Being adopted by a stray

[llewtrah]

For a couple of years I've had a tabby cat camping out in my hedge and coming through the cat flap to freeload. I wasn't worried at first as this cat is chubby so I chased it out. Of late I've noticehas been was an outdoor pet, the owners should have noticed the matted fur, but it seems to have attached itself here.

I've now been making friendly approaches and letting it see me put a dish of food out for it. After a few days of meowing at me, today it came over and allowed me to stroke it. The mat is obviously uncomfortable because I was swiped when I stroked its back. All was well with lots of head butts until I moved my hand to push some kibble over towards it and got attacked. Obviously we need more time for cat to trust me. I'm well-perforated (this was not a warning nip, this was a defensive bite) and stink of antiseptic and cat is sitting thinking about what has been happening. Obviously it needs time to work out that someone is being nice to it (and that I didn't react to being bitten or clawed). It's probably a bit of a shock.

Thank goodness for a high pain threshold and years of feral-wrangling! It's obviously been living rough for a while as it's reacting without giving warning at present. Cat was allowed to detach itself without me triggering any further defensive aggression. Luckily it doesn't annoy Mustard or Kitty (Mustard hissed and walked past, Kitty just lay down to watch it) so I guess I have my work cut out getting cat to trust me so I can handle it. it has a cloudy eye (which might be why my hand spooked it), matted fur and a few ticks, but otherwise seems okay considering it's been camping out. Once we reach handling stage, it will be down the vet to have these things sorted out under sedation and checked for microchips. If it isn't chipped I'll have that done as well so at least it's registered to an address should it ever get into some sort of trouble (even if it does decide to live mostly outdoors). I also need to find out if the overweight is due to a health problem (it's generalised, not pot-bellied).

I think I am destined to be a 3-cat household forever! or maybe I'm just a very soft touch.

[Chloe]

Bless you, llewtrah. You're good people.

[llewtrah]

I've noticehas been was an outdoor pet

Mean't if it was an outdoor pet - that's the problem when I let Mustard help write my posts!

[Horse Chestnut]

We don't only like pictures of kittens. We like pictures of messy beasts that bite, too!

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Horse Chestnut

We don't only like pictures of kittens. We like pictures of messy beasts that bite, too!

Once it's more gentle I'll do that, but I want to concentrate on the more immediate health problems first. Just think "big fat classic tabby with sulky face". I spoke to it this morning (it has a den in the hedge) and it's not running away now.

[llewtrah]

If you can't see them, the photos are at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29520195@N08/3796161230/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29520195@N08/3795341891/

Tonight she was mewing and rolling and didn't run when I approached, but sat on the driveway while I talked to her and while I fussed Mustard. Minnie seems like a good name. She reminds me of a neighbour's cat Minnie 20+ years back and it fits my classical names theme (Minerva). We didn't try the stroking tonight, but she rubbed against my leg a few times and we played with a blade of grass. A whole dish of kitty-tuna seems to have worked wonders!

[RCIAG]

Aw, she IS a big girl!

We were adopted by a stray tabby over 10 years ago in our local strip mall parking lot.

He's old, skinny, deaf & cranky that he can't go outside unsupervised anymore, but he's still with us.

I only wish our other gato, Baby Gato (aka Dingus, aka Fatty, aka Doodlebug, yes he answers to all of them) were the Great White Hunter that the old man was. He gets the occasional bird or mole & very rarely a squirrel but he's no Bubbie.

The bunnies are overrunning the place again & that hasn't happened in all the time we've had Bubbie because he'd find the nest & just go back & eat 'em all until they were gone. No rodent problems either. He was our pest control!

But now, alas, he's an old man that will just have to get along without fresh baby bunny meat & chipmunks.

[llewtrah]

We seem to be making good progress now she realises she is welcome. Her domesticated side is returning and she lies out in the open instead of hiding. I can call her for food (obviously she doesn't know her name, but she knows I am calling for her) and she's come inside with me a few times. She's doing more stretching, rolling and rubbing in greeting and trottingover to me with tail up. I've had 2 warning nips tonight - just keeping me in my place as a newly employed cat-servant as neither broke skin and the 2nd one was more like mouthing (not that i currently trust her with her teeth).

Mustard still unfazed by it all and Kitty hisses at her and runs (though Minnie doesn't react). Next week I'll stop by the vet and get some wormer as I think some of the fat belly is worms. If she's calmer I'll start with flea powder as well.

This will be the 3rd neighbourhood stray/reject that's moved in and they always arrive when there's a vacancy for a "number 3 cat".

Once you give a stray a name, you've lost the battle ......

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Horse Chestnut

We don't only like pictures of kittens. We like pictures of messy beasts that bite, too!

Have a few kittens anyway





(from my Flickr set http://www.flickr.com/photos/2952019...7616212394684/)

[llewtrah]

Minnie is now spending most of her time indoors catching up on her sleep (about 2 year's worth to catch up on by my reckoning!). After a couple of nips and swipes, I resorted to having leather gauntlets nearby, but in the last week the "snaps" haven't been anywhere near my hand (just audible warnings) and she has mastered the art of grabbing my hand with her paws and sheathed claws. She's one of those cats that didn't give warning before snapping (and I'm no slouch at reading cat body language). Having a dodgy eye makes her wary of sudden movement on that side, but as she is learning to trust me even that issue is diminishing.

