The new cat, Part 2
*** Update (Sunday evening): She's clearly feeling more empowered. I could hear her meowing -- in a rather demanding tone -- as soon as the dogs and I returned from the dog park late this afternoon. It was, after all, like, DINNER TIME, already? Apparently the staff around here (that would be me) moves a little too slowly.
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First, thanks to Joe, 2Dogs4Now & Star (see comments on my previous post) for some excellent advice. I'm a novice at cat ownership (my first mistake was filling the litter box way too full!) so hints and suggestions are so welcome. I've been in contact also with my friend, the Cat Diva, along with Dolly & Leslie from Peter Zippi, the group that helped facilitate the adoption, and they've all been a great resource as well. I've purchased the Cat Bible (arriving soon from Amazon) and "Cats for Dummies." And thanks for the web links, 2Dogs, I will be sure to be checking those out.
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OK, the update: Late last night she emerged from under the bed in the spare room where she is sequestered for the time being (I go in for periodic visits, just to talk to her and hopefully get her used to my voice and presence). I grew up with cats and do remember how different they are from dogs -- they seem to like slow, quiet movements, easy petting, etc. It's all coming back to me, the entire cultivation process that's necessary to win their trust.
And so far, so good. She finally came close enough to let me pet her last night and from that point on our visits are filled with her rubbing up against me and purring. She's using her scratching post (furniture protection is, I'll admit, a concern of mine once she has more liberty in the house). She's eating well and is using her litter box (she covers up quite well as I realized this morning when I went in to "scoop" for the first time). Below, she's checking out her new digs.
She still ducks under the bed when I first enter the room, but she comes out fairly quickly at the sound of my voice calling her, once I sit down and settle in. She loves being in the big, rambling closet in that spare room (mostly boxes of Christmas decorations, etc). It was missing the sliding door when I moved in, so I wound up hanging a drape in front of the long opening. So she can easily scoot in there at will.
2Dogs, you're right, I also think Cowboy will adapt most easily. Tess is such a little herder, that may be more of a challenge. And one dog at a time is a great idea, my concern is that the 2 of them could team up on her otherwise. I'm told cats do not like to be herded? Imagine that.
So far, the dogs seem to be taking the as-yet unseen visitor in stride, they are calm in the house, very subdued (if a bit curious when I disappear into "the room" for periods of time, and maybe feeling a little neglected?).
She slept on a t-shirt & blanket on a corner of the bed in there last night (I know this because the spot was warm when I went in to check on her first thing this morning -- photos above and below show her feeling much more comfortable and settling in). So I've brought the t-shirt out and put it on the dogs' bed. Then it'll go back again, so eventually their scents will become more familiar to one another and co-mingle a bit.
Tomorrow morning I have made an appointment for my vet to take a peek at her -- but since Cowboy was also due for his annual checkup, I'm going to see if I can bring them both -- her in the carrier in the front seat and him in the back cargo area of my Jeep where he is trained to ride anyway. I'm playing this one by ear, though, and if I think this is too much too soon, I'll just take one of them tomorrow.
Ah, the name? Well, in sticking with our current "western" theme, I keep coming back to Annie Oakley ("Annie" for short, of course). Cowboy, Tess & Annie Oakley. I guess I just sort of like the sound of that. And she is, after all, somewhat of a hired gun I'm bringing in to be a mouser! But she'll get plenty of pampering, you can be sure of that.
To be continued ......
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
She is very cute. I know people that have introduced cats to the dog only homes, and with patience, it works out fine for all.
Hello Miss Annie Oakley!! (A-OK would make a good nickname too)
I was all set to offer up Calamity Jane and Bessie so I was right in line with the western themes. Bessie was in the running because I thought her markings looked a lot like some cows grazing on the hillsides...but then Tess might want to herd her even more?
If Cowboy becomes enamored with the cat, I think you'll have to change both of their names to Judge Roy Bean and Lily Langtree....
Boy, Calamity Jane is a great suggestion too! Lily Langtree, Bessie -- funny and all possibilities. (There was a dog named Miles Davis at the vet's today). The vet visit went relatively smoothly -- although the cat did manage to escape the vet's hands as he took her out of the carrier. She shot out across the room, which was (entertainment-wise) the high point of the entire morning adventure for Cowboy. Luckily, she was collected quickly and without incident. She checked out healthy, seems to have forgiven me for the trauma I caused in taking her there. She was really, over all, a pretty good sport about it all.
You mentioned she was semi feral. Was she neutered? If yes, than she was owned or abandoned by somebody.
She was spayed her ear had been "tipped" or notched. Her history is not really known, but the best guess is that she was owned by someone at one point as she's so friendly to humans but then she either got lost or was abandoned. She somehow she wound up with a group of ferals. The tipped ear indicates she was probably rounded up by a colony caretaker and taken to the vet -- whether they were the ones who had her spayed, or she was found to be already spayed, is not known.