Because Life is Weird I have a Small Gray Cat in my House

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother

You have been chosen, congratulations! (You know if you take her to a shelter you'll just worry about her.)

After you've let her adjust to you, you probably do need to get a carrier and take her to a vet - if you can trick her into one. The diarrhea is probably due to worms, which can cause major intestinal issues if not treated. And you probably want to know about the rest of her health, too.

Here's a tip that I've learned from catching and taming lots of feralish barn cats - get a TOP LOADING carrier that you can drop the cat into instead of the regular side loading kind. Leave it out where the cat sleeps for a while so she can get used to it and rub her scent on it. Also, put some newspaper in the carrier and drip a can of sardines all over the newspaper so that she thinks of the carrier as a place where yumminess can happen.

Ferals and strays that have lived outside can become the most loving companions ever!

Best of all wishes to you, and let us know what happens.

Yes, she needs a vet check-up anyway.

We adopted two hard-to-adopt adults almost two years ago from a no-kill. One has an eye injury of some sort and nobody wanted her. The other hides all the time.

Stepping in cat poop can be the best thing you can do for your cat. River, the super-shy one, had poop issues and one day I stepped in it. I went outside to clean my shoe and saw a worm. So off to the vet. Again.

Both were tested for parasites. It turns out River had roundworms, another worm of some sort, and lung flukes. The treating vet, a veteran of 35+ years in the business, said he'd never seen a cat in this area with lung flukes. We were fortunate in that that poop sample went out to a new lab they were checking out, because their in-house lab did not detect the lung flukes.

River is still paranoid. We can only assume she has PTSD or perhaps brain damage, or that Molly bullies her and she stays hidden. River lets me pet her and brush her, but she still runs off when my wife comes around. That hurts her feelings because she loves little critters just as I do.

It sounds like OP's new friend is coming around much quicker than River. It took me over a month of lying on my side talking to her, at least five times a day, while she was hidden under her favorite coffee table, before she finally came out and made contact. River is the sweetest cat, she loves to have her chin rubbed and brushed, but she's still edgy.

We've tried Feliway and a calming collar. I think Molly dominating her is probably what's held her back more than anything.

Good luck with your new family member, Nicci6!

[jencam]

I think you have a new cat. Congratulations! I would completely ignore her. She will come around. She'll suddenly one day be like why are you ignoring me human? And will brush against your leg or head-butt you or something to show affection.

ETA: 'Cat Attract' brand litter works very well. I've used it for three who were used to going outside, and had no knowledge of the cat box thing.

[Rene S]

Originally Posted by jencam

ETA: 'Cat Attract' brand litter works very well. I've used it for three who were used to going outside, and had no knowledge of the cat box thing.

FWIW, or try another brand of super-fine litter, like Slide. Our Lucy, who lived outside for a couple of years, took to that immediately.