The big difference seemed to come from the kitty laser dot toy as she had lost the knack of playing. She comes and begs for more playtime. She has turned out to be desperately affectionate and doesn't dive into a newly filled food bowl until I've given her a fuss - that's a big change from the eat-and-run cat she was a few months ago. She also responds to her name - in fact she just likes being addressed. She is also developing (expensive) tastes in foodstuffs - a far cry from a cat that ate whatever was around, even if stale.

Kitty and Mustard still aren't impressed and have been mainly avoiding Minnie and living upstairs. This morning Kitty managed to walk past Minnie without bothering to hiss, which is encouraging. For her part, Minnie hasn't struck out or hissed at the resident pair. Mustard peed once on my duvet, but Mustard was prone to occasional lapses even before Minnie (Mustard has also developed the affectation of wanting to be let in and out the lounge window, but that's what she was used to at her old home).

Minnie loves being combed, but I can't snip the mats on her back as touching them triggers the biting and swiping. I'll just keep her groomed so they don't get worse and they can moult out. Still can't safely pick her up either (still need to get her vet-checked and scanned for an existing microchip). We're getting there - a few steps forward and the occasion step back and so far no fights (a bit of yelling over cat flap rights of way) and no-one trying to leave home!

As her condition improves I'm guessing her age is around 10.

On the existing cat front - Kitty managed to fall in the bath last week . I had a soggy, disgruntled moggy who will now look before leaping onto the bath ledge and who will try to have a bit less forward momentum when she does jump up there!

[llewtrah]

I can now go days or weeks without being bitten and the last few have been warning pinches to keep me in my place (my place being sat down with a humungous former stray on my lap purring and dribbling*). She's snapped at me a few times without touching flesh. The last few smacks have been pads, not claws. Mostly she enjoys being tickled around the jowls, but I have to keep a close eye on body-language otherwise she tells me "enough!" with a snap or smack (but at least i now get a warning). OTOH, she will walk frantically back and forth on my lap head-butting if I stop before she's had enough She will even fall asleep on my lap.

Slowly snipping the mats out from her back. Still can't pick her up reliably enough to get her in a basket and when I do get her to the vet I will have to warn them she is an "examine under sedation" case. She also prefers to stay indoors, only nipping out of bathroom trips.

The current household agreement is Minnie has chosen to live in the front room and is fed there. Mustard and Kitty live upstairs and are fed there. The hall is a right of way for all. This means quality time for Minnie at TV time and the others at reading-before-sleep time (or prancing on keyboard time ). The upstairs kitties are starting to peer into the lounge without hissing, so we're getting there slowly.

*dribbling contentedly rather than any dental issues

[katikate]

Yay! I'm glad it is going so well. I wish our Quasimoto would realize that after three months Tiberious isn't going anywhere and stop snarling and growling constantly.

But I'm glad they've claimed their territories. Is there a DMZ?

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by katikate

But I'm glad they've claimed their territories. Is there a DMZ?

The hallway is a sort of no cat's land where they will keep each other under surveillance or pretend the other faction doesn't exist. The only issue has been scaredy-Kitty ran off when she saw Minnie and Minnie thought it was a game of chase (playfulness rather than aggression). Kitty likes to dab or chase Mustard (who is old and not into chase games), but doesn't like it done to her. At least the 2 factions are willing to ignore each other.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

I can now go days or weeks without being bitten and the last few have been warning pinches to keep me in my place (my place being sat down with a humungous former stray on my lap purring and dribbling*).

I've had two drooly kitties in my life, and met a few others. I find it oddly endearing.

[CSGirl]

Originally Posted by Lainie

I've had two drooly kitties in my life, and met a few others. I find it oddly endearing.

My parents have a drooler. She'll soak you. And that day where Gizmo wsa drooling bad- ewww. He completely soaked himself and anything he was on.

Llewtrah, you're awesome for giving kittehs such a good home. Glad she's settling in. That frantic walking all over you and headbutting sounds like Toffee. Cute, as long as you're not actually trying to do anything.

[Mosherette]

My sister's old cat Fraggle was a dribbler. My god could she dribble! George will have the occasional lapse as well, but only when he's sleepy.

My mum's in the process of being adopted by a stray at the moment too. Little Cat is still very skittish, although Mum can stroke him/her now (not been able to get close enough to tell yet, but we think it's a him) and she's just bought a rabbit hutch for him to sleep in now the evenings are drawing in. He's in there quite a lot already, and mum plans to put in a hot water bottle every night when the frosts really come. She's not sure if she can keep him because her cat Ellie is of a Nervous Disposition, and will pee everywhere if a new cat comes in. I may be up to three if Little Cat really REALLY needs a home...

[tagurit]

Oh, a tabby. Tabbies are my favorite. Thank you so much for giving Minnie a home, llewtrah.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by tagurit

Oh, a tabby. Tabbies are my favorite. Thank you so much for giving Minnie a home, llewtrah.

I would do more pics, but it's hard to photograph a cat that has its nose in the lens or is chewing the camera

[Aimee Evilpixie]

Originally Posted by Lainie

I've had two drooly kitties in my life, and met a few others. I find it oddly endearing.

YanYan drools so much she once developed a drool bubble stuck to her lip. It was hilarious.

[Syllavus]

I'm fascinated by the idea of a drooly cat. I've never had one, or met one in passing.

My Lulu kitty is very vocal though. When she's sacked out on my lap, she makes the most adorable little grunty moans when I pet her. She's also the only cat I've ever heard sigh.