# Advice Needed



## DebbieB (Sep 9, 2011)

Hey,

I am looking for some advice please. On Saturday I am collecting a cat (approx 1year old) from a rescue centre. She has been mistreated and was abandoned. I have been to see her and she let me hold her but I could tell she was uncomfortable and wanted to get back into her pen. I have never owned a rescue cat before, so am unsure if there is anything I should or shouldn't do to make her feel at ease when we bring her home? She has been in rescue for a couple of months as she needed to recover from the burns that has been inflicted upon her and then got infected. Any help will be greatly appreciated 
Thanks,
Debbie :daisy


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Well done! 

What questions would you like answered?

Like with a human who's been burned, you need lots of patience because they're slow to trust. I find that what works best is *predictability*, *reassurance* and *not stretching their comfort zone*. I even say the same words in the same tone repeatedly so they understand those as the "everything's all right, you're safe" signal.

If you can bring a vet home instead of trapping, caging and bringing them to the vet, I believe it makes a world of a difference for a traumatized cat. I don't take them to the vet.

Prince has been with me for 8 months now and I still don't add drama to our lives to make it more interesting, I keep a quiet, calm household, don't raise my voice and don't make brusque movements - if I can avoid it.

Princess is afraid of the fan and she hides under the bed. Prince still today jumps if he hears a dog 7 floors down with the window closed. They have some irrational fears. I don't try to convince them, I let them hide and deal with it at their own pace.


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## faithless (Dec 4, 2009)

Poor gal. Yeah, no loud noises, or sudden movements. I too repeat the same sentences for various events, in particular the tone of voice, to be as totally clear as possible to her, and she knows what they mean by now. Make sure she has a safe and comfy place to run to where she feels safe, under the bed or something, even her own room initially, if she needs it.


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

on top of the other advice, give her time, don't force her, if she wants to hide let her hide. treats and toys can go a long way but introduce them at her pace.. PS some of the ones that have had the hardest starts will make the best companions( my feral tammi the lap magnet will tell you that)


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## OwnedByIsis (Jun 21, 2011)

To add on to the great advice given...sometimes Feliway spray around the area the cat will be can help to keep them calm, or a Feliway diffuser that's like a plug in. I am not sure if you can get that where you live though.

Time and patience and paying them attention with soft and soothing tones, letting them love on you on their own time also makes for a happy kitty.

Good luck and congrats!


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

I think one important thing is to be prepared to understand their moodiness without holding a grudge. I was bad at this at the beginning with Princess when she'd suddenly bite or scratch me. I got better, though. I still reprimand her and abandon her for 10 seconds to show her it's wrong, but I don't hold a grudge anymore as I used to. The safer she feels, the less she does it. She hasn't scratched me or bitten me in weeks. She would do it when I stretched her comfort zone.

I do other little things to make her feel safe, such as put cushions or my legs against her behind when she's trying to relax to fall asleep. It's amazing how this calms her down, because of the fear of being chased. I never play rough with them. When they're taken aback by a new noise or movement, I do the things I normally do when I'm bored. Seeing me bored makes cats automatically conclude: "there's nothing threatening going on, nothing out of the ordinary." I do this with all my strays downstairs. This is why slow-blinking and looking to the side works wonders in connecting with strays - they interpret boredom (lack of sharp eye focus, yawning, watching the horizon) as the absence of a plan to attack. I normally pet and kiss them when there's nothing more pressing going on, so if they freak out I do this and they understand there's no imminent danger. Singing quiet songs works too with my cats. And in general, being calm myself calms them down the most.

Prince is terrified of men and of abandonment. I don't know his past, but if I can avoid it, I try to put distance between him and men and not put him in situations where he doesn't see me. When we go for walks in the neighborhood, I keep singing (low, because cats have excellent hearing and I don't need to disturb the neighborhood) so his accute ears know at any given time where I am.

I also try not to make sudden noises or movements when they're in the litter box.

Mind you, it's not always possible to do all this, this is a normal life and household with its occasional sudden noises and all. 

Toys can be very scary to them. Princess defends from a bird on a wand, kills it then hides from it under the bed.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

We rescued an older kitten which was shaved and abused! He doesnt like to be touched where he was shaved on his back and hind quarters. He gets easily agitated. Watch for signs of agitation where you touch your kitty. 

