. Take care. (((HUGS)))

[Pinot's Mom]

Kate, you can never be wrong for trying. You did your best, and Misty had other plans, you can't help that. Try not to blame yourself; you don't deserve it.