Cat left behind (Dallas, San Antonio, Post: condos, Walmart, rated)

[neddy]

Buy a cat carrier for the cat to be in when driving the car. Never know how a cat is going to react while driving plus going to the vets office you have a good chance of running into a dog and risk getting hurt. Go to a pet store and tell them you have a cat and need some help.

[69GSstage1]

People like you make this world a much better place. It sounds like the previous owners were not very responsible by the way they abandoned this cat. Having said that, make sure your new is kitty is spayed or neutered. Good luck with your newest member of your family and God Bless you for your kindness and compassion.

[prim8]

Thank you all for the kinds words. I don't feel special at all. I just think it's the right thing to do.
It's not the cats fault they left her.

Trust me, spay or neuter is first on my last. Last thing I need is to try and find homes for a bunch of kittens.

[prim8]

I thought I'd add a pic of the kitty.

Or, I tried to, but the image was enormous. Let me resize it and repost so I don't hose the thread.
attempt 2

Here, I believe she is saying "feed me $@$%%&&^"

Another pic

[Lodestar 77]

God Bless You for your kindness! Once she sits in your lap, or sleeps by your head, and turns that contented "motor" on (purrs), you will be putty in his/her hands. They too bond with their people. BYW, it is a "Tabby" or "Tiger" cat.

[jsrm]

For a scratching post get a sisal rope or cardboard one. I learned the hard way not to get a carpet one. I adopted a 6 year old cat. I gave him a carpet scratching post - he didn't know what to do with it so I showed him (silly me). He started using it. Problem was he learned from the carpet scratching post that carpet is for scratching. You guessed it - all the carpet in my house became fair game for scratching.

[jsrm]

He is precious - thanks for the pic!

[Willsatx]

You are a great person and human being for doing that.

[momzillajen]

I add my thanks to giving the kitty a home!

I recommend the breeze too - it seems pricier but since you only replace the pads weekly and the pellets monthly, it's really nice. Another option you can use is to put the litter box in a LARGE plastic tote - one the kitty can jump into but the dogs can't get into easily to eat the "kitty crunchies". This is harder to do with older cats but young ones who are agile it works ok.

I second (third?) the cardboard for scratching - Petsmart sells corrugated cardboard for like $10 and my cats LOVE it. When it gets totally shredded, flip it over and it's a brand new surface!

Look for a soft carrier that you can sling over your shoulder - easier to carry, store, etc. than a traditional plastic carrier (but not great for long trips or anything, just for taking to the vet).

Food and water is the big thing - and I agree a cat tree so she (he?) has a place to get up from the dog(s). Having a place to escape the dogs will make her more likely to accept them in the long run, at least that's what we've found with our cats/dog. The best cat trees I've ever found are from armarkat online - great prices, free shipping, not made with carpet (instead it's a fleece but very sturdy) - they LAST and are the best prices. We have two. Armarkat.com - Cat Furniture, Cat tree, Dog Bed, Cat Bed

I have heard (but have no proof) that fish-flavored food leads to diarreah in cats, so I stick to the poultry/beef varieties. We leave dry food and water out all the time and feed the wet food daily - but a just dry or just wet food diet works too - it's whatever you and the kitty like to do.

As far as transitioning the cat & dogs to like each other - if you can leave the kitty in a closed room for a week or two (with food/water/litterbox) so they can sniff each other under the door, that tends to help them get used to each other and it will make introducing them to each other easier in the long run.

Ok that's all my kitty advice. Good luck and welcome to the world of kittylove!!

[ariannah]

Poor kitty! I don't understand how people could just leave their animals behind like that!

My only advice is to consider feeding her a quality wet diet if you can afford to.

Cats can be prone to bladder problems. I have four, and when one came down with a bad bladder infection, it was recommended that I switch to feeding them all wet food (I buy Innova.) I did and said kitty recovered quickly (with the help of antibiotics, mind you.) The other three have all seemed to display a ton more energy than I ever recall them having. From my understanding, the moisture content of the wet food is much better for them vs. dry kibble and keeps them healthier by helping keep them hydrated. In addition, I've been told that wet food is actually better for their teeth. Obviously, that's just personal experience and your vet can give you the final word on wet vs. dry.

Also, make sure to periodically check her ears for mites or buildup and clean them now and again with an ear cleaning solution.