Like was mentioned before have a calm spirit when you handle your kitty and when looking at him. Never staring too long, directly into his eyes. A direct unblinking gaze between cats means one would be threatening the other. That is why gentle looks to the side makes them feel like your a safe person.

Ive had luck with feliway plug in dispensers help new cats and fearful cats make the transition to feeling safe and develope a bond with you.

I provide safe places for a new cat to get inside of. An up side down box with a door. Or the top cover of a litter box. That way, if you need to get your kitty, all you do is lift the box and scoop them up.

A small area to come home too is important. Too big of spaces can be overwhelmimg to a skiddish cat.

He is a beautiful! What a caring person you are to provide a safe loving future for him. People who are willing to take on a special needs cat are few and far between. He will give back a hundred fold on your journey together.


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## Marshel (Dec 22, 2010)

Just a thought. Could you purchase a cage like the shelter is using? Give the shelter your cage a few days before bring the kitty home. Put a blanket in it with your sent on it that way the kitty will feel like it is a safe haven. 
You didn't mention if there are other cats or dogs in the household. If there are I would derfinitely create a saferoom for the new kitty. 
Like the others have said don't rush it let the cat move on its own terms.
Wishing you great luck and a happen bonding.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Zenobi (otb) a ten year old rescue was terrified after using her litterbox and would run and hide. At first I'd tell her everthing was fine and she didn't need to hide from me. It made no difference. Then I started ignoring her at these times and eventually she came to realise that she wasn't going to get beaten after using her box.

If you go carefully and watch her behaviour you should be able to decide what she does and doesn't like. It's possible you'll get scratched or bitten if you do the wrong thing, depending on the cat's temperament. Zenobi bit me a couple of times until we reached an agreement that she wasn't to do that. I'm still not quite sure what upset her at those times, but I think it may have been two hands reaching for her. As I said, careful watching willlet you know what she likes and what scares her.


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## DebbieB (Sep 9, 2011)

Thank you so much for all your advice! We don't have any other pets and have been advised that she isn't very good with other cats so won't be getting another one in the future. Even though I love the thought of her having another friend to play with. I have the initial couple of days off of work so I can be home with her; however when I go back to work should I leave her in a small area of the house? I am going to come home at lunch time to check on her as I work locally and wouldn't want to leave her all day. I feel I may be posting a lot over the coming days once she is here. You guys are all such a great help it's really reassuring having people in the know to ask for advice


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## Fyreflie (Mar 5, 2011)

She might feel more comfortable in an enclosed space at the beginning, maybe start out your house introduction one room at a time, and bring her back to her "safe space" when she seems overwhelmed or agitated? I'm no expert but I bet she would feel much safer in her "own space" while you're gone until she seems very comfortable with you and your household. 

Something that helped our kitties (they were rescues from a shelter and under someone's porch and I think were always treated really well, but I think this would apply to any shy kitty!) when we brought them home and moved to a new place was keeping their routine the same. My husband gets up with them in the morning, feeds them, and then has a play session. Then they nap (on me if I'm home!) and get fed around the same time every night. If they seem to be agitated or freaked out (they were last week with the roofers making so much noise, Wicket is still sporadically hiding behind the fridge!) we spend more time snuggling and playing and try and reassure them with lots of calm time together. If they seem really really out of sorts we leave the bedroom door open and give them the option of sleeping with us--which usually tells us how they're doing, if they ARE freaked out they usually sleep with us all night, and if they're "okay" they spend the night keeping us awake and playing like they normally would if we had our door closed! 

She's really sweet, how did she get burned?


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

It'll help if you know exactly how she was mistreated in the past so you can be mindful of her triggers.

This might be a long post, but I'll tell you my story with Cap'n Jack who's a former stray. We found him last Sept 2010. He hung around my house and after a while, we decided to trap him cuz winter was coming around. We trapped him mid-Oct 2010. He was so frightened, he lost control of his bladder. We put him in a small windowless bathroom with a litterbox and bed and nightlight to mimic day/night lighting, then we let him simmer down for a while before going in. We were a 4 person household, but we limited visits to just me for a few days.

We kept him in there for about 1-2 weeks. He was very skittish and frightened, hiding behind the toilet tank whenever someone entered the room. I would go in and sit with a book. Then I would sing or talk in a calm, normal voice. I didn't look at him nor push him to come out. I let him gain bravery at his own pace. I definitely attribute this method to the fact that he's bonded only to me in the household. I spent a great deal of time talking with him, telling him about my day, reading books aloud to him. 

Around the 2 week mark, we changed the door to a wooden, prison bar style door. This opened up his senses so now he could see, hear, smell and touch the other 3 ppl, 1 dog and 1 other cat in the house.

We had this for another 2 weeks. Then we moved him to an enclosed dining room with double glass doors on one side and the prison bar door on the other side. He was so frightened from that move, he hid in his litterbox face down. After a few days, he calmed down, but would hide in his covered bed if he felt scared.

At the 1 month mark, we let him out of the dining room. He adapted well, but he was still skittish at the slightest fast movements or loud sounds. We didn't baby him too much so he'd get used to the normal activities in the house. Right now at the 11 month mark, he's doing pretty good. The only thing now is that he's terrified of strangers, any time someone comes over, he hides under a bed. We're working on that.


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## DebbieB (Sep 9, 2011)

That's really helpful, I am not sure whether to keep her in our hall / kitchen as this is a smaller are to begin with or our spare bedroom which is about 10'x12 at first? The vets think she had some sort of chemical literally chucked over her :-( They did loads of tests and never found out exactly what it was but it was resistant to most antibiotics so she spent a month on Antirobe and having baths in a special solution 3 times a week until the burns had healed and the infection had gone. I don't how people can be cruel to animals it makes me feel sick and so angry. She is completely healed and infection free, she is being taken for her first vaccination on Friday by the rescue centre and then I will take her again in 3 weeks if I feel she is ok or the vet will come to us. I think a lot of it is going to be wait and see to how she adapts to each stage then. I am going to keep her on the same food and style litter as apparently this is suppose to help. I ordered some of the Feliway spray too.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Oh that's so sad. People can be so mean that's so appalling!! How could you chuck burning chemicals on a cat? I really don't understand why. I also get very angry about pet abuse. There's no excuse and no reason for it. I'm so glad you rescued her though! I'm sure you'll treat her well.

Yes, don't overwhelm her with too many changes at the onset. Just put yourself in her shoes (if she wore any..haha). Imagine you're put into this new place with new ppl, objects, new everything. It's easy to feel frightened, lost, and overwhelmed. 

Is your hall/kitchen an enclosed area? I would imagine it's high traffic. I think she would feel safer in an actual bedroom where you can close the door. The four walls will help her feel safer instead of an open concept thing. She'll likely hide in the corner so she'll have 2 walls on either side of her body, giving her a sense of safety.

Hmm, I was just talking to someone in another thread. Perhaps you can think about getting a large dog kennel and setting her up in the corner of that room? It's not permanent but just so you can slowly introduce her to her new home. She starts out with the kennel then after she warms up, you start leaving the door of the kennel open. Then later on, the bedroom door.


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## DebbieB (Sep 9, 2011)

The bedroom is a better idea. You are quite right even with 2 of us we will want to go in to the kitchen to get a drink or food so she will get disturbed. I don't like the idea of a cage but it is what she has been used to though. I still have a couple of days to decide on that. I am definitely going to read to her so she's get used to my voice. I hope she likes romance novels and fashion magazines haha! I read somewhere in a cat book that if a cat doesn't eat for a couple days or so that you should take them to the vet as they could get some sort of liver disease is this true?? I just worry that with the changes she might go off her food and then I don't want to distress her more by taking her to the vet unnecessarily. Thanks again for all the help. I just want to do everything I can to make her feel reassured and loved from the start.


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## blondie1483 (Jan 19, 2011)

Debbie, I don't have any additional advice other than, you sound like such a wonderful person. Thank you for all you're doing for this poor baby.


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

DebbieB said:


> The bedroom is a better idea. You are quite right even with 2 of us we will want to go in to the kitchen to get a drink or food so she will get disturbed. I don't like the idea of a cage but it is what she has been used to though. I still have a couple of days to decide on that. I am definitely going to read to her so she's get used to my voice. I hope she likes romance novels and fashion magazines haha! I read somewhere in a cat book that if a cat doesn't eat for a couple days or so that you should take them to the vet as they could get some sort of liver disease is this true?? I just worry that with the changes she might go off her food and then I don't want to distress her more by taking her to the vet unnecessarily. Thanks again for all the help. I just want to do everything I can to make her feel reassured and loved from the start.



The liver disease you read about is Hepatic lipidosis, and yes it can be serious. But there are times when a cat can just go off it's food, due to a mild upset stomach etc. If your cat won't eat, and you can't tempt her with treats or tuna, you know, things that cats just can't resist, then yes I would call the vet. But no sense worrying over something that hasn't happened yet. I had a cat who got hepatic lipidosis, and after a few days on antibiotics, IV fluids, and then home sub-q fluids, she bounced back and made a full recovery.


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## DebbieB (Sep 9, 2011)

Ah thanks so much. I think I would have been worrying prematurely if you hadn't have said about the treats or tuna - I would've been calling the vet if she just wasn't eating her usual cat food.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Tuna works like a charm. Even a couple ferals I rescued from a roof (!) couldn't resist it, being the wild animals they were back then. So I'm sure she'll eat it no matter what...

Why don't you like the cage idea? Maybe because having her inside a cage might seem like you have her there like a prisoner which I completely understand...but it is just about feeling as safe as she can be in this "new world" she's gonna face when she gets home. So if it's not a cage, maybe a cardboard box with one side opened, or even a laundry basket -I used a wicker laundry basket laying down, and my little one used to run and hide inside it when I walked inside his "safety room", because even the room was too scary for him when I first brought him home...

She is gorgeous (she is the one in your avatar picture, isn't she?) and you are an amazing, wonderful person for giving her a chance to have a loving family after all what she's been through. Thank you so much :love2

With some patience and perseverance, everything will be ok


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Haha. Romance novels and fashion magazines, what girlie girl doesn't like those? 

I believe the time mark is 48 hrs. When I trapped Cap'n Jack, he didn't eat the first 24-48 hrs I think. He has a skittish personality so if he started within that time, you shouldn't be too concerned about yours.

I took Cap'n Jack for neutering roughly a month after I trapped him. I was of the same thought. I didn't want to overwhelm him with too many new things since he was so frightened of everything. He turned out fine. The vet technician even said he was very polite. LOL.

If you're feeling apprehensive of the cage, it's normal because you're applying human thoughts with that. Being a human, you wouldn't want to be caged up. However for the cat, it's actually comforting. Why do cats like bags, boxes, or closets? Because it's an enclosed area. There's something surrounding them on at least 3 sides and they can peer from a safe vantage point at any 'dangers' lurking outside it. 

I might even add that I believe Jack is very diligent with his litterbox habits probably owing to the time spent 'in captivity'. It's like an added bonus on top of what I was talking about above. It's hard to explain but when a cat deviates from using the box (and if medical reasons are ruled out by your vet), you can often correct it by reducing their territory. I had to apply the same principal with Miu when she started to poop outside the litterbox. I used a room first, but she continued so I further reduced it by getting a kennel and she started to smarten up. To make a long story short, if you start her out in a small area, get her used to using the box. It's like prevention is better than cure.

Sorry I got real wordy. I'm not very good at expressing my thoughts concisely. Hope I didn't bore you!



DebbieB said:


> The bedroom is a better idea. You are quite right even with 2 of us we will want to go in to the kitchen to get a drink or food so she will get disturbed. I don't like the idea of a cage but it is what she has been used to though. I still have a couple of days to decide on that. I am definitely going to read to her so she's get used to my voice. I hope she likes romance novels and fashion magazines haha! I read somewhere in a cat book that if a cat doesn't eat for a couple days or so that you should take them to the vet as they could get some sort of liver disease is this true?? I just worry that with the changes she might go off her food and then I don't want to distress her more by taking her to the vet unnecessarily. Thanks again for all the help. I just want to do everything I can to make her feel reassured and loved from the start.


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## DebbieB (Sep 9, 2011)

No you didn't bore me at all - i really appreciate all the help 

Well i think I will start her off in the bedroom and see how she is and then if she is pooping outside the litter box I can get a kennel. There are quite a few big pet shops near me so would be able to pick one up easily. I picked up some tuna in water today (that is the correct one - i read somewhere they can't have it in brine?) just in case she doesn't eat her food.

Also while i remember is there anything you shouldn't feed a cat as it could be harmful / toxic to them? Like you shouldn't give a dog chocolate for example.

Tomorrow is the day! I am really excited. I will be sure to try and post some pictures in the meet my kitty section and update you all on whats happening and no doubt asking you more questions. 

Thanks again to you all for you help and kind words about me - i don't think I am doing anything different to what someone else would do! All of you fellow cat lovers would do the same. :love2 xxxx


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

Good luck tomorrow! Both my cats were scared when I first brought them home & hid for a few hours.